Renew Black Finish

[RickJ]

The black areas are paint.

Are you sure

If I remember from the video of the boats being made in the factory, they mask off the black areas before they spray white gelcoat, then they remove the masking and spray black gelcoat. The black thus forms the surface gelcoat for the stripes, and there's actually a layer of black gelcoat under all the white.

I think that was the video for the , maybe they've changed the method for the I can't remember the link for the video, I found it online somewhere when I was researching Macs and other boats a few months back.

[Night Sailor]

On my 98X I've never used an abrasive product. As an ex professional refinisher I know the difference and avoid them on cars and boats.
The black stripes are definitely gel coat just as the factory says they are.

The black gel coat on my particular boat is very thin on the cabin sides and also the top hull stripe. The bootline stripe shows no thin areas.

The white gelcoat on the cockpit seats is also thin and worn through down to brown in places. Lazy workmen, maybe.

Fact: One can only put on so much gelcoat without it getting so thick it cracks more easily under stress. Better to have thick structure and underlayment and thin cosmetic gelcoat than the other way around.

[NiceAft]

I stand corrected


Mea Culpa Mea Culpa

It does not change anything pertaining to what to do

If during the season I become aware that the black is not as glossy as it was when I cleaned it up earlier, then I would wax it again with something like Turtle Wax, or some other quick car wax.

Ray

[Highlander]

Poliglo



J

[gwmoore]

I found a product called PENATROL at Home Depot. It is intended as a paint additive but just painting it on and rubbing with a cloth brings back the original look. I used it on my previous Montgomery 17 which had a green hull. One application usually lasted a season.