Flex 3401 + Rupes Blue Coarse Foam pad + Captain’s One-Step + Captain's Boat Coating?

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pbalias

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New-ish boat combo?: Flex 3401 + Rupes Blue Coarse Foam pad + Captain’s One-Step + Captain's Boat Coating?

Hello Mike (and others)!

I am looking to polish a 1-year old 30ft. Grady White with light-blue colored gelcoat. As the boat is only a year old, the gelcoat is in visibly great shape and doesn't need heavy cutting. There are a few superficial bumper/buoy scuffs, but nothing major at all. I was looking to use my Flex 3401 with a Rupes Blue Coarse Foam pad and the Marine 31 Captain's One-Step to do the polish.

I have a few questions:

1. Does this seem like a good combo for a relatively new boat?​
2. Is the Rupes Blue Foam pad too aggressive for this to be a one-step process and will I have to follow it up with a softer pad?​
3. What sealer would you recommend? I'm looking at the Marine 31 Captain's Boat Coating with UV50. Will I need to wipe the boat down to remove oils from the Captain's One-Step prior to using the Boat Coating?​

The boat sits in the water from April - October in New Jersey so I'm looking for a durable sealer that will last as long.

Thanks in advance!
 
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pbalias said:
Mike?
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You should definitely get Mike's boat detailing book. It has a ton of detail, photos and options for exterior & interior work.

I'm planning on a similar combo (flex 3401 + blue coarse rupes pads) on my boat, less than a year old and minimal oxidation after first summer on the water in Maryland.

Going to try the All in One polish & wax from Marine 31 at the start of our season, and use the wax + sealant to keep it protected.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
Re: New-ish boat combo?: Flex 3401 + Rupes Blue Coarse Foam pad + Captain’s One-Step + Captain's Boat Coating?

I had in my notes that GTechniq (?) makes a good marine coating. Think they used this in the boat class.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
Sorry I missed your first post - I’m not behind my computer so hard to type but “yes” that’s one of the combos I find works great and I show on my class.

FKEX 3401 - RUPES Coarse Blue Fosm Pad - Captains Compound

Then seal.

Not too aggressive - gel coats don’t like soft foam pads when abrading.

Will type more tomorrow.

:)
 
Thanks for the response Mike and the link...answers some questions. Sounds like BigMikeMD and I are in the same situation.

Question: Will the Flex 3401 with the Rupes blue foam cutting pad + the Marine 31 Captain's One-Step have enough cutting power to get rid of mild-light oxidation on a 1-year old boat, or will it only take out the holograms from a rotary? I wan't planning on using a rotary and was hoping the Flex 3401 had the cutting power.
 
pbalias said:
Question: Will the Flex 3401 with the Rupes blue foam cutting pad + the Marine 31 Captain's One-Step have enough cutting power to get rid of mild-light oxidation on a 1-year old boat, or will it only take out the holograms from a rotary?

I wan't planning on using a rotary and was hoping the Flex 3401 had the cutting power.
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Great question and it shows me you actually read the section instead of scanning it, thank you.

I hate to give fluffy answers but you won’t know until you do a Test Spot. I’ve experienced super hard gel-coats and super soft gel-coats. Pigment can affect hardness but so can the resin a particular boat manufacturer uses, so you won’t know until you do some testing.

:)
 
Mike Phillips said:
Great question and it shows me you actually read the section instead of scanning it, thank you.

I hate to give fluffy answers but you won’t know until you do a Test Spot. I’ve experienced super hard gel-coats and super soft gel-coats. Pigment can affect hardness but so can the resin a particular boat manufacturer uses, so you won’t know until you do some testing.

:)
Click to expand...

That's a fair reply Mike and totally makes sense, thank you. I'm going to make an attempt with the 3401 and a Purple Foamed Wool pad and see what happens. If it cuts like I need it to, I'll follow it up with a Rupes blue foam then seal. Hopefully that's all it takes.
 
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