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Message board > Care & maintenance > Hull Polishing for First Time

Message 4 of 4
Posted by member Derek Simpson on Friday 7 February 2025

Thanks Joe and Peter for the advice, great help. Peter, my email address is on the social member list. (first one).
Best regards

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Message 3 of 4
Posted by member Peter Clubbe on Thursday 6 February 2025

I've cut and polished my Navigator three times now, each time it comes up really well, and then slowly deteriorates over the season. I'm hoping that eventually I'll get down to a new sustainable layer of the gelcoat but I may be overly optimistic. I've contacted PBO "Ask the experts" for advice, and the advice was to paint it....

Don't really want to do that, so annual cutting and polishing it is.

I've got an email from Farecla about the best compounds to use, with several attachments, but can't attach it to this forum so far as I can see. If you let me have your email I'll forward it?

Cheers

Peter

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Message 2 of 4
Posted by member Joe Hart on Wednesday 5 February 2025

Hi Derek

I'm going to be polishing my 1988 Regatta very soon at it looks remarkably like your hull.

I'm starting off with a 500 wet and dry all over, then moving up to 800 then 1200 grit before putting the polish on, keeping the hull as wet as I can to avoid over heating.

G3 Pro DA Cutting Compound is more professional user verion of the G3 range so just go gentle to start with as it's easy to remove to much too quickly. Have you got a good waffle pad to apply it with? The dual action polishers can easily burn through a gel coat so build the speed up from the minimum until you get the right combination

Trick is to use good quality sand paper, pads and lambs bonnets (festool, mirka or 3m) they are expensive for a reason but will save you money in the long run as you end up using less. Have you got a selection of different pad hardness. A hard pad will leave swirl marks and chew through lips with ease. Don't stay in one place to long to avoid heat build up. Have plenty of disposable clean rags and give the hull a good clean beforehand. Better to polish it in two or three passes than atempt it on one and go two heavy.

I'm also going to have to touch up some gel coat damage. The closest colour match to a sun faded hull and top sides are Blue RAL5010 AND White RAL 9010 that I can find.

Hope that helps, cheers Joe

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Message 1 of 4
Posted by member Derek Simpson on Monday 3 February 2025

I know similar has been asked before but there's so much information out there that I am a bit bamboozled!
I have a 1988 Pilot, the blue hull is faded a bit white in places. There are some scratches, some worse than others and I am not expecting to get them all out. I have bought a dual action polisher (didn't want to risk rotary).
After much googling I am favouring G3 Pro DA Cutting Compound followed by a fine polish and maybe a sealant.
I'm not looking for a showroom mirror finish but a result which will reward my efforts and expense.
Has anyone used the G3 cutting compound?
Any comments from those that have would be most welcome.
Thanks
Derek

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