On 05-Mar-12 12:23 PM, Judith Blumhorst, DC wrote Hi Skip, My $0.02 worth of information: Our boats have had red hulls. That doesn't show discoloration at the waterline. The boot top, which did show that kind of discoloration was repainted every year. I have painted - using Interlux one part enamels - a MICRO, a ComPac 16, and various dinghies. I used a two-part Interlux polyurethane paint on the hull of our 29 foot Tripp-Lentsch. It was a lot of work and it had some sags. My friend who was helping me said, move back 10 feet and you'll never notice it. He was right, and the hull looked good. When you say 6 coats of Polyglo have to be applied after finishing all the preparation work, then painting seems like a lot easier solution to the problem. One coat and you are done....! Connie ex M15 #400
Hi Skip,
Based on my experience, I'd say Polyglo would be great for a trailerable boat that isn't in the California sun 300 days of the year. For waterline stains, however, I think the long term solution is a dark stripe on the waterline that hides stains. :^)
Here's my 5 year history with Polyglo. I like it. It's the superhero of boat waxes. But it's not invincible.
I've had Polyglo on my 35 year old Catalina 27 for the past 5-6 years. It stays in the water in CA 365 days a year, with over 300 days in strong sunlight. . The gelcoat is long past its prime. 35 years of exposure to the sun and oxydation has left the surface of the old gelcoat full of micro-pits which didn't reflect light and which trapped dirt. I pull the boat out about every 2-3 years to renew the bottom paint, at which time I renew the Polyglo on the sides of the hull (topsides).
The first three years I owned the boat, we buffed and compounded it and used a top quality marine wax. Itdidn't look very good two years later when we pulled the boat again to do some work on it.
The next time we pull the boat out of the water to give it a coat of bottom paint, we switched to Polyglo. Polyglo is far superior to wax for longevity. We used the Polyprep to remove oxidation first, and then did 6 coats of Polyglo. It looked great from 10 feet away.
On the hull (topsides), the Polyglo did a remarkable job of adding a smooth, shiny layer on top of the old gelcoat. It was good enough to last more than one year on the side of my boat exposed to the sun. On the sunny side of the hull, it did not stay shiny and clear for the full three years between treatments; it became blotched with dull and yellowed patches. . On the shady side of my boat, it stays shiny almost the full three years without touch up.
The Polyglo didn't perform as well on the deck. the deck was more sun-damaged and worn than the topside to start with. The Polyglo on the deck also is exposed to the strongest UV rays at noon because the sun hits it square. It did however, greatly outperforn other acrylic waxes formulated for indoor use, like Future Floor wax, which which I experimented. But nothing is really going to replace the gelcoat which is just about gone in places due to UV damage. Nothing is going to make the gelcoat on the deck of that boat look good, I'm afraid, other than painting it.
I can't tell you from my experiencer whether or not the Polyglo will eliminate stains at the waterline. I really don't remember. I do remember that spilling red wine in th cockpit stained the boat, right through the Polyglo. About three years after I bought the boat I painted a dark green bootstripe at the waterline, using Awlgrip. The dark green doesn't show waterline stains.
Based on experience, I can tell you that strong acids, like hull stain removers, remove Polyglo. So do really strong bases, like undiluted ammonia.
Fair winds, Judy B
Judy Blumhorst Hyde Sails of Northern California www.judybsails.com judy@judybsails.com
cell: 925.208.1692 fax: 925.820.2327 skype: judith.blumhorst www.HydeSails.com/NorthAmerica
________________________________ From: "wcampion@aol.com"<wcampion@aol.com> To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Sent: Monday, March 5, 2012 4:52 AM Subject: Re: M_Boats: poli-glo
Larry, et al,
I sail in the Chesapeake Bay and I have an issue with tannic acid. My hull takes on a brown hue much like tea stains. I have found this discussion concerning Poli-glo to be quite interesting. I would like to know, if I go through the trouble of prepping my hull and applying the 6 needed coats of poli-glo, will this eliminate my issue with the staining, or do I now have a nice shinny boat with 'tea stains'? If so, what would happen to the poli-glo once I spray my boat with the oxalic acid to clean off the tea stains? Am I fighting a losing battle?
I appreciate anyone's personal experiences on this topic.
Skip M-15 'Wild Guppy' 1982 #201
M-10 'Lil Guppy' 1974 #177
-----Original Message----- From: Larry E Yake<leyake@juno.com> To: montgomery_boats<montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sun, Mar 4, 2012 3:41 pm Subject: Re: M_Boats: poli-glo
I use Poli-glow on CornDog and have been very happy with the results. The eal key, though, is preparation, especially with a colored hull. CornDog s a 1976 M17, and her yellow hull was very faded. In order to get good esults with the Poli-glow you have to get your gel coat down to a onsistent even color. Rubbing compounds and polishes didn't do the job. had to wet sand the entire hull, starting with 400 grit, then moving to 00 grit, and finally to 1200 grit, which gave it a nice consistent satin inish. Applying the Poli-coat is very easy. It's a clear liquid that you ipe on with a shammy type cloth, starting on one side of the boat, orking your way around, and by the time you've finished the first coat t's time to start on the second. After six coats the hull is coated with clear shiny reflective surface that make the hull look as bright as hen it's wet. Durability has been very good, with only an annual ne-coat touch up to keep her looking like new. Larry Yake