Really?! You want me to stand there for two days buffing on a boat?! That's the first thing that came out of my mouth when Max told me that I would be working in the marine section at our 8th annual Detail Fest. Before Max even had a chance to open his mouth and respond, I demanded (see "asked politely") that if I had to buff, polish and wax a boat for two days straight, my product line of choice would be the recently-introduced Marine 31 Waxes, Cleaners & Polishes. Max grinned, nodded his head and walked away. Now if getting the keys to his Crystal Red Corvette Convertible for the weekend was that easy.....

Marine 31 booth at our 8th Annual Detail Fest last weekend...



Why Marine 31? It's simple - the products are exceptionally easy to work with and they perform without a fuss. Severe gel coat oxidation removal? Check. Polishing metal surfaces to a brilliant shine? Check. Removing mildew from vinyl seats? Check. Marine 31 Waxes, Cleaners & Polishes has a product for virtually every square inch of your boat, from stern to bow. It's only an added bonus that each and every Marine 31 product is harbor-safe and eco-friendly. I'm an advocate of working smart, not hard, and Marine 31 Waxes, Cleaners & Polishes enables me to do just that.




The boat set up in the Marine 31 booth had light to moderate oxidation from sitting outside and being taken out on the water every other weekend. While Marine 31 offers varying levels of gel coat compounds and polishes (ultra heavy cut, medium cut, fine cut) I decided to take the simple approach and use what is my favorite product in the Marine 31 line, All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax.




Marine 31 All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax is the ideal one-step solution for removing light/moderate oxidation and staining on gel coat – standard and painted. Formulated using advanced micro-abrasives, propriety cleaning agents and nourishing oils, Marine 31 All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax maximizes color and gloss while leaving a durable layer of wax protection. This zero-dusting formula is incredibly easy to apply by hand or machine.

I decided to go with the latter and use a Flex PE14-2-150 Rotary Polisher equipped with a Rotary Backing Plate Extension, Lake Country Rotary 3 3/4 inch Backing Plate and a Lake Country 4 inch CCS Orange Light Cutting Pad. This was the ideal set up for polishing smaller areas of the boat. For the hull I used a 6.5 inch CCS Orange Light Cutting Pad. A Porter Cable 7424xp or Flex XC3401 will also get the job done.


Before:



During:

Notice how the Rotary Backing Plate Extension places the backing plate and buffing pad farther away from the body of the rotary polisher so you can more easily see the small, intricate area that you’re working on.



After:



Marine 31 All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax paired with the FLEX PE14-2-150 Rotary Polisher effortlessly removed the oxidation revealing a glossy finish. Marine 31 All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax has a long working time and wipes off with ease; it can even be used in direct sunlight. The durable coat of wax left behind will protect the gel coat against salt degradation and UV rays.

If you have a boat or RV and would prefer to spend time enjoying it for its intended use rather than constantly polishing and waxing it, pick up a bottle of Marine 31 All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax and take the simple approach.

Featured products:

• Marine 31 All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax
• FLEX PE14-2-150 Rotary Polisher
• Rotary 3 ¾ inch Backing Plate
• Rotary Backing Plate Extension
• Lake Country CCS Pads

The buttery-smooth, lightweight Flex PE14-2-150 paired with the easy-to-apply Marine 31 All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax made for an enjoyable Detail Fest weekend overall. Maybe polishing a boat isn't that bad after all....