Why Shouldn’t I Use Carnauba Wax on My Boat?

Skipper October 28, 2008 Ask The Skipper

Jay Ofsink asked:
My boat was waxed before shrink wrapping for the winter. Does the wax have to be removed to use the Premium Boat Shine?
You indicate “no carnauba”. I thought carnauba was a good thing. What are its disadvantages?

Answer:
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Yes. Waxes oxidize and deteriorate over time and they do not bond to the surface, but remain on top. If you apply polish or wax over the top, you are protecting the old wax and not your boat. In addition, if the wax is Carnauba, the more you apply the greater the staining effect will be. Carnauba waxes also hold dirt and pollutants because of its greasy nature and it’s better to remove this rather than sealing it in with a new coat.

You can easily strip the old wax by washing with a 1:4 dilution of Boat Clean Plus and water and then scrubbing it with Boat Scrub to deoxidize, deep clean and remove any stains that may be present. Premium Boat Shine is easy to apply and is self polishing so it does not require the hard rubbing and buffing that natural waxes do. It also bonds to the surface to give your boat better protection. It now contains VS721 for greater durability so that 2 coats will last a full year on your hull.

The disadvantages of Carnauba waxes are:
• Heat from the sun releases natural dyes which cause yellowing and staining.
• Heat from the sun softens the wax, making it greasy which in turn holds dirt and pollutants against the surface.
• They are difficult to apply and require aggressive friction buffing to get a good shine.
• Limited life; they break down rapidly limiting protection to your boat and should be stripped and re-applied every 2 to 3 months.
• Jungles are being clear cut in order to get the carnauba wax from the trees. This is destroying the natural habitat of wild animals and the product is no longer considered environment friendly.

Many boat manufacturers now discourage their customers from applying Carnauba wax to their boats and recommend a synthetic wax or polish like Premium Boat Shine.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora