Help with boat hull process and materials

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firstbase

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Not feeling the love over on the marine31 forums, sort of like talking to yourself in a cemetery at 2am so I thought I'd come in over here and try.

Looking to get some info on using my PE-14 and 3401 on my 42' trawler. Both have 6" backing plates and I have a 3" as well. Have a little experience with both but nothing more than amateur skill levels. My hull is in pretty good shape. No visible oxidation, pretty good shine. Am pulling it for a bottom job next week so getting prepared to detail the hull. Have decided to use the Captains One Step Compound and Polish followed by Marine31 Carnauba. Hoping to keep this at two times around the boat instead of three. Not sure if that is the best way (actually am sure it is NOT the best way but hoping it is adequate) and if I need to throw in a third around the world buff-a-palooza in-between with a finish polish I will. Also seems like using the rotary with anything would force another trip around as well but would certainly allow me to build a good finish from there. As the picture shows the hull has bow to stern indentations to give it the wood hull look so I have to deal with them as well. Use the edge of the pad or better to do them by hand first?

Questions. Pads for the Captains One Step? Mike doesn't like pads on gelcoat but I am leery of using a wool pad with it as it would seem to force me into that intermediate final polish step. I see the Rupes Coarse blue is recommended for polish but how about my situation and the Captains One Step with compound and polish? I have 2 CSS Orange (also 2 white and 2 gray) which I originally planned on using but not sure now. What process and pads, wool/foamed wool or just foam, would you all recommend?

Second is how much product to buy? 42' as shown in pics. Would two 32 oz bottles of the Captains be enough? I am not doing the superstructure yet just the hull. However, will be doing topsides later so if I have extra that is fine.


Any comments on the proper process and materials/buffer to use appreciated!

View attachment 60775View attachment 60774
 
Well only so you won’t feel like you’re in a cemetery I’ll reply with pretty ZERO experience . I only have one boat correction to my name. But I can say my foam pads ( the only pads I have) loaded up like crazy on the gel coat . Researching I see wool pads are recommended . I also use my 3401 and felt like a rotary would be way better. Everything I read seems to back that up as well. Nice boat! Good luck


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline
 
Thanks! My family really appreciates you coming to the funeral....:) If the hull had some oxidation that I could see I would just bite the bullet and go round and round...and then round starting with the rotary and wool. I have a feeling I will end up doing that anyway. It should go reasonably fast given that I am not working on "corrections" and looking for perfection but will have to be done on a combo of ladders and scaffolding of some sort. Trying to get some customer support from Marine31 on what they suggest for buffer/pads and whether or not a final polish before wax will be needed. I don't think so but..back to my original questions. Advice seems to say use wool not foam. As far as I have read it seems no way around a finer polish in-between wool and wax.
 
First off if you are going to use foam pads you are way short on quantity. I've used up to ten on a Suburban much less a 42' Trawler hull.
Folks that do boats for a living strictly use rotary machines and wool for the grunt work.
 
I’m not behind a computer and it’s really difficult to type out in-depth detailed replies and info with my finger on a cell phone.

If you can be patient I’m glad to help next time I’m behind a computer.

:)
 
RTexasF said:
First off if you are going to use foam pads you are way short on quantity. I've used up to ten on a Suburban much less a 42' Trawler hull.
Folks that do boats for a living strictly use rotary machines and wool for the grunt work.
Click to expand...

Yes,understand the quantity part although not sure on exactly how many I will use. That's why I am trying to get the info, so I can order what I think I need. Getting close to time to do the work and want to order things. Just relating what I do have at this point which, as you point out, is not much. If I was sure this was going to be grunt work I would most certainly use the rotary. Just don't know if "grunt work" qualifies on this one if you know what I mean? Hull is in good shape but...using the Captains One Step. Haven't used it before so not sure if I should consider it a heavy compound, light compound, is there something a pad would do better when it broke down from compound to polish? Other thing is wondering if I should go ahead and pop for the pad washing system. Why do I know I know the answer to that already?!?!
 
Mike Phillips said:
I’m not behind a computer and it’s really difficult to type out in-depth detailed replies and info with my finger on a cell phone.

If you can be patient I’m glad to help next time I’m behind a computer.

:)
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike.
 
Nice trawler.

Whatever protection you chose, I would make sure it is applied thickly. I say this because you mentioned she is getting a bottom job.

I assume this means bead-blasting the old bottom paint off.

This process is ugly. No matter how well you think you have "sealed off" the hull, that residue always finds its way onto the hull/superstructure somehow. I have seen boats with porous (un-cared for) hulls get bottom jobs and have the bottom paint color embedded in the hull permanently.

Just a friendly word from a guy who has spent over 30 years in the marina game.
 
firstbase said:
Not feeling the love over on the marine31 forums, sort of like talking to yourself in a cemetery at 2am so I thought I'd come in over here and try.

Looking to get some info on using my PE-14 and 3401 on my 42' trawler. Both have 6" backing plates and I have a 3" as well. Have a little experience with both but nothing more than amateur skill levels. My hull is in pretty good shape. No visible oxidation, pretty good shine. Am pulling it for a bottom job next week so getting prepared to detail the hull. Have decided to use the Captains One Step Compound and Polish followed by Marine31 Carnauba. Hoping to keep this at two times around the boat instead of three. Not sure if that is the best way (actually am sure it is NOT the best way but hoping it is adequate) and if I need to throw in a third around the world buff-a-palooza in-between with a finish polish I will. Also seems like using the rotary with anything would force another trip around as well but would certainly allow me to build a good finish from there. As the picture shows the hull has bow to stern indentations to give it the wood hull look so I have to deal with them as well. Use the edge of the pad or better to do them by hand first?

Questions. Pads for the Captains One Step? Mike doesn't like pads on gelcoat but I am leery of using a wool pad with it as it would seem to force me into that intermediate final polish step. I see the Rupes Coarse blue is recommended for polish but how about my situation and the Captains One Step with compound and polish? I have 2 CSS Orange (also 2 white and 2 gray) which I originally planned on using but not sure now. What process and pads, wool/foamed wool or just foam, would you all recommend?

Second is how much product to buy? 42' as shown in pics. Would two 32 oz bottles of the Captains be enough? I am not doing the superstructure yet just the hull. However, will be doing topsides later so if I have extra that is fine.


Any comments on the proper process and materials/buffer to use appreciated!

View attachment 60775View attachment 60774
Click to expand...
Try some test spots and decide your process.Only you can determine what course of polishing process.Thats a pretty big boat might want to look into using a aio product 3D 505 or optimum products.
 
I've always used wool pads and a rotary on my boats. Here's a couple pics of mine after last weekend, I used marine 31 products and a rotary.

Sorry they're sideways, don't know why that's happening
 
Thanks. I have an ablative/soft antifouling paint on the bottom, below the waterline. No blasting it off as it isn't necessary with this type of paint, it will be sanded and repainted. I am compounding/polishing/waxing above the water line only. I do have some purple foamed pads and will probably start with them and the Captains One Step Compound/Polish. Could use the CSS orange pads I have as well if that is better. Will test and see. I think I have decided to do that and then follow with the one step polish and wax using a green pad on the 3401. In my mind this would compound and polish deeper and then the green would take out the swirls left by the deeper process? Not sure if that is a whacked out theory but it's what I am thinking. May be entirely wrong. Then a coat of wax on top of that. Will take three trips around but I don't do this often so it is what it is.
 
I'm in the same boat! Someone asked yesterday if I could restore shine back into a white gel coat on the topside.

I have the Rupes system and from what I could gather---Blue rupes pads will be what I need. But will wait to see what Mike says...

Tom
 
Hopefully the guy asking you to do the restore doesn't need it until next spring. That'll buy some time to get an answer. I have to start the project tomorrow so I guess I will go with trial and error. Couldn't wait for a response or a call back any longer so I ordered a bunch of stuff 1/2 of which I won't need. No choice as I like the products and have to get this done in the limited time I have. Mike needs an assistant to help in here and at marine31.com.
 
Simple but effective steps...

Rotary Buffer + Wool Cutting Pad + Captain's One-Step Compound

Any Orbital Polisher - RUPES Blue Coarse Foam Cutting Pad + Captain's One-Step Compound

Seal - Either use a traditional sealant or wax or chemically strip the surface and apply a coating - Gtechniq seems to be the leader in gel-coat coatings.


Figure out how to properly charge as the above is 3-4 steps, TONS of wiping, (good arm workout), and will take you days.


:)
 
Mike,

Sorry for slow response---my computer crashed and burned, lost all usernames and passwords! Slowly getting all my info back from all over the internet.

Well anyway---Many Thanks for the short version! Got the stuff ordered already and should be here on Tuesday.

Thanks again, Mike.

Tom
 
This is pretty old post and am not sure if you have been answered, but I will add my experience as I do a ton of boat detailing. I would say that a boat with noticeable oxidation will require a wool pad. Gel coat is extremely hard and using a foam pad will be to much work and generate a lot of heat. Gel coat is much thicker than paint. You will almost always find that 4 coats are sprayed. Corners are always thin so be careful in corners. Other than that, Capt Cut and wool pad will do the trick. I usually finish with a med\light cut foam pad and Capt Cut just to get everything evened out. I have a developed my own rule for gel coated boats. I always go 1 pad more than normal. Instead of finishing with a fine cut or polish pad I use a medium pad etc. Once completed Seal and you should be good.
 
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