If you’re a first-time boater, then I`m sure you’ll be very enthusiast about waxing your boat, although you might have little know-how. This article should give you a very good idea of what to expect, especially if this is your first experience with boat waxing:
Before Getting on to Waxing, Perform a Proper Cleaning
Before doing anything else related to waxing your boat, it is very important to completely clean its surface of any organic materials, dirt, or debris, that might be stuck to it if you’ve been boating for a while. Keep in mind that dirt and dust debris can form over time on the surface of your boat even if you have never taken it into the water.
Here are some very important pointers about cleaning your boat before waking it:
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- Keep the boat out of the water until it is completely dry. Find a flat surface to park it on. A good place would be an area you normally use to wash your car. To avoid any unexpected movement, tie the boat to the trailer.
- The boat should be sprayed down first. The debris will be loosened up easier with a pre-rinse, which will make your job slightly easier. Do this by going from top to down.
- For any fiberglass surface, make sure to use a non-abrasive, quality cleaner. The non-abrasive cleaner will do wonders, especially on new boats. I have personally had great results with Boat Cleaner. Yes, this is exactly the name of the product. To make sure you cover a big area as quickly as possible, use a boat brush and scrub thoroughly.
- Follow by rinsing and drying. Rinse the boat as well as possible and then let it dry completely before you move on to the next steps.
It’s very important to use the right boat waxing products
The next step is to actually apply the wax to your boat. Now comes one of the most important questions you should ask yourself and that is what wax is better for the job. If you want the waxing to last as much as possible, then I recommend using one of the two products I had the most success with, LifeWax, or PolyShine. You can even use these two products in combination, and this will usually make the waxing last at least three years if you use the boat moderately.
Should you Power Buff or is it better not to?
It’s very important that you apply the wax as evenly as possible, using circular motions, and then allowing sections to dry one at a time. This is the time when you’ll have to buff each individual section, one at a time again, before you move on, so that the wax isn’t getting too hard. At this point you can choose one of the two options: You can use some old-fashion elbow grease and do the buffing of the wax yourself, or you can spend some money and go for a power buffer that will basically do everything for you. The thing that makes power buffing worth it is the fact that you’ll get a smooth finish in a short amount of time. The only advantage of doing everything yourself is the fact that you will spend less money on buying or even renting a power buffer. Keep in mind that it will still take some practice before you can safely use a power buffer on fiberglass without damaging it.
This will still be your choice. Some boat lovers will just go for a towel or rag and get on to buffing as evenly as possible. The larger the boat, the more labor-intensive this will be. Some people find spending time doing things around their boats a pleasure, so if you’re one of them, you’ll find that wasting an afternoon waxing your boat will actually be a fun activity.
Why is waxing the boat important
Newbies often ask if a boat really needs wax. The answer is YES, definitely! The boat will spend a big part of its life in water, but this doesn’t mean that it will be always clean. Over time, your boat might catch a lot of grime. And of course, never underestimate the damage the sun does to it. You can protect your boat from harsh UV damage by using a boat polish, wax, or compound. This will not only make the boat look pretty for a long time, but it will also preserve its value in case you’d want to sell it at some point.