How to prevent your gelcoat from oxidation

[Basscat7]

How to prevent your gelcoat from oxidation

Once a boat has had severe oxidation it is like your skin in a sense that once it is damaged it has to be well protected to prevent any sun damage from coming back.

Wax will only protect it so much unless it is really kept up.  Wax, especially in air temps in the high 90's will eventually start to wear off from the heat and friction of the water / air.

Each boat is different in the extent of the damage the gelcoat has had so what works for one, quite possibly won't work or another.

As far as the wet sanded / compounded glossy finish lasting ?  Boats that had thicker clear gel and the oxidation was able to be completely removed have a good chance of staying glossy IF the finish is kept waxed on a semi monthly basis.

If a boat had severe oxidation, it needs to be kept covered or garaged all times it is not being used. The Suns UV rays just eat up damaged gelcoat and exposing it when not in use is usually the major cause of oxidation coming back.

Wax does not last that long on an bass boat in the summer sun.  Between the heat and friction it starts to fade off in a  month or so if the boat is used regularly.  This will allow UV rays to start oxidizing the gelcoat again.

3 things are needed for Oxidation to occur :

Oxygen, Heat and UV radiation.

Eliminate one of the three and you will slow down the process.

A good wax or sealant will help to eliminate this process. The wax layer diffuses (refracts) both UV ultraviolet and infrared radiation from the sun.
 
Without the wax/sealant coating, the  UV radiation is absorbed by the pigment in the gel coat causing it to over heat.  Once the gel gets too hot a chemical reaction process starts that will dry out, dull and oxidize the surface.

Once oxidation gets too bad, the actual clear Gel coat will start to turn cloudy. This whitish color is a combination of a chemical breakdown in the gel that causes a powdery white dust to form ( plastic rust ). This white powder residue combines with other surface contaminants ( dirt/pollution,etc).
This powdery substance will settle in the pores in the gelcoat, this is why you see the whitish, dull looking areas on boats that are not kept waxed.

It takes a lot of maintenance to keep a boat looking good that was badly oxidized...unlike new gelcoat, where a good coat of wax a few times a year would be ok, damaged gel needs to be protected even more.


The best carnauba paste wax is Collonite Heavy Duty Fleetwax, it's used by all the saltwater guys, tested to last the longest.
If using a hard paste wax like Collonite, a boat should be waxed a few times a season minimum

http://www.waxbytes.com/marine.html

A better option is to use a Polymer sealer on the gelcoat to keep it protected from the UV rays of the sun. The Polymer sealants will bond to the polyester gelcoat and form a glossy layer that is mostly impervious to UV  radiation and contaminants.
Generally  a one time application in spring ( follow directions ) and wipe downs with a  quick spray wax after use is sufficient to keep gelcoat looking new.

Pro-Tec makes an excellent polymer sealer for the gelcoat, bonds to the glass and seals the pores to help prevent oxidation.

http://www.protecproducts.com/products.html

Stan H.