Re: Do not want to have to sand my hull every year
Here's what a Professional Detailer says about Dark Gelcoat...
"I'm a professional detailer and have experience with dark gel coat hulls. There is bad news: to keep your boat looking good you are going to need to give it much more attention than a coat of cleaner wax once a year. Cleaner wax is great but you are going to want to use a harder wax that will last longer. The cleaner is a great first step to remove minor oxidation. But you need to finish it off with a paste wax or even better one of the new synthetic polymers.
Here's what I'd recommend...
1) Shurhold's Yacht Brite Buff Magic - It's not cheap but the best compound Ive used. It starts off aggressive but breaks down as you work it in. There is actually a YouTube video on how to use it. Basically you need an orbital buffer, not a random orbit, a real buffer with a wool compounding pad. Run it on a slower speed to work the compound then crank it up to remove the residue from the surface. There i going to be black on your compouning pad but don't be concerned. You are going to have to clean the pad often with a stick or wire brush to keep it from gunking up on you. You will likely be amazed at the finish at this point. But you're not done.
2) Now you need to protect your finish from the damages of salt environment and the sun. Yacht Brite also makes a Pro Polish Sealer they recommend that is a liquid, goes on easy, should come off by hand with a microfiber towel and has held up well on boats I've treated it with.
Another option I like, especially with hulls is Starbrites Polish is PTEF. It comes in liquid, or even better paste form. I like to use this on the hull because the teflon will make cleaning easier and helps fight off the water line stains.
You could also finish with a conventional carnuba wax, liquid or paste, but it's been my experience that the options above are superior. There is also a product called rejex that I havn't tried but the guys on the hull truth seem to love and collonite's fleetwaxes.
Another think we've done on dark hulls is buffed it back to it's original shine with compound, then waxed monthly with a cleaner wax, but I'm sure you would rather be out there enjoying the boat.
Maintenance: This is the important part. You are really going to have to keep up with the hull unless you want to have to compound this thing every year or more. After EVERY trip out you need to at a minimum rinse the salt off the hull with fresh water. Even better would be to wash the hull with a soft brush or wash mitt with a wash and wax that is safe for the wax. No detergents or harsh product like simple green or roll off. Drying with a chamois will prevent water spots. Now every gelcoat is different, and you will have to keep an eye on the surface to see how it is holding up. But your going to need to re-apply the finish polish 3-4-5 times a year to keep it up. You may need to use a cleaner first, but should'nt have to compound every time if you keep up with it.
Sorry for the bad news, black is a lot of work. "
