Cleaning/waxing

[cobalter]

Since owning the 210 I have struggled with how to get the hull waxed below the water line, chines and on the trailer. After some research it seems it is not necessary as any wax/sealant on the running surface may in fact slow the boat and only last an hour or so. That was good news. Just wondering if anyone has a different opinion? Here is a quote that seems to have broad support when I search this topic:

Waxing will most definitely slow the boat down!! from Al (209.135.80.246) 5/11/1999 9:46:00 PM
I can't give you the proper explanation as to why, (although I'm sure someone else will be able to),but waxing will allow the water to "stick" to the bottom of the boat more than a clean bottom will. Something to do with the hydrodynamics of water, (almost sounds like I know what I'm talking about). I used to think that if you made the bottom real slick your boat would go faster, no, it will go slower. You shouldn't even wax your prop. When they blueprint the bottom of a boat to take out imperfections they will leave it sanded, which will help to improve the speed. Wax the sides and the rest of the boat, but don't wax the bottom.

So, my plan is to wash from the top down to water line, or wherever I can get to, with a 3M boat soap and then apply a "Marine 31 gel coat carnuba plus sealer" and use a detail spray for the top surfaces on a day to day basis when boating. Will use my dual action polisher with a blue pad to save some work. This should help prevent oxidation and a need for a mild polish at least a few years.

[Big Block Power]

Not sure if that's true but it could be. So the boat could be slower for a few hours? Who knows. I do pretty much what you do.but once a year I do the bottom. I will say it helps keep the scum line off/less and a whole lot easier to clean so I'm still going to do it. I'm very happy so far with my bio kleen products.

[liquid]

Your talking about Laminar flow - air bubbles on an unwaxed surface will allow a boat to go faster. For our purposes it's really pointless. Where it matters is for speedboats where fractions of MPH mean a lot or sailboats where fractions also mean a lot!

Waxing the bottom will slow your boat down true, but only for 2-3 trips out before it's stripped off.

I still do it once a year (end of season), I'm already getting rid of the scum line and waxing so why not do it?

Don't break your back doing it but a quick, lazier pass doesn't hurt anyone.

[TwoBurgers]

I'm old school when it comes to the boat... I use what I'm comfortable with and what works best for me. I use the 3M Finesse-It in the spring followed by two coats of Collinite, and add another coat of Collinite mid-season. This year I need to compound in a few spots due to the bumpers leaving very fine "scratches", but otherwise will follow with my normal routine.

[liquid]

Looks good. I wax in the spring and the fall. Use Mcguire's. Do the works for the scum line if necessary.

Boat Bling products throughout the season. Hot sauce on the exterior every few trips. Vinyl Sauce on the vinyl every few times. Condition sauce heavy in the Spring and every so often in season. The water isn't hard where I boat and my hull is white anyway so I don't worry about it too much.

Howevver I'm a maniac about it looking good when she first gets in the water and before i tuck her away at the end of season.

see exhibit A of my neurotic behavior:

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=101

John - Maybe merge these threads?

[Big Block Power]

Liquid I'm thinking of switching to some boat bling stuff. Have you used there water spot remover stuff. I need that for my quick detail stuff.

[liquid]

I have not but i spoke with Zack who is one of the co-owners about most of their products. I'd imagine black hull you definitely need something reliable.

I can tell you that they started the company because of where they boat in Arizona (if memory serves) has notoriously hard water. They were boating year round (imagine that!) and they needed something for the spots.

Call him -800-846-4899 - I spoke to him for like 30 minutes. I even recommended their products to my dealer. Either Zack or Patrick will call you back.

I've used the Hot Sauce which pretty much takes the spots right off of my hull, but again, no hard water here.

[Big Block Power]

Thanks. It's like buy 32oz for $23 or buy a gallon for $33 but I didn't want to buy that much if it isn't any good. Which I would find hard to believe. So many people recommend there products.

[liquid]

Looking at the products page I Use the Hot Sauce which is designed to remove spots after daily use... Quickie Sauce is like a quickie wax (which I haven't used) and when the two are used in conjunction it makes removing spots a breeze apparently.

http://boatbling.net/packages/

here's the package page... you can probably find them cheap on amazon but I don't need to tell you how to find things on the internet BB!

[Big Block Power]

Thanks.and I'm going through with with drawls right now because my Craigslist Pro app is gone. WTH
I need help! Why would they get rid of that app.

[Ytmsn]

Liquid have you noticed any residual swirls after using the hot sauce? I get quite a bit when the light hits it just right.
I've tried going over it a couple times and buffing real good but there are still places I can see. I wonder if I got a bad batch?

[Big Block Power]

Liquid have you noticed any residual swirls after using the hot sauce? I get quite a bit when the light hits it just right.
I've tried going over it a couple times and buffing real good but there are still places I can see. I wonder if I got a bad batch?

That can't be from the Hot Sauce. I just bought some and used other brands just like it. That's from the wet sanding or buffing before that. They prob used a wax or polish that had silicone in it. The silicone covered those marks up. Now the Hot Sauce is removing the residue and you are seeing those buff or wet sand marks. Very common. May need to go back to the buffer guy and fine tune it. That's why there is three steps to buffing and if you skip one you leave the marks. That's my $.02

[Ytmsn]

Oooooh. Thank you, Mastah BeegBlock! You are right, I am seeing things that shouldn't be there. I'll go back to the buffing pad and get'er done right. I thought I had it, but can still see some sanding and buffing marks.

I'm using McQuires #7 , #4, #1 when I buff. The last step is the swirl remover, but I need to hit it again. It's on my "to do" list.

What do you use? Maybe I need to switch to 3m or Starbrite or something..

[jhnmdahl]

Meguiars works pretty well (although I like 3M a bit better). The big secret, I think, is to look at the surface with light glancing off it at an angle as you move from section to section, and from cutting to polishing, etc., to ensure that you are ready to move on and not leaving marks behind you should be picking up. A cheap halogen work light from one of the big box hardware stores works well for this, as long as you aren't in direct sun.

John

[liquid]

BB nailed it.

I use the Meguiars in the spring and the fall, Boat Bling to maintain through the season. I have noticed it on the Blue stripe when I hurry - children/wife nags - and have found the same. I don't see much though due to the white hull so I don't worry too much about it.