How can I restore and protect my aluminum boat.

Skipper June 19, 2017 Ask The Skipper

Nathan Rremfry asked:

Hi there I have quintrex hornet aluminum boat I live in wollongong New South Wales Australia I seen this product on the internet I have some oxidisation or corrosion not sure what it is I would like to try this product where can I get it from and what’s my cheapest option.

Here are some pictures of my boat.

Answer:

Pictures are a big help. It looks like you have traces of marine growth in some areas, plus corrosion and etching, I assume from salt water.
For your convenience, I’ve highlighted the hyperlinks. Click on the hyperlink to get more information about the selected product.
To restore and protect the surface you will need to do the following:

1. Spray the bottom with Algex. Allow it to work, keeping it wet at all times and giving it a scrub with a scrub brush. After about 20 minutes pressure wash it off or use a garden hose and scrub brush. That will remove all marine growth and surface corrosion so you have a clean surface to restore.

2. Buff the surface with Alumabuff. You will need a Linear Buffer and the special Alumabuff Pad Kit, plus a Marine Power Mitt to get into areas that the machine can’t reach. You can do it by hand, using the Marine Power Mitt, but that’s a lot of hard work. The Buffer has a 30 cm pad and goes back and forth 3,000 times per minute. Imagine doing that by hand. It’s important to buff in a linear motion, with the grain, If you try to use a rotary machine or buff against the grain you will get swirls and streaks in the finish, which are difficult to remove.

Alumabuff is water based so you can power wash or rinse the black residue off. See the video:

3. To protect the bottom, apply 4 thin coats of Alumetron. It can last up to 10 years and comes with a 3 year warranty that can be extended up to 5 years if you protect it with VS721. It bonds chemically to the aluminum and is recommended for use below as well as above the waterline.

See the application video:

4. Apply 2 coats of VS721 to add scratch resistance, extend durability and live, replenish UV protection, reduce marine growth, improve the performance of the boat and reduce fuel consumption. Regular use will extend the warranty of Alumetron to 5 years.

5. Enjoy your renewed boat J Not only will it look better, it will be worth more when you sell or trade.

Also, if ever you get any abrasion damage, it’s easy to touch up in the field. If done correctly the touch up is invisible.
Here’s a link to our Pontoon Calculator which will help you determine the products and amount you will need. It was designed for pontoon boats, but if you determine the square feet of your boat and adjust the numbers to match it will work out the quantities for yo Pontoon Calculator
I recently talked to a guy that keeps his pontoon boat (Tritoon) in the Gulf of Mexico (salt water). He use the products mentioned above and told me that after 6 years his pontoons still looked brand new.

We have a new Distributor in Australia. They are still getting set up but they will be able to help you with the products you need:
RIB Force Inflatables Pty Ltd
(07) 55 737 265
A7, 52-58 Waterway Drive Coomera, QLD, 4209

Thanks for your question,
Captain Aurora
Richard Kittar