How to Use a Waxer for a Boat

Keeping your boat waxed keeps it looking beautiful and protects it from damage.

Keeping your boat properly waxed helps prevent new scuff marks from forming. For larger boats, an electric boat waxer is much more efficient than waxing by hand and significantly speeds up the process. Although you can effectively wax your boat while it's docked, removing your boat from the water makes waxing significantly easier and faster.

Things You'll Need

• Boat brush
• Boat cleaner
• Vinegar
• Mechanical sprayer
• Boat wax

Instructions

1. Wash your boat thoroughly with boat cleaner and warm water, using the boat brush to scrub away sand and dirt buildup. Rinse well and allow the hull to dry in the sun. Waxing a dirty boat can preserve debris that are stuck on the hull, making it much more difficult to clean in the future.

2. Mix a solution of 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water in the mechanical sprayer. Spray down the hull of the boat with the vinegar solution to remove hard water stains and any remaining residue from the surface. Allow the hull to dry completely before waxing.

3. Consider your boat's oxidation level when you buy wax from a marine supply shop. A clerk can help you with this.

4. Charge or plug in the waxer. Apply a few tablespoons of the wax to the waxer at a time to prevent buildup that may leave excess wax on the boat.

5. Wax the boat from the bottom up, following the manufacturer's instructions about how much pressure to apply. Applying too much pressure with an electric buffer may eat away at the gel coating that protects the hull's fiberglass. Work from the bottom of the boat hull and up the sides. Start at whichever side is accessible if your boat is docked, allow the wax to dry, turn the boat and wax the other side.

References

• Boating Made Simple: Boat Wax
• Vinegar Tips: Cleaning With Vinegar
• Inside Practical Sailor: Hull Waxing Tips