# Poli-Glow Application



## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

*My Poli-Glow Application*

I've just finished a Poli-Glow application to a very weatherbeaten 31 year old Catalina 27.

The topsides were very chalky, no amount of scrubbing would pass the finger whitening or butt-sliding whitening test for more than a month or two. In short, the gelcoat is shot. It should be Awl-gripped, Imroned or re-gelcoated, but I'm just not going to do that.

I'd take some digital photos, but the camera has gone to the same place that one sock goes in the dryer. Sorry. (hey, that's what the kid says, "sorry"&#8230; that makes it alllll better, right?)

Surface preparation.

I used copious amounts of cheap clabber girl with bleach cleanser and a stiff nylon floor brush. This works just fine. The trick is to remove all the chalkiness and rinse the cleanser off as well. I found that hitting the deck with the dock hose isn't enough, but a couple of inches of frog-choking Texas spring rain in one day did the job.

Then comes the Poli-Prep. This blue colored cleaner comes in a quart bottle, you cut it three parts water, one part cleaner and use a spray bottle to apply. The supplied scrubber/applicator looks like a plastic pot scrubber about three by five inches. Work in small areas. Squirt-squirt, scrub, scrub, rinse, repeat. A little more chalk comes off this way, plus it says it removes any wax, oil, whatever else is on there. Ok, can't prove that by me, this tub has sat in the Texas summer sun for it whole life, I don't know what the P.O's did, but I haven't done diddly to it in 10 years so, I'm pretty safe in assuming there wasn't any wax on it.

Poli-Glow Application.

The Poli-glow is a milky colored liquid in a quart bottle. The applicator(s) are a one by three inch foam block covered in chamois, and a small piece of chamois for smaller areas.

The application is straightforward, no secrets here. Wipe-on. Done. Work in small areas. The stuff dries very quickly, less than a minute per coat. You'll need at least 5-6 coats. After the first two or three coats, you'll wonder to yourself why you did this to your boat, it looks like hell. Uneven, spotty, it'll look like a slow 10 year old painted your garage with a mop. Not pretty.

Just keep the faith. After the fourth coat, it starts to even out. By the fifth, it looks pretty good. On my sixth, and final coat, it looks GREAT. I have to say, this stuff is really good looking. The topside is really bright and shiny.

Caveats. 
This is not a miracle. It won't restore your gelcoat, it makes what is there very shiny. Very shiny indeed.

If there is a discoloration/stain of any kind on your existing gelcoat, and it is not removed, it will be a very shiny discoloration/stain.

It is slippery as hell when wet. I mean as slippery as frozen owl snot on a sliver platter slippery. DO NOT apply to any place that you may need footing. Ask my ass how I know. Twice. I had to Poli-Prep some of it off, ok?

I did the whole deck with ¼ of a bottle. I will be bribing the offspring with promises of food and beverages to apply said product to the hull. (Forget trying to bribe the Cuban, she's on to me.)

I am not a product reviewer, I am not associated with the company in any way, I bought the stuff at full retail, I'm not compensated for this (like its worth it, eh?), its just my application. Your mileage may vary, your experiences may be different.


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## Gary M (May 9, 2006)

Paul I used it first last spring and was also very impressed. When you or yours go to do the hull if you can make up something like a scaffold. That way you can do about 10 feet at once, it works much better than trying to do it from a ladder. 
My friend who I buy it from has a scaffold that he loans me, works great. 

Gary


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

A few weekends ago, as I struggled with keeping my balance on a 6 ft folding ladder, I watched a boater polishing his hull sides while strapped to a pair of those aluminum stilts that plastering pros use. His head was level with the rub rail and made the task look as easy as waxing a sports car.


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## jackytdunaway (Sep 11, 2006)

I have some Poliglow on order from Defender and hope to get it this Friday. I have a dock neighbor that used a product called PMP and he applied it to the non-skid also. Did you apply to the non-skid area also? My boat is in the water. Should i just do the deck and cockpit and leave the hull alone or would it be ok to try and apply it while it is in the water to the hull


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

I wouldn't put it ANYWHERE you might have a wet foot. My butt is still sore. 
I'm not going to haul it to apply it to the hull, I've got a couple of those inflatable rafts and a 16 year old that still works for food (and a 13 year old that wants her dinner delivered).


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## jr438234606 (Apr 25, 2006)

I used a similar product (basically a floor varnish like mop-and-glow) called Glass Cote from Star Bright. Although I was initially VERY pleased with the results, after one season I wish I had NOT used it. For some reason, dirt and grime seem to cling to or become embedded in the coating. No amount of scrubbing will remove the dirt. Removing the coating is no walk in the park either-- it's a messy proposition.

Eventually, weathering caused a crystalization effect of the coating which made my deck look like it was sugar-coated. I also noticed that on areas of my deck which were not particuarly oxidized, the coating did not adhere well. Dirt would combine with it in these areas and the result was a dirty, gooey mess. In areas that were greatly oxidized the coating bonded very well.

Maybe Poli-Glow is better, never used it. From now on, I'm using high-end polishing products rather than varnish. I am particularly interested in one called Re-Structure.


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## Denr (Feb 7, 2001)

No no no, do not use this product!!! This is the equivalent of "Mop n Glow", yes floor wax with UV inhibitors. This product will look awful after a few years when, yes you heard it right, it starts to flake off, you think the application was tough wait until you have to remove this crap!


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

uhhh, the application wasn't tough at all. removal of product was quite easy, squirt the poli-prep stuff on it, wipe with supplied scrubber thingy, rinse...

I'm told that re-application every year or so will help preserve it. We'll see. 

If in a few years it flakes off, i don't care.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Denr-

I think you're confusing this product with NewGlass2, which does exactly what you're saying... PoliGlow actually works pretty much as advertised. I've used it on several project boats... and was amazed at the results.


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## jr438234606 (Apr 25, 2006)

SD, this product is not an acrylic "varnish"?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I'm not really sure what it is... I just know from first hand experience, it seems to do what it says...


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> I'm not really sure what it is... I just know from first hand experience, it seems to do what it says...


It also got good reviews in Practical Sailor which prompted me to purchase the product.

I'll let you know how it works on my slightly faded hull in a week or so when I get around to using it.


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## Gary M (May 9, 2006)

My bottle says it is a "water based polymer with a urethane fortification and UV protectants" 

Guess that means it is some type of plastic coating.  

I should add I put 6 coats on a 30 foot boat and still have half a bottle left. Enough for 2 applicaions a year for 3 years. 
Gary


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## nightowle (Aug 2, 2006)

*thanks for posting the details Cardiacpaul*

My situation is similar to yours with our 32 year old O'Day 27'. I was getting prepared to do the deck and cockpit areas with a 2 part paint, but after giving a good scrub in the cockpit area with TSP and some bleach it occured to me I could get away with Poliglow. I've read some great stuff here about it so I really appreciate you giving a 'blow by blow' account of using the product. For the non-skid areas I'm planning to try Kiwigrip. Just wondering if anyone here has experience with that product. But like yourself, I don't think I'll be any worse off than what we have now no matter what I do to the finish! I'll attempt to capture some before and after shots of the Poliglow.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Paul,
I'd say, "told you so", but that would be impolite.(g) The only detail you left out is the immeasurable increase in your quality of life. I'm going to recoat my hull in a couple of weeks or so, and it's nice to know that I'm not faced with an all day, or two day, job. The appearance took 'painting the topsides' off the 'to do' list and put it on the 'maybe someday' list. Sorry about your butt!


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

I'm docked right under one of those sodium lights so the dead bugs and related goo used to be a p.i.t.a to remove. Today I just hosed it off. Voila. Life is good.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Good to know CP.


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## shantijwk (Nov 11, 2006)

Hypothetically – What would be the impact of using Poli-Glow to shine up your favorite nautical toy for a few years prior to having a total hull & topsides refinish? Anyone been down that dock?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Less work, less waxing, more time to postpone the total hull & topsides re-finish job. Some additional interest on the money you would have spent on the paint job...


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> Less work, less waxing, more time to postpone the total hull & topsides re-finish job. Some additional interest on the money you would have spent on the paint job...


That is pretty much what the PS article said as well. If your gelcoat is shot, this stuff can extend the time until you have to paint.

I put 5 coats on my hull this past weekend. I wouldn't exactly say it was easy, but watching the guy next to me with his buffer convinced me I was doing less work than he was.

My grey hull was evenly colored, but had no shine at all after cleaning with the Poliprep. After we finished with the Poliglow, the hull shines beautifully. A couple of folks nearby in the yard came by to ask what we were using and commented on how nice the shine was. I have to say I'm happy with the purchase so far. It looks like I'm going to have enough left over to cover me for next year maintenence coats as well.

So far, seem like a pretty good bargain.


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

I'm still trying to get the girlies to step onto my deck...
I jus' wanna see it if really does reflect that good. 

(ok, I am one sick puppy)


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

cardiacpaul said:


> I'm still trying to get the girlies to step onto my deck...
> I jus' wanna see it if really does reflect that good.
> 
> (ok, I am one sick puppy)


Yes, you definitely are...


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Have you considered taping a $100 bill to your jib halyard and raising it about 7-8 feet off the deck? Then you could watch the reflection and the bounce all at the same time. You'll still have to come up with a way to get them on the boat. I, for one, haven't had much success with, " hey, young lady,you wanna make an easy hundred bucks". I'm sure somebody else here will have a better imagination.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*Re: Poli Blow er Glow*

I came across this Poli Glow hater on another forum. I simply copied and pasted it making no edits!

"Well, this is the year, finally taking this sXXt off SeaQuell. 
Spent 4 hours yesterday, got about 85% of it off the not non-skid portions of the deck, forward of the companionway; using Poli-Prep and a stiff brush and plastic Kurly Kate. 
Today I found the aggressive abrasive the manufacturer supplies with the kit for this purpose. I just love taking this to the gelocat of SeaQuell (not). What was shiny gelcoat before PoliGlow surely won't be after I get this crap off. 
I finally gave up on the 50:50 solution teh manufacturer recommends and started using the Poli-Prep straight. I can do a spot about 1 foot square, and rinse it off real fast, before it rehardens into a dirty goo, and doens't go anywhere. 
Running out of Poli-Prep fast, so I'll hafta try some floor stripper, since there isn't a PoliGlow dealer in Peterborough. Not that I wanna give that company any more of my hard earned cash. 
I imagine after another 12 hours, we'll have it completely off the boat. (Got it out of the cockpit the year after we first put it on, as the sun tan lotion made a grey gooyey mess out of it, first cruise out.) 
I'll admit this PoliCrap makes a chalky boat look shiny; but applying Meguiars fibreglass oxidation remover (by hand) and a couple coats of wax (with a buffer) and then touching up mid-season, is less than half the work of removing last year's PoliGlo, and then wiping on 5 or 6 fresh coats for this year. 
Well, it's a beautiful day out there, so I guess I better don my gloves and safety glasses, so I can scrub this sXXt off. I've got a lot of better things I could be doing, but oh well, at least this is the last year for this huge waste of time."


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Sounds a lot like what the NuGlass2 users all have said. Maybe he's confusing the two products?


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

Isn't this stuff designed for use on the hull? Having used it myself, I don't think I'd want in on my deck or cabin which seemed to be what was giving this guy fits. 

Again based on information from PS, I purchased Starbrite Deck cleaner with PTEF, for the cabin and deck. Supposed to give a decent shine without being slick. Since my boat is under some trees, I won't do the deck/cabin until right before we splash but will boat on the results when I do.


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## dorourke (Aug 11, 2006)

my reply to halekai's cut and past.

This guy sounds like he doesn't do his homework, I woulden't let him put air in my tires! Last weekend I applied the PilyGlow on my hull while the gentileman a couple of boats away was polishing. I had three coats all the way around by the time he was done with his first side. Yes, a lot of faith went into applying it, first coats were looking awful but it all blended in after a while. I don't think I would use this stuff on the topside. Does anyone know of something out there engineered specifically for decks that would bring back the finish?


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

Dorourke,

I'm agreeing with you. if his gelcoat was shiny, why was he putting it on? 
Second, its not 50:50 on the poliprep, is 75%water,25% poliprep (thats why his was rehardening so fast)

oh well, to each his own

I did use it on the topside, and am pleased, just don't put it where you ever wanna walk, its slippery  

third, why is he removing it every year?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

cardiacpaul said:


> Dorourke,
> 
> I'm agreeing with you. if his gelcoat was shiny, why was he putting it on?
> Second, its not 50:50 on the poliprep, is 75%water,25% poliprep (thats why his was rehardening so fast)
> ...


Because he can't read the instructions...  A product misused isn't going to work as well as the same product applied according to its directions...


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## jackytdunaway (Sep 11, 2006)

It seems like I remember a thread a month ago or so where the polish vs. other methods came up and halekai was a polish freak. And i say that with nothing but admiration but it is not for all. i think he even posted a picture of his car buffed and polished IIRC.


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## dorourke (Aug 11, 2006)

I'm very tempted to ust PolyGlow on the deck, but I'm also very nervous about it as well. Although I sail mostly with friends and family, I am all over the boat under way for I am a controll freak! I have to have hands on all aspects of the boat or I'm not compfortable. I don't want to slip and slide when healed over either. My entire deck is raised with non skid texture. PloyGlow would only service a small aria of the cabin's outer combing. any anilizations or suggestions and all coments will be helpful!!


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

I wouldn't. I applied only to my hull. Even though the gel coat is dull on my deck, and therefore has some porosity to it, it is decidely not slick and safety comes first. I may do the cabin top, but not the deck. I expect you'll have trouble with your footing.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*You are correct..*

I'm not a fan but that cut and paste was only one of many I've come across on this and other forums. I have used PoliGlow on a Mako and did follow the instructions to a tee and I can solidly say I don't like it. I gave it a try and it failed! It took us more time to clean, apply & remove it than it did to buff, polish and wax & restore the hull the old fashioned way.

My problem with the stuff is that it does change color, personally saw it in four months, and it does not hold up to even mild abrasion and yes I used PoliGlow and not Vert Glass or one of the others! Within weeks of being on the mooring the boat had two patches, this after 8 coats of Poli Glow, where the mooring ball would touch the hull in calm weather. Now this is the same type of soft Polyform ball that fenders are made from and the same one that does not abrade Awlgrip or Gelcoat. So our scenario included an unexpected haul out, can't really re-apply this stuff in the water like you can with wax, and we patched the areas with more PoliGlow. Once back in the water the same thing happened within weeks again! I've seen it happen with docked boats, where fenders rub, and moored boats where the ball rubs as well as a Zodiac dinghy left tied next to a boat, during cocktail hour, rubbing ever so gently in the 5 knots of breeze. Sorry I don't like the look of a splotchy boat and Poli Glow is just NOT a durable product. With Poli Glow you are not polishing the actual surface but rahter coating it with what is basically commercial grade floor wax. Yes PoliGlow has some other proprietary UV inhibitors in it but it's not rocket science.

There's a reason we don't paint boats with automotive paint and that reason is because it's just not durable and can't stand up to the abrasion a boat hull sees. There's a reason AwlGrip, Gelcoat and Imron are used. If this stuff, PoliGlow, was so great maunufacturers would be using it right out of the mold, on gelcoat hulls, instead of paying folks $30.00 per hour to buff the hulls with compound and create a real shine. Coatings like PoliGlow are less durable than single part automotive paints!

I just finished my two step polish & wax on my 32 footer the other day and timed it at 2.5 hours. I still need one more coat of wax that should take 45 minutes. Once you're caught up, with gelcoat, it's very easy to maintain and I dont find 3 hours and fifteen minutes to be a lot of maintenance!


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

*A sad update*

While I am pleased with the outcome of my poly-glow application, there is a problem.

*It has yellowed significantly in 4 weeks. *

I can tell exactly where I put it, and where I didn't. 
The "tint" is turning almost vanilla in color.

The cuban tells me this isn't a problem, but I can see it, know its there, and it really chaps my ass.

Its still shiny, and water beads up fine, and its very easy to clean, but damn it, its yellow! (beige, taupe, vanilla, creme, who cares - the fu**in' boat is yellow, ok? )


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

CP
Can you be a bit more concise, are you saying dont use it.?


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

i'm saying its shiny, its slippery, but it yellowed.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Interesting... I've never had it yellow on me... at least as far as I could see... and I'm very particular about color due to my photography background. Also, never heard anything about it yellowing in any of the PS tests or articles. I'd be curious as to find out what is causing it to yellow in your case.


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## jackytdunaway (Sep 11, 2006)

I bought some from Defender about a month ago but haven't used it yet. Do i need to send it back. When i look in the mirror i see fear in my eyes


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

I'm not unhappy, it just yellowed. I can tell right where I stopped the application. I will continue the application to even it out, but it is noticable. (to me) It took others a minute to see it, but when it was pointed out, the response was "oh yea, it is different" maybe they were humoring me, I dunno. 
its more noticable when I wear my polarized sunglasses, not so much in plain sunlight, more so in late afternoon, rather than first light.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Just curious CP, but what color was the boat's gelcoat? White?? BTW, maybe you should stop peeing on the deck...


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I wonder if it reacts differently on different gel-coat formulations ... might be optimised for boats with newer resins ???


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Sailormann said:


> I wonder if it reacts differently on different gel-coat formulations ... might be optimised for boats with newer resins ???


I'd think it'd be optimized for older gelcoat formulations, since those are the boats most in need of it....


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## TAK (Jul 14, 2003)

I wonder what people think of just the Poli Prep ?? Is it any better than traditional de-oxidizers ??


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

The Poly-Prep, IIRC, is not designed to remove oxidation, but wax and other surface contaminants. I had to sand my oxidation off with wet/dry paper. then I prepped.


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

same here.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

I have not observed any yellowing, but i only applied it to the hull which is blue and robin's egg blue. Assuming CP's deck is white. (how else would he see the yellowing) I'm going to do my cabintop, white, and see how it does, and report back later. For those concerned, the Poly-prep is labeled as removing Poli-glo as well as other contaminants.


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## nightowle (Aug 2, 2006)

I ordered Poliglow yesterday, following this thread with CP's report. But I figured my cabin top and cockpit can't look any worse than now! I asked about possibility of yellowing and was told it happens if there is remaining wax under the Poliglow application. CP?


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

yes, its white.
I can promise you there was no wax under this prep.  

The boat does look MUCH better than before I applied the product, but it did yellow on me. I can tell exactly where it it is, and where its not. Hey, it might be a design feature! 

Anyway, I would definitely use it again, and recommend it for its intended purpose.


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## Johnniegee (Oct 13, 2014)

Bought a oday 20 1974 that was one puff away from a land fill. I wet sanded on side of the hull, then buff and polish whew. Sibe 2wet sand poli prep 3 coats poliglow...looks better that side one doing the decks now... time will tell


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I used Poli-Glow for the first time last spring - AWSOME! 

I first cleaned the entire hull with LA Totally Awesome cleaner, which is T0TALLY AWESOME to say the very least. Just spray the cleaner on the hull, let is sit 30 seconds, wipe if off and all the crud, wax, grease, spider poop, bird crap stains, etc..., come right off. Next, I washed the hull with a mix consisting of two gallons of water, 3 cups Chlorox bleach, I tblsp Dawn Dish Detergent. I sprayed the mix on, scrubbed it with my deck scrub brush, then rinsed it thoroughly and allowed it to dry overnight. 

The following morning, I began applying the Poli-Glow. You betcha this is a lot easier than waxing the damned boat every year. When I finished, you could count your teeth in the reflection of the hull. The boat was sailed 60 trips on Chesapeake Bay, then wintered on the hard at the marina with just a tarp over the boom and foredeck.

This spring, I washed the hull with dawn, no bleach, scrubbed it lightly with the deck brush and rinsed. After allowing about 4 hours for it to dry, I applied one coat of Poli-glow and it looked like new. No yellowing whatsoever. 

The boat next to mine last winter looked horrible, and he had been using Poli-Glow for five years without ever stripping it. It had yellowed terribly, had streaked areas where the finish had worn off, and was really cruddy looking. I gave him a 1-quart bottle of LA Totally Awesome cleaner, he sprayed the hull, let is sit a couple minutes, then scrubbed it with his deck brush and rinsed. The hull was clean, no Poli-Glow remained, he reapplied it again, and it looked like a new boat. This was in April. The boat still looks fantastic, but the owner had some bad health issues and I think the boat has been abandoned. It's still on the hard.

Someone asked about Kiwi Grip in this thread. I can assure you that it is the best non-skid finish I've come across, wear like iron, relatively easy to apply, and I, for one, highly recommend it. However, I would NOT apply Poli-Glow to any non-skid or any location of the boat where you will be walking. It is very, very slippery when wet.

Hope this helps,

Gary


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

I'm dredging up this old thread, in case like others, they were curious about Poliglow, and wanted to see wax versus poliglow on a tired old boat.

This year I gave up, and I just started to apply Poliglow to my boat this season. Last season I spend a ridiculous amount of time sanding, wet sanding, compounding, polishing, and waxing my boat. I also had the misfortune of doing a significant amount of gelcoat repair to my port side (prior owner severely damaged the gelcoat in a trailering incident with a concrete pole, and I'm slowing building my gel coating skills attempting to fix it so it matches correctly).

Anyway, the gist is the starboard side turned out pretty good last season, but never really SHINED, and sadly only lasted about 2-3 months looking good, but came back chalky as ever, even after I applied another coat of wax mid-season.

The port side started off bad (cause it was ugly), and it also just looked poor by the end of the season.

I had to strip the rest of the wax off anyway, to do more repair to my gelcoat this season, and I'm still honestly not done with repairing the gelcoat... but I think I'll chip away at it seasonally until I get it exactly as I want it... but I've opted to NOT spend any more time on gelcoat THIS season.

So anyway, this was the boat in 2015, with the port side being the obviously uglier:
Port 2015
















Starboard 2015









This is the same boat after gelcoat repair (albeit a poor repair, but its starting to get better), and 5 coats of poliglow:
Port 2016 with poliglow








You can really see my poor repair here:








Close up









Starboard 2016 with poliglow (note the bright vertical stripes shown on the boat is sunshine reflecting off the metal building next to the boat).









So I will say, the poliglow shines up the old plastic, even makes my 5 minute gelcoat repair start to almost look good. I'm hoping it holds up better after a season than the wax did. I know I'd have been polishing and waxing again if I hadn't done the poliglow. If I can re-apply poliglow year on year (even if I have to strip it after a year or 2), it'll be infinitely easier than dealing with that wore out gelcoat.

I'll keep you posted if I see yellowing, flaking, or the like. I figure its an ugly old boat, what's the worst I have to lose?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Left too long you will start to see some breakdown and flaking. Used on deck is where we got the severe and rapid yellowing, which I'm convinced was due to traffic and body oils etc.
Hard to argue with the lack of effort required, though the initial (and periodic) cleaning and removal takes time.


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## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

Ron, how "periodic" is the removal? Cause they seem to sell a remover that is pretty simple to use (perhaps not so simple on the deck).

My take is, if this "experiment" which honestly is what it is for me (a fellow sailclub guy has the same S2 and it looks infinitely better, and he recommended Poliglow to me as it was what he uses) works... then great... if it doesn't, no big deal... I can go back to waxing, having gained a year of NOT having to wax.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

SHNOOL said:


> Ron, how "periodic" is the removal?
> ....


Our boat looked pretty good when we bought it, and the PO told us he used poliglow. We kept with it and except with no longer using on deck it's been OK.

We get much more rapid 'aging' (understandably) on our reverse transom and we probably take that down and renew each season. The rest of the topsides we take the Polyprep (they now have a more powerful 'remover') and give it a going over before reapplying. In 10 years I've only had to totally strip the hull down to gel once, and that was primarily because I also removed and redid some painted striping.

If the finish is not breaking up, you can simply wash with polyprep and reapply to keep it going. If you do remove it, you need to really rinse heavily because any of the poli that's in a remaining rinse film will reattach.

Disclaimer: this is not a 'purist' treatment, and overall a good strip/cut/polish/wax is, I'm sure, a much better way to go. But as a low effort dress-up it's pretty hard to beat. One caution.. since there's no 'cutting' action here at all, any blemishes left after prep will simply be covered up and shinier (residual faint black streaks, for example) Prep and technique still count.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

SHNOOL,

There's a Catalina 30T in our marina that has been using Poli Glow for 5 years, he has never stripped it, and this spring, he just scrubbed the hull with Dawn and warm water, rinsed it and let it dry. He applied a single coat of Poli-Glow and it looks fantastic. You can count your teeth in the finish from 10 feet away.

Gary


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

I know people that have used Poliglow and love it and others that say never again. Those that say never again had it fail after a few years and spent HOURS and HOURS getting if off. I've decided to say with polish and wax.


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

JimsCAL said:


> I know people that have used Poliglow and love it and others that say never again. Those that say never again had it fail after a few years and spent HOURS and HOURS getting if off. I've decided to say with polish and wax.


I have one boat that I use it for, one boat that could go either way, and one boat that I'd never use it. It all depends on the age of the gelcoat and how far gone it is.

I always suggest trying to polish first (closely following MaineSail's procedure), because that gets by far the best result. If that fails (as it did for my Phantom), then Polyglow is the next best option, even with its tradeoffs. I can say from my personal experience with two boat that Polyglow definitely causes a little bit of yellowing. Not terrible, but noticeable if you put it next to a section that has been polished properly.


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

I'm considering Poli Glow. In my research is seems that "fails" fall into 3 groups; 1- failure to prep well, 2 - not enough coats, 3 - not reapplying soon enough


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

Don0190 said:


> I'm considering Poli Glow. In my research is seems that "fails" fall into 3 groups; 1- failure to prep well, 2 - not enough coats, 3 - not reapplying soon enough


I agree. The Poliglow instructions warn that coating over a chalky substrate will just lock in the chalky look. So for these cases, you need to start with a good wet sanding using very fine wet sandpaper --- which is the same first step that MaineSail suggests for "real" polishing. That's why, when done properly, Poliglow is not that much easier than a real polish.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

Hum, makes me sad to read this thread, started by CardiacPaul... May he rest in peace.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

TakeFive said:


> That's why, when done properly, Poliglow is not that much easier than a real polish.


I have to disagree with you on this one - I have done both, and Poli Glow is far, far easier than compounding and waxing, even with a good electric buffer. It took me less then 30 minutes to Poli Glow my 33 Morgan two weeks ago. When I waxed this boat, it usually took about an hour per side.

One of the things that makes application easier is their new, mitt applicator, which uses less product than the old applicator, and it cleans up with soap and water. It is very similar to a car washing mit, but a less fluffy material.

This is my friend applying Poli Glow to his 30 Catalina. As you can see there is no yellowing of the finish, the shine is fantastic, and this is his 5th year of using the product and he has never had to strip it.










Gary :2 boat:


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