Technical

What is the best Antifouling to use on my boat?

We recommend Altex NO#5 antifoul for your general purpose & good all round Antifouling.  Make sure it is compatable with the existing surface prior to application. You can read about the specs here

Why do I need to wax my boat?

Waxing is a form of protection for the exterior of your boat.  Wax will prolong your exterior finish & protect the boats exterior surface from UV rays, salt, polution and more.  Make sure the wax is of high quality as waxing your boats surface is timely. Read this fantastic wax review, this is why we only use Meguiar's high quality waxes. Click

What does cutting and polishing my boat really mean?

Cutting and polishing boats is also commomnly known as buffing boats, boat detailing, boat valeting etc.  Cutting & ploishing means to cut the surface with a coarse compound bring the surface back to new.  Polishing means to use less abrhasive compounds to restore gloss & remove the swirl marks from the cutting process which was performed first.

Do I need propspeed?

No, but it really does work well.  Propspeed helps your boats fuel efficency, drag and having a clean prop will help the engine when it is powered up by reducing the load.  Basically, Baricles & weeds growing on your prop is not good. So the answer is no but BoatBoys recommend using propspeed or a similar product.

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The art of cutting and polishing – OBC magazine article - OBC Link

Oxidisation, fading, cracking, discolouration, chalkyness. Unfortunately most boat owners know these words all to well when it comes to maintaining the exterior of their boat.  Most know the need of cutting & polishing, but how do you know what kind of  procedure to follow, what products to use or which company to hire to do the job?

Cutting & polishing is exactactly that. Cutting and then polishing. It should be renamed cutting, polishing & waxing but we will come to that soon. The first process, the cutting process removes all oxidization and contaminants from the existing surface. There are many great cutting compounds on the market, be sure to use a high quality coarse cutting compound with a wool or synthetic wool mop head if the boat is heavily oxidized, this will remove the chalk from both paint and gel coat but it will not fully polish the surface, once the cutting process has removed all the dull top layer and exposed the fresh new surface, change the wool mop to a finer buffing head on your polisher and use a high quality fine polishing compound, not a wax. Waxing always comes last in the cutting & polishing process. Keep your polisher on a slow to medium speed and be sure to move the polisher in the same even manner on the boats surface in order to limit bad swirl marks and uneven gloss levels. 

There is no fast way to cut & polish a boats exterior, if you ever seen swirl marks on a boat or badly faded surfaces, this is usually caused by an operator simply cutting the surface, then missing the next step of polishing, followed by waxing . In some case’s boats that have only been cut and then not polished & waxed. This  will only last 3-6 months outside before returning back to the dull faded surface it once was before cutting began. So remember you will need to cut, polish, then apply a full coat of wax.  If using a company to do the work be sure to ask them their procedure. You can simply cut & wax your boat to save time and money but in most cases skipping the polishing process decreases the durability of the gloss level. Waxing is a must! Ok, so what wax do I use? As a rule, the harder it is to apply & wipe off, the longer it will last protecting your boat.  Paste waxes are more durable than liquid waxes so bare in mind when purchasing your wax that you want a product to last the duration of six months, in most cases paste wax will protect your boat the best, and when done regulary you will not need to cut and polish your boat for years to come. In summary, once your happy with the gloss level of your cutting and polishing. Keep your boat waxed.  It is no different to a car only in most cases three times the price! Keep wax on your boat to keep it shiney, water proofed and resistant to UV light.

Writen by Mike Vitali - BoatBoys director

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