How to Buff and wax a Boat

Waxing your boat protects it from dirt and scratches.

After floating around in the water for a period of time, a boat's finish becomes dull and scratched. Exposure to the sun and water, as well as contact with sticks, rocks, weeds and other abrasive materials, are the main culprits. Waxing your boat, as the first line of defense, provides a layer of protection from the elements. But eventually, waxing doesn't produce the same shine. At this point, buffing your boat with a rougher compound helps remove the deeper scratches, leaving your boat shiny once again.

Things You'll Need

• Soap and water
• Bucket
• Cloth polishing pad
• Polisher
• Rubbing or polishing compound
• Towels
• Boat polish
• Wool polishing pad
• Boat wax

Instructions

1. Mix some soap and water in a bucket. Wash and dry your boat to remove any dirt on the surface.

2. Place a cloth polishing pad on a polisher.

3. Apply a small amount of rubbing or polishing compound, designed for boat finishes, to the polisher pad, if you have deep scratches that require extra buffing. Turn on the polisher at the lowest speed setting. Press lightly on the surface of the boat, moving in circular and figure-eight motions, completely covering the surface equally. Wait for the rubbing compound to dry.

4. Wipe the rubbing compound off with a towel, removing all the film from the surface of the boat.

5. Apply a small amount of boat polish to your polisher pad. Turn on the polisher at the lowest speed setting. Move the polish around on the surface in circular and figure-eight motions, evenly distributing the polish.

6. Replace your cloth polisher pad with a wool pad. Buff the surface of the boat with the polisher until you achieve the desired shine.

7. Apply a small amount of boat wax designed for your boat's finish to a towel. Rub the wax in a circular motion over the surface of your boat until the entire surface has an even coat. Wait for the wax to dry.

8. Buff the wax off the surface using the wool pad on your polisher, removing the wax film and restoring the shine.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply a fresh coat of wax to your boat each year for protection throughout the boating season.

• Don't buff to much. Your gel coat is thicker than the paint on your car but you can still go threw it. If you see fiberglass don't even try. It needs to be repaired.

References

• How To: The Don Casey Library; Restoring the Shine to Fiberglass; Don Casey
• Marine Store: Fiberglass Care and Maintenance
• YouTube: Gelcoat Repair Part 4: Buffing and Waxing