Boat Polishing

[PaulN]

What would members recommend for boat polish at a reasonable price please.

I have been using Starbrite marine polish with PTFE but a nearly £50 per litre, it is expensive. I wonder what the boatyards use? As usual, anything with marine in the name seems to come at a premium price.

What I require is a polish that gives a lasting shine and protection, in liquid form, easily applied and polished by hand.

Members views with approximate cost will be greatly appreciated. 

[ranworthbreeze]

5 minutes ago, PaulN said:

What would members recommend for boat polish at a reasonable price please.

I have been using Starbrite marine polish with PTFE but a nearly £50 per litre, it is expensive. I wonder what the boatyards use? As usual, anything with marine in the name seems to come at a premium price.

What I require is a polish that gives a lasting shine and protection, in liquid form, easily applied and polished by hand.

Members views with approximate cost will be greatly appreciated. 

Have a word with Tanya or Nick at Brian Wards to see what they recommend and remember they offer a forum discount of 10%.

 

[PaulN]

29 minutes ago, ranworthbreeze said:

Have a word with Tanya or Nick at Brian Wards to see what they recommend and remember they offer a forum discount of 10%.

 

Thanks, I will, I always forget about the discount when I go there.

[ExSurveyor]

I have used a good ceramic polish, from Halfords. Don't get the spray as it is difficult to use.

I use two coats and it is lasting well on the shetland. Use sparingly and it is an easyish job.

[Meantime]

56 minutes ago, PaulN said:

What would members recommend for boat polish at a reasonable price please.

I have been using Starbrite marine polish with PTFE but a nearly £50 per litre, it is expensive. I wonder what the boatyards use? As usual, anything with marine in the name seems to come at a premium price.

What I require is a polish that gives a lasting shine and protection, in liquid form, easily applied and polished by hand.

Members views with approximate cost will be greatly appreciated. 

Paul, I cannot give you any other recommendations because you are already using the one I use and find it to be great and easy to apply and lasts a long while especially if you give it a few coats.

What I will add is that Norfolk Marine are currently offering 20% of most if not all the Starbrite range. So my advice is pop in there and keep using the best, for less. 

[PaulN]

Just now, ExSurveyor said:

I have used a good ceramic polish, from Halfords. Don't get the spray as it is difficult to use.

I use two coats and it is lasting well on the shetland. Use sparingly and it is an easyish job.

Thanks ES I will look at their website

[PaulN]

Just now, Meantime said:

Paul, I cannot give you any other recommendations because you are already using the one I use and find it to be great and easy to apply and lasts a long while especially if you give it a few coats.

What I will add is that Norfolk Marine are currently offering 20% of most if not all the Starbrite range. So my advice is pop in there and keep using the best, for less. 

Thanks Meantime. I'm going to the boat on Saturday and being  berthed at Horning, drive past their door, so if I stay with this product, I will give a look in.

[Meantime]

I would also add that NM usually price match any other genuine web price as long as the item is in stock and available for immediate dispatch on that site. I once had my Isotherm fridge pack up and had no choice but to replace it immediately as it was Summer and halfway through a trip. NM price matched the cheapest I found elsewhere resulting in a £120 discount. Off course what they couldn't have known was my urgent need and that I would have purchased it even without the discount. When I went to collect it I moored near The Kings Head and they even leant me their sack barrow to take the fridge back to the boat.

I know chandlery's get a bad rep, and in many cases it is deserved, but I have to speak as I find and have always got reasonable prices from NM compared to other chandlers. 

Last year I also needed a new 24V Sterling charger and when searching around NM came up the cheapest. They currently have 20% of their products as well.

[PaulN]

Just now, Meantime said:

I would also add that NM usually price match any other genuine web price as long as the item is in stock and available for immediate dispatch on that site. I once had my Isotherm fridge pack up and had no choice but to replace it immediately as it was Summer and halfway through a trip. NM price matched the cheapest I found elsewhere resulting in a £120 discount. Off course what they couldn't have known was my urgent need and that I would have purchased it even without the discount. When I went to collect it I moored near The Kings Head and they even leant me their sack barrow to take the fridge back to the boat.

I know chandlery's get a bad rep, and in many cases it is deserved, but I have to speak as I find and have always got reasonable prices from NM compared to other chandlers. 

Last year I also needed a new 24V Sterling charger and when searching around NM came up the cheapest. They currently have 20% of their products as well.

I may give that a go.

However having just looked at their website, with the 20% discount, it's £31.42 for 473 ml, which works out at £66.43 per litre, the most expensive I've seen anywhere!

[Meantime]

You need to compare like for like! Amazon have the 1 litre at £47.99, but the 473ml for £31.49, or 7p more expensive than NM. Bigger sizes are normally pro rata cheaper. But as I said if you find the same item elsewhere and in stock they will normally price match.

[PaulN]

Just now, Meantime said:

You need to compare like for like! Amazon have the 1 litre at £47.99, but the 473ml for £31.49, or 7p more expensive than NM. Bigger sizes are normally pro rata cheaper. But as I said if you find the same item elsewhere and in stock they will normally price match.

OK thanks, I will give them a call

[Bluebell]

This year I tried Mint boat polish from Boulters. Pleased with it so far, but not had a winter on it yet…😎

[RogF]

Thank you for all the above, can I assume is is protective not just cosmetic?

 

R&M

[ExSurveyor]

This is the ceramic polish, a little goes a long way.

[Meantime]

I would be wary of using products designed to protect car paint on GRP. There is a world of difference between paint and Gel coat. Most car products contain silicon, which is not particularly good for GRP, but more importantly don't generally contain any UV protection which is needed for Gel coat to help stop oxidation.

It's also worth pointing out that there is a difference between polish and wax. A boat polish should be thought of as a preparation for the final wax. A boat polish will fill in the microscopic pores in Gel and clean the gel ready for the wax to seal and protect it.

Unfortunately Starbrite do themselves no favours here by mixing up the terms. Their premium cleaner wax is actually used to clean, add shine and protect. think of it as step one. Their Premium Marine "Polish" is designed as the final coat to protect from UV and give a deep long lasting shine. It should be more considered as a wax or final coat.

Turtle wax hybrid solutions is actually a combined polish and wax designed for car paint. 

[ExSurveyor]

9 hours ago, Meantime said:

I would be wary of using products designed to protect car paint on GRP. There is a world of difference between paint and Gel coat. Most car products contain silicon, which is not particularly good for GRP, but more importantly don't generally contain any UV protection which is needed for Gel coat to help stop oxidation.

Thanks for that, well worth knowing.

The ceramic polish did give a very smooth finish over neglected gelcoat. Obviously I need to now wax it.

Back to marine products then.

[PaulN]

Thank you everyone for your help in this, the Forum is as always such a mine of information.

In the interest of saving some money, I have accepted Bluebell's suggestion and have ordered 2 No. 500ml bottles of Oxford Mint which also has PTFE at £11.55 each. I spoke to Sonny Boulter and he says he has been getting very positive reports from those that have used it. I will let you know how I get on

Thank you all, once again, your help and experience is always appreciated.