Help - products to use to get the shine back on the exterior

[jebbrecht]

Posted this in the wrong section of the page.

Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in this unusual time.  With the weather getting warmer in Ohio and having to be home with more time on my hands, going to get the boat out of storage soon.

I noticed last summer, the shine on the exterior was not what it once was and my colors appear faded.  Any advice on what I can use to bring the shine back?  and get rid of what appears to be a mid-January road salt like appearance.  (If you live in Ohio, you know what I mean)

Thank you.

[curtis]

3M product Perfect-it #2 Works great

[Sammamish Skier]

When we bought our E22 it was super chalky we used 2000 grit sandpaper to remove the deep dock rash then followed with 3M extra cut compound on a makita buffer and finally a TEF wax on a buffer. We now do a light coat of wax once a year by hand to keep the boat shiny.  If you go the buffer route get one with adjustable speed, start with a low speed and move up in speed as you get comfortable. Always keep the buffer moving, if you don't you can do damage to the finish gelcoat tends to be more forgiving than car paint but you don't want to create deep swirls.  One other note regardless of how you decide to do your waxing and buffing switch out your pads/cloths frequently. Clean cloths mean you aren't spreading the oxidation you polished off and your job will go faster. For our yearly wax we use at least a half dozen microfiber cloths for polishing.

[jebbrecht]

Thanks for the tips on the sand paper and polish.  Been thinking of going that route, so good to have some confirmation.

Next question.  How do you get around all the trailer parts?  Most specifically, I have a tandem axle trailer which obviously has side skirts that cover part of the boat.  So, I can get to 90% of the boat, but those sections behind the wheel wells present a challenge.

Thanks

[Sammamish Skier]

Depends on the trailer. If the fenders are welded on, you can't do much unless you know someone with a travel lift or a dry stack loader. If they aren't welded you can unbolt them to get a bit more clearance.