Boat Wax/Polish???

[minnesotamusky]

I'm just wondering which boat wax/polish everyone uses? Which one do you think is the best and why?

[Random guy]

I use a 3M product called Perfect-It III. Its high test stuff the body shops use for gel coats and you have to use a electric buffer to apply and strip it. It has kept my twelve I mean thirteen(we both got older again)year old black Stratos shiny to the point it I can still see myself in the gel coat.

Another product I have had good luck with is also a 3M product simply called boat cleaner/polish. Hand application cleaner wax that takes ALOT of elbow work but comes out nice.

[barnyard]

I wash my boat, but don't wax. I have heard that waxing slows the boat down. Doesn't make sense, but I have heard it from lots of different sources.

Tom B

[Random guy]

How can making a surface smoother and less resistant slow down a boat? I would be interested in hearing this theory.

[TMan]

I'm not an expert here, but I heard that by having a less smooth surface allows for water (Bubbles) to stick to the surface of the boat and then the water sliding on water is quicker than a smooth fberglass surface and water sliding together...

Anyone else with more Physics than Bemidji State provided me is welcome to shoot that down...

Tackleman

[Random guy]

Now I'm really wondering. Mostly after I spent two days buffing and polishing the bottom of the Stratos.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I highly doubt it. I just did a little Googling and read a bit about competitive rowing, and they wax their hulls to increase speed, so I would think that would transfer to a powerboat as well. Now, onto waxing my canoe

[TMan]

I think you need to look a little closer at that Google though Ralph. They only wax to protect in the off season.

Here is a quote from a racing site:

Quote:

---

The benefits of waxing your boat's hull include protecting the hull from damage from the sun and from pollutants. (And, of course, there are also down sides, like messing up a nice pair of pants).

However, one of the benefits of waxing is NOT speed. A good wax job will actually slow your hull down. So what is the best treatment for a hull when you're looking for speed?

The answer is, "Nothing!" A naked hull is usually the fastest.

You see, when a hull is gliding through the water, you want to have the smoothest possible surface that you can. Smooth is fast. The smoother the hull, the less friction . . . and that is good.

If your hull has a good paint job and is free of dings and checks, then its maximum speed will come from being clean. Think of it in these terms: "Clean is fast."

---

[Random guy]

So if smooth is fast I should be good with the recent buffing not waxing? If you buff a surface you are in sense smoothing out the paint or removing/filling in the pores of that surface. I can see how a wax with a residue like a carnuba could create friction, but I am still going to wax the heck out of it because it makes it look cool!

[Ralph Wiggum]

LOL, Tman. I was in a hurry. I can see how leaving a wax residue on your boat would slow it. But I imagine any wax that is used to buff the hull and is them completely buffed off would leave your hull smoother and thus faster. Shouldn't a wax in theory fill in all the microscopic imperfections in the paint/gel coat? I guess it would depend upon what type of wax you're using.

I can't imagine that it would make your boat that much faster or slower, though. In reality, when at WOT, not much of your hull should be touching the water, anyways. I'm thinking we'd be talking in fractions of an MPH here. I'm with Jon, make it look cool. Now I just need a boat to wax up!

[Jay R]

In my experience a naked hull is usally fastest much to the dismay of my significant other

J