Best way to wash a bass boat?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Best way to wash a bass boat?

Posted: 3/28/2018 3:18:25 PM EDT

I’ve tried to turn my old 1987 Laser Boat into a silver and maroon pearl this week to no avail.

I thought that you could use the same wash as a car wash and went to town. Instead of a shining bass boat, there are white swirls and it just doesn’t look all that clean.

What can I do to refresh the fiberglass and make it sparkle?

Bonus- old Evinrude V6 outboard pic

Attached File

Posted: 3/28/2018 3:27:31 PM EDT

[#1]

Elbow grease.

Posted: 3/28/2018 3:33:07 PM EDT

[#2]

Replace it with a new boat.

Posted: 3/28/2018 6:02:16 PM EDT

[#3]

Pull the drain plug and launch it.

Posted: 3/28/2018 6:18:29 PM EDT

[#4]

Wax

Posted: 3/28/2018 6:30:09 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Pull the drain plug and launch it.

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Gotta make sure I have my personal flotation device for this one.

This one is in the lead. I have insurance...

Posted: 3/29/2018 3:51:23 PM EDT

[#6]

Wet sand with 600 grit wet/dry paper and then buff it out. Use 3M "Fill N Glaze" after buffing to remove swirl marks.

I "restored" an older Stratos' finish using this method.

Posted: 3/29/2018 4:18:02 PM EDT

[#7]

I should have stated that I don’t believe there is any gel coat over the finish.

It is bumpy where the glitter flakes are, I would think that the sandpaper would remove the flakes.

Posted: 3/30/2018 10:46:09 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
I should have stated that I don’t believe there is any gel coat over the finish.

It is bumpy where the glitter flakes are, I would think that the sandpaper would remove the flakes.

View Quote

Gel coat is the finish, it's not a clear coat. The glitter is imbedded in the gel coat. My Stratos was the same way. Rough over the flake.

Wet sanding smoothed mine right out and buffing it brought the shine back. Granted, the surface will need to be taken care of and out

of the sun for it to stay smooth and will require periodic buffing, but wet sanding/buffing does work.

Try a small area and see what happens. I bet you keep sanding.

Posted: 6/27/2018 12:21:02 PM EDT

[#9]

You can try a cleaner wax and then a polish but I wouldn't be surprised if you had to wet sand that. It's in pretty bad shape.

Posted: 6/27/2018 1:47:36 PM EDT

[#10]

I would use polishing compound on a buffing wheel long before trying wet sanding, but it might come to sanding if needed.

Posted: 6/27/2018 4:17:35 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
I would use polishing compound on a buffing wheel long before trying wet sanding, but it might come to sanding if needed.

View Quote

If the flakes are protruding through the surface wet sanding is the only way to smooth it out.

The flake protruding through will shred a buffer pad pretty quickly.

I tried to buff my old Stratos with heavy compound and it ate pads rapidly. Wet sanding with 600

followed up with a medium compound brought the shine back as well as a very smooth surface.

Wet sanding doesn't take too long as you only need to do the areas with flake in it. On a bass boat

it's just the area around the deck and motor well that need sanding. The white parts of the hull

can just be buffed as there is no flake.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Best way to wash a bass boat?

Outdoors » Fishing Boats

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