What should I use to protect the hull of my newly acquired Curtis Ladybug? It’s gel-coat fiberglass, in great shape for a 1984 boat but it has some superficial scuffs on the hull and I would like to smooth those out if possible and also protect the finish. Also I noticed that resting on my Thule bars left a darkened mark on the wooden gunwales. Should I cushions the bars with pool noodle?
What year was this?
You can cut a slit in a six inch length of appropriate sized PVC clear tubing to protect the gunwales Pool noodles are frankly crap for that use.
The LB has a gel coat. It is already protected. You can use a marine wax like Meguires if you like. It makes cleaning pond scum off easier if your water is afflicted with that.
I would recommend 3M Finesse-It II glaze and a low speed automotive buffer with a soft, cotton bonnet.
Thanks, will take up those suggestions.
A glaze like 3M Finesse-It II will take out a lot of superficial scuff marks and oxidation of gel coat and restore a very nice sheen, often without having to resort to more aggressive rubbing or cutting compounds. The key to getting a nice result is the timing between application and buffing. As with many automotive paste waxes, it is best to apply this in the shade on a not too hot day. Apply to only a relatively small area at a time and buff as soon as it is dry. If it dries on too much, it gets hard to buff the residue off. The size of the area you can apply it to at one time depends a good deal upon ambient temperature, and hull color as dark colors will soak up heat to a greater extent. But it is pretty easy to get a feel for this.
If it dries too much and leaves a white residue it will not damage the gel coat. Just wash it off and try again.
Thanks for the details. I store the boat on carpeted sawhorses inside a cool walkout basement so that application routine will not be a problem.