Restoring Gel Coat with PERMANON

[Gerry B]

Hi all. This is my first time contributing after being a loyal reader.

I am the proud 25-year owner of a 1968 Eastport. The boat is much loved and has provided our family with countless hours of pleasure on saltwater and fresh water in Maine. Every year it seems the blue interior oxidizes, and every year I try to buff it back, but I think I'm slowly losing the battle.

What do you recommend to restore the finish to original and preserve it as long as possible?

I use rubbing compound and a rotary buffer but don't feel like I'm bringing it all the way back. A boater friend has recommended Permanon, a polish and preservative that is endorsed by Hinckley and others. Has anyone applied Permanon to a vintage Whaler?

Thanks in advance.

[Phil T]

If you are truly removing the oxidation, it will last more than a year.

Prior to recommending a new product that has not been mentioned before, please detail the products and technique you are using now that is not working.

It reads to me that it is the technique being used to restore the hull that may be the concern rather than the product.

[jimh]

What is the retail price of Permanon?

[Dutchman]

Gerry take a look at what https://www.auroramarine.com/store/boat-scrub.html has to offer I did a 32ft completely oxidized sailboat with it and it brought back the luster. Look at their other products for cleaning and shining.
I'll bet you you get as good or better result for half the price or less than Permanon. You still have to prepare the oxidation before using Permanon. Take a look at Aurora and theirYoutube videos.

[Gerry B]

Thanks for your replies.

I've used 3M Marine Fiberglass Cleaner and Wax, Dolphimite Cleaner Wax, and Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound. Maybe this is just not a potent enough rubbing compound? And yes, the Permanon is more of a sealer than a polishing agent. The Permanon is $35 for 100 milleters, a small bottle, of concentrate. Enough to do a 35-foot boat, according to the company. Could be I should just add more elbow grease? Use a more effective abrasive polish?

[Gerry B]

Thanks! I will check out the Aurora Marine products. I wouldn't call this heavily oxidized. I just seem to come up short of the sheen of some of the fully restored Whalers I see on this site.

[Jefecinco]

After seeing several boats that were "treated" with sealers I won't be using them (the sealants). The results are very impressive immediately after the sealants are applied, even to some badly neglected and faded hulls. After a few years, or even months, the appearance begins to significantly degrade. At times the sealant fails to adhere to some areas or perhaps it simply wears through. The hulls can then take on a "pinto" like appearance. After reading accounts from people attempting to remove the old sealant in order to restore the appearance in a more traditional fashion they just seem like a very temporary solution at best and a nightmare for the longer term.

[Gerry B]

Thanks Jefecinco. Duly warned. Good to remember to look a year down the road.

[Binkster]

There is no easy way, or magic sealer that will restore the gloss to your gelcoat. You must sand the oxidation off, and get to new gelcoat. Actually the right way is not very hard either. You need a dual action air sander and a compressor that will keep up with it. The reason for an air sander is so you can wet sand the surface. It does a quicker job and uses less sanding discs then an orbital sander. start with 600 or 800 grit, go to 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, and lastly 4000 grit if you can find it. Then wax the hull with a good grade of automotive wax. Now you will be looking at the the reflexion of your smiling face in the hull surface. Same goes for headlight lenses too, a sealer will not last very long, only I hand sand the lenses it's such a small area.

rich

[ConB]

Every time you use an abrasive to polish your gelcoat you are removing some gelcoat. In time there will be no gelcoat left to polish. It will be time to paint or re-gelcoat the boat. At that time you will be happy if you did not use sealers and other magic potions on the hull the will need to be removed before painting.

Con

[Gerry B]

Thanks, all. Moral of the story is that there's no easy remedy. I do wonder if a finish sander with very light grit would accomplish more or less the same thing in terms of polishing as a grinder. I'm also wondering if an inexperienced person on a grinder risks going too deep and doing some damage.

[Binkster]

I'm also wondering if an inexperienced person on a grinder risks going too deep and doing some damage.
Using a grinder disk to polish gelcoat will quickly expose the fiberglass hull.

rich