scuff and small scratches

[sgalagerhead]

I have a 2011 edgewater 245cc with a navy hull that has some light scratches from docking with fenders and a scuff that I really want to get rid of. I can't feel the scuff mark but it is a bright white mark on the bow what product or products would you recommend and can it be done with elbow grease or do I need to invest in a rotary buffer or a HD da polisher. Thanks guys for any ideas ahead of time.

[Mike Phillips]

I have a 2011 edgewater 245cc with a navy hull that has some light scratches from docking with fenders and a scuff that I really want to get rid of.

I can't feel the scuff mark but it is a bright white mark on the bow what product or products would you recommend and can it be done with elbow grease or do I need to invest in a rotary buffer or a HD da polisher.

Thanks guys for any ideas ahead of time.




Does your boat kind of look like this?

2011 edgewater 245cc

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/510/2011_Edgewater.jpg




For light scuffs you might be able to get away with a light cleaner/wax and in a worse case scenario a heavy cut cleaner/wax. Both our the light cut and heavy cut cleaner/wax in our Marine 31 line can be used by hand or machine.



On Marine31.com

Marine 31 All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax - 16 ounce (http://www.marine31.com/marine-31-polish-and-wax.html)

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/505/Marine_31_All_In_One_Gel_Coat_Polish_and_Wax_01.jpg



Marine 31 Gel Coat Heavy-Cut Cleaner Wax (http://www.marine31.com/best-boat-cleaner-wax.html)

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/505/Gel_Coat_Heavy_Cut_Cleaner_Wax_jpg.jpg



:thumb:

[Mike Phillips]

Hey Bo....


Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Last few days and actually last few weeks have been crazy busy.

Went to Argentina to teach my two day detailing boot camp class.

Went to Wayne Carini's shop to film two new segments for "Chasing Classic Cars".

Then yesterday was shooting three new segments with John Greviskis for Ship Shape TV from 7:00am to 4:00pm and as soon as I could get out of here had to go to the local Stuart Tuesday night car show.



Also, one thing I try to share with people that have boats that are currently in good to great condition is NOW is the time to polish and wax them to keep them in great condition.

Letting them go to the point where they are oxidized creates a TON of hard work over long hours to undo the damage.

What I see in the boat detailing industry is if you hire someone to do it for you then you get what you pay for and this usually means hack work and the detailer will almost certainly swirl out your hull like this....

Holograms in gel-coat boats (http://www.marine31online.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138)


The boat detailing industry is so far behind the car detailing industry as far as quality of finish being produced. The issue is one of the same issues we deal with in the automotive detailing world and that is....


Holograms


Oxidized gel-coats require wool pads, rotary buffers and aggressive compounds to remove the oxidation in a time-efficient manner due to the size of marine craft and the difficulty in doing this type of work.

Here's an example
The owner sent me this picture and in the picture with the boat on the lift the condition of the boat doesn't look too bad, that is to say, the boat looks pretty good.

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/523/ShearWater_001.jpg



Let there be light!
Now with the boat in our studio and some light placed on her, a new story emerges...

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/523/ShearWater_002.jpg


Here's a shot showing three lights, the first light is the flash from my camera, the second two lights are flood lights.

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/523/ShearWater_004.jpg



Holograms in gel-coat
The below picture is a full size section cropped out of the above resized picture. The lines you see running back and forth across where the flash from my camera is lighting up the side of the hull are holograms from a rotary buffer.

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/523/ShearWater_004c.jpg




Even more pictures of the horrible condition this boat is in here,

Sign-up: 24' Shearwater Extreme Boat Detailing Class (http://www.marine31online.com/forum/showthread.php?t=117)


http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/523/ShearWater_006.jpg


Water Spot Stains & Oxidation
Not only is the entire hull filled with holograms from the misuse of a rotary buffer, (the normal practice by most boat detailers), the gel-coat is also oxidized and covered with water spot stains.

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/523/ShearWater_007.jpg

http://www.marine31online.com/gallery/data/523/ShearWater_008.jpg



So point being, if your boat is currently in good to great condition, I'd whole heartedly recommend getting a Flex 3401 Forced Rotation, Forced Oscillation German made polisher instead of a rotary buffer and instead of a cheap random orbital polisher and keep the gel-coat up while it's still an easy job to do.


Just the 2-cents from a guy that had buffed out boats like you see above and knows the value and difference in time, energy and money between undoing the damage above and maintaining something that's already nice.


:)

[sgalagerhead]

Thanks Mike

I appreciate the information. I have been using the marine 31 wash and wax on the boat and have used the a polish sealant and star brite non skid cleaner since it was a new boat it was a left over model and left out in the sun so the hull is in good condition but could have been in better my opinion. I wash her every trip on the trailer back at homeand keep it under a cover. I was looking at either the flex 3401 or the flex Pe14 rotary on auto geek with the marine 31 oxidation package.Wish could make the shearwater class pick up some tips but its a ways from south Georgia. Hopefully I can make one of the next ones

[sgalagerhead]

Yes the picture is exactly like my boat except I have a navy t top color.

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks Mike

I was looking at either the flex 3401 or the flex Pe14 rotary on auto geek with the marine 31 oxidation package.



For a boat that's still in good to great condition I would go with a dual action polisher like the Flex 3401 instead of the PE14 just due to the inherent hologram issue with rotary buffers that you don't have to deal with when using tools in which the pads will both rotate and oscillate.




Wish could make the Shearwater class pick up some tips but its a ways from south Georgia. Hopefully I can make one of the next ones



There will be more classes in the future.

Just to note, I have two guys flying in from New York just for this class. These same two brothers also flew down from New York just for this other class.

1966 Blown Nova - Extreme Makeover - Pictures & Videos (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pictures-autogeek-s-car-week/78227-1966-blown-nova-extreme-makeover-pictures-videos.html)


Here's Denis machine applying Synergy while his brother Matt watches.... these two brothers flew to Stuart, Florida from New York just to be a part of this project.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2310/1966_Nova_Detailed_at_Autogeek_078.jpg


Here's the finished results....

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2310/1966_Nova_Detailed_at_Autogeek_010.jpg



The following weekend this car was entered for judging at the Super Chevy Car Show at the Palm Beach International Raceway and took first place in its class.

First Place at Super Chevy Show - Palm Beach International Raceway April 4-6 (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/79160-first-place-super-chevy-show-palm-beach-international-raceway-april-4-6-a.html)


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2310/1966_Nova_First_Place_001.jpg


:thumb:

[sgalagerhead]

Thanks Mike

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks Mike


No problemo.... always pleasure to help where I can...


Keep us updated as to your progress.


:)