Detailed a 22ft Grady-White today!

[MirandaAutoSpa]

So we detailed a boat today. We have done wash and wax before but not like this. The owner wanted it polished and waxed, all the interior and drivers area also. The interior of the boat was not to bad. But the polishing was a pain. It had light chalking on all the horizontal surfaces and the top vertical surfaces had some chalking that pretty much came out.
The only problem I had was trying to make the horizontal surfaces glossy again, like the haul. The haul was not even chalky at all, i just washed it and waxed it. It had a lot of non-skid surfaces and I know that wont gloss up, but the smooth surfaces around the non-skid did not come out as glossy. Maybe its not supposed to? Or maybe damaged beyond what I could do with it. I don't know gel-coat, so I only used a mild Gloss Restorer with a DA and Megs Polishing Pad.
Any ideas?
Thanks

 

[Mike Phillips]

The only problem I had was trying to make the horizontal surfaces glossy again, like the haul.

I don't know gel-coat, so I only used a mild Gloss Restorer with a DA and Megs Polishing Pad.
Any ideas?
Thanks

Some portions of the horizontal surfaces should be glossy while any horizontal surface that is designed to be walked on shouldn't be glossy but have a non-skid surface.

Do you have any pictures of the areas that gave you problems?

Some gel-coats surface react best to high speed pad rotation better than slow as you go...

 

[MirandaAutoSpa]

Unforgettably no, I don't have pics. I figured that a rotary may have worked better, but I am not to sure of myself on gel-coats anyways. The smooth surfaces that wouldn't gloss up are along the top edges of the boat with non-skid on the top of those surfaces, and no matter how long or with more pressure it would get as shiny as the verticals. Some of the vertical panels that looked chalky like the rest gloss-up by hand. Weird.........It probably needs compounding and rotary polishing to really shine it up. I'm not a real boat detailer anyways, I will leave that to the Boat Pro's.

 

[Garry Dean]

Unforgettably no, I don't have pics. I figured that a rotary may have worked better, but I am not to sure of myself on gel-coats anyways. The smooth surfaces that wouldn't gloss up are along the top edges of the boat with non-skid on the top of those surfaces, and no matter how long or with more pressure it would get as shiny as the verticals. Some of the vertical panels that looked chalky like the rest gloss-up by hand. Weird.........It probably needs compounding and rotary polishing to really shine it up. I'm not a real boat detailer anyways, I will leave that to the Boat Pro's.

Pics would be nice moving forward.

Don't be so concerned about damaging gel coat. It is far more forgiving than clear. It is generally harder and much thicker.

Gel coat laughs in the face of a dual action polisher when compounding is the answer.

Was your client happy with the outcome?