What wax should i use on my 2005 boat.

Skipper January 25, 2007 Ask The Skipper

Steve Goebel asked:

I have a new 2005 Four Winns 348. My friend is a glass repair person and said to use only a good wax with or without carnuba. He said any others used will inbed into the glass and if you need to rebuff or repair that others will not come out of the glass even with sanding. Is this true? What wax should be used that will last. I live in Coloraro were the summer temp can get in the high 90’s to 100 all summer.

Answer:
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Your friend is right. Using waxes or polishes containing Silicone or Teflon can make it impossible to repair or refinish the surface of your boat, if that ever becomes necessary. The refinisher will not be able to get the repair or refinishing material to adhere properly to the contaminated surface. Even a small repair will require complete removal and replacement of the gelcoat, making the cost expensive, or even prohibitive on older boats. Reputable boat refinishers will not guarantee their work if your boat has been contaminated with these products.

Carnauba wax based boat polishes also have their problems and boat manufacturers are now advising their customers not to use these waxes. When the sun heats up the wax on your boat, it releases the natural dyes in the wax, resulting in discoloration (yellowing) of your gelcoat. In addition, the wax become greasy from the summer heat and attract and hold dirt, acid rain and pollutants against the surface of your boat which can result in additional problems and discoloration, such as graying and black streaks. Many boat manufacturers now recommend that you use a synthetic polish with UV inhibitors, such as Aurora Premium Boat Shine, as the best defense against environmental damage as best for their boats.

Before applying Premium Boat Shine, it’s a good idea to strip the surface of old wax, pollutants, dirt, grime, stains and scuffs by washing with Boat Clean Plus and deep cleaning with Boat Scrub. This way the polish will adhere to the boat surface and not to the dirt or old wax on the surface.

Beware of using Acrylic Polymer type polishes. These are the ones that require you to sand or scuff the surface of your boat and paint on the acrylic clear coat. This process is irreversible and should only be used on older boats that are in need of refinishing anyway. When carefully and properly applied, these materials will give you a few extra years of shine before you spend the money to have your boat properly refinished.

If you do have wax stains on your boat, it’s no longer necessary to sand and compound out the damage. You can find information on how to restore the finish in the “Deck Restoration, Cleaning & Protection” section of the forum.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora