Fade to Grey!

[Compromise]

Performing a wee bit of cosmetic cleaning and noticed the black trim in places, on the hull has begun to fade. Same thing near the windows. Does anyone have a magic solution aside from lots of elbow grease and some polishing with wax?
I tried this method and although an improvement, it was not the anticipated result
I'm confident someone has found a remedy for this problem and will share, thanks in advance.

[awolfe]

I tried a great product called New Glass 2 last spring. I was VERY pleased. Just follow the directions. The black areas of our boat have never looked this good at the end of a season. I highly recommend it. I will use it again (either now like the directions suggest, or next spring). My only reservation is how easy is it to remove? I haven't experienced taking it off yet. But most reports are favorable.

See it here http://www.newglass2.com

PS. Others will have their own favorite-but this is as easy as it gets. And it SHINES...

Good Luck,
Tom

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Im interested in something "EASY TO APPLY" that protects the surface as well as helps a little in RESTORATION. Condition of my boat is excellent, but I would like to keep the SHINE, and apply something that "PROTECTS" real well. Do any other SAILORS recommend "NEW GLASS" ... seems that Ive heard of this product in some FORUM in the PAST.
THANKS for any further ADVICE out THERE...

[Sloop John B]

New Glass also sells the 'remover/cleaner' and includes a 'scrub brush'. I didn't put mine on correctly the first time leaving raised streaks (you have to use their leather/cloth like applier), and the cleaner I ordered takes the old right off and prepares the surface for the new coat at the same time.

[Frank C]

The short answer is that polymer fiberglass restorers, either NewGlass 2 or Poliglow, are likely the quickest to apply, and the best solutions to UV-damaged gelcoat. (Polymer coatings were twice reviewed & endorsed by Practical Sailor magazine, see below.)

A search reveals that there are at least two comprehensive threads on this same topic, one regarding Black Areas of Cabin Roof, which quotes a lengthy owner endorsement from Letters to Editor. Similarly in the following thread, where I posted this answer & quoted Practical Sailor:

Practical Sailor magazine, in its April 1 edition, has just started a new test of the three polymer competitors, Poli Glow, NewGlass2, and Vertglas. For comparison, they also had a professional detailer apply a section of Collinite #925 Fiberglass Boat Wax on the same test boat. He wet-sanded with 1500-grit, then used AquaBuff 2000 rubbing compound, and finally waxed with Collinite - all by hand. Regarding the flaking, it's sounds to me easier to completely remove a flaked poly-coating, than to wetsand and compound a boat for waxing and in the end, they concluded that the polymers produce a higher gloss than the wax. I'll be trying out Poli-glow sometime this year, at least on the black sections.

Practical Sailor never reported the flaking in their tests 3 years ago, so I'm not too concerned. According to the New Glass developer, completely removing his coating can be done with Castrol engine degreaser or Spray Nine degreaser. The article says flaking can result if you move too slowly, which allows the product to dry onto the applicator. The article concluded with this following conclusion:

Talk about night and day. The boat looks brand new, at least the sides, the cabintop and a 2'x2' section of the transom. We can't really tell the difference between the hull restorers yet. So our initial conclusions come down to application.

Our tester puts Poli Glow at the head of the pack because of its variety of applicators, effective cleanser, and clear directions. The Vertglas could use additional applicators. The New Glass-2 needs a larger applicator, and its stain remover did not work for us.

The sections waxed with Collinite look good, too, although the hull restorers gave the boat a higher gloss, to our eyes. The good news is that it's tough to botch a wax job. There's much more room for error when working with hull restorers, and hull restorers are tougher to remove.

[Miami]

What does everyone recommend for topsides?

Are any of these treatments "slippery"?

I don't want to make any of the standing surfaces slippery.