Help me with this old boat

[Webb]

A coworker asked me to clean his 30 years old boat.

The owner wants me to "remove the oxidation"by compounding. I never worked on a boat,so I don't know what to do.
Basically the top part (RED) the color is dull,some parts are discoloring real bad.

Can I have a crash course ? I have a PC just in case,plus there's any Meguiars Marine product that could help me with this ?

Thanks

[DETLMAN]

if its faded like you describe you will need more than a pc if it can even be saved. To do any real restoration on jel coat you need to get pretty agressive, as in a rotary and a wool pad and a moderate/heavy compound. Maintaining a boat is one thing but to restore it is another.

The biggest bummer is once its faded chances are even if it comes back reasonably well it probably wont last long before it looks like it did before, and sometimes worse because it will usually go back to the faded color in a very un-even manner.

Try to post the link again so we can see the picture.

[Webb]

http://www.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=12682181/PictureID=262783168/t_=7855230

[scrub]

Try #49 and #50. I have them on order but haven't used yet. #49 is a heavy oxidation remover. The #50 is a cleaner wax. That's what cust service recommended.

Good luck

[Webb]

This is what I ordered,I don't know if will work.

M-3916 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner 16 oz. $8.99 1 $8.99
M-4364 Boat Wash 64 oz. $11.98 1 $11.98
M-4516 Boat/RV Polish 16 oz. $14.98 1 $14.98
M-4916 Heavy Duty Oxidation Remover 16 oz. $14.98 2 $29.96
M-5616 Boat/Rv Pure Wax 16 oz. $16.98 1 $16.98

Am I missing something ?

[scrub]

any bright work that needs polishing?

[Webb]

Originally posted by scrub
any bright work that needs polishing?

I don't know,I only saw the pictures BTW it's four posts above.

The boat is 30 years old,I don't know what kind finish is on it.They had gelcoat 30 years ago ?

[scrub]

Links hadn't worked for me yet.

[mirrorfinishman]

Originally posted by DETLMAN a.k.a. SqkyKln
The biggest bummer is once its faded chances are even if it comes back reasonably well it probably wont last long before it looks like it did before, and sometimes worse because it will usually go back to the faded color in a very un-even manner.

This statement is very true. Once the oxidation gets beyond a certain point, compounding, polishing and waxing will usually not have any lasting effect. The faded areas will usually just reappear in a relatively short period of time. Even as quickly as a month or two.

[YachtDetailer]

Gelcoat has been around for a very long time. Fiberglass boats came into existence in 1942 if my history is correct.

Many called fiberglass gelcoat and vice versa. Gelcoat is nothing more than a polyester resin molded to give protection and cosmetic benefits to the fiberglass underlay.

Older boats that have sever oxidation/chalking can be brough back to look like new again but lack newer technologies to withstand todays pollutants and nature.

I've detailed a boat and the colored gelcoat on the boat faded back within 10 minutes! Talk about super-oxidation. But the hull held up superb and didn't fade back.