On Board with Mark Corke

A Guide to Boat Fiberglass Care: Cleaning, Oxidation Removal, and Polishing

My Grand Banks 32; not bad for 35-year-old gelcoat. It took me a whole day from start to finish to get the boat to this level of gloss.

Introduction

I know I have covered looking after gelcoat before, but this is the perfect time for a recap now that winter is just around the corner and many boats will be getting hauled.

Proper fiberglass care is essential to keep your vessel looking its best and ensure its longevity. This guide will walk you through the necessary steps, tools, and materials for cleaning removing oxidation through wet sanding, and compounding, polishing, and waxing your boat's fiberglass surfaces. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a novice boat owner, this comprehensive guide will help you maintain your boat's pristine appearance.

Tools and Materials Required

Before you begin, gather the following tools and materials:

Pressure Washer: A high-quality pressure washer helps remove dirt and grime efficiently.

Soft Bristle Brush: Use a soft brush to scrub the fiberglass without scratching the surface.

Boat Soap: Choose a boat-specific soap that's gentle on fiberglass.

Bucket: For mixing and applying boat soap.

Hose: To rinse off soap and debris.

Microfiber Towels: For drying the boat and for later steps.

Wet/Dry Sandpaper: Choose various grits (e.g., 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000) for wet sanding.

Water Sprayer Bottle: To keep the surface wet while sanding.

Dual Action Polisher/Buffer: A professional-grade buffer like the DeWalt 9-inch polisher is ideal.Manufacturer link here

Compounding Pad: Use foam or wool pads for compounding.

Polishing Pad: Foam or wool pads are suitable for polishing as well.

Marine Compound: Opt for a high-quality marine compound like 3M Super Duty Compound.

Marine Polish: A top-rated marine polish such as Meguiar's M4516 is a great choice.

Marine Wax: Select a marine wax like Collinite 925 for long-lasting protection.

Applicator Pads: Soft foam applicator pads are necessary for applying compound, polish, and wax.

Cleaning 

Before applying any compounds or polishes, it is essential that the boat is clean, or you'll just be rubbing dirt into the gelcoat.

Start by rinsing the boat with a pressure washer to remove loose dirt and debris.

Mix boat soap with water in a bucket and gently scrub the fiberglass surface with a soft bristle brush.

Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap residue.

Dry the boat using microfiber towels to prevent water spots.

Removing Oxidation by Wet Sanding: only needed if the boat is heavily oxidized.

Soak the sandpaper in water for a few minutes.

Begin with the highest grit sandpaper (e.g., 2000) and only use a coarser grade if absolutely necessary.

Sand the oxidized areas in a circular motion.

Keep the surface wet with a water sprayer bottle.

Rinse and dry the boat thoroughly.

Compounding, Polishing, and Waxing

Attach a compounding pad to your dual action polisher/buffer.

Apply a small amount of marine compound to the pad.

Work in small sections, applying moderate pressure and moving the buffer in a side-to-side and up-and-down motion.

Wipe off excess compound with a microfiber towel.

Switch to a polishing pad and apply marine polish in the same manner as compounding.

After polishing, apply marine wax using applicator pads in circular motions.

Allow the wax to haze, then buff it off with a clean microfiber towel for a brilliant shine.

Foam Pads vs. Wool Pads

Foam Pads: Foam pads are gentler on the surface and are ideal for light compounding, polishing, and waxing. They are less aggressive and are suitable for maintaining well-maintained fiberglass.

Wool Pads: Wool pads are more aggressive and are often used for heavy compounding to remove deep oxidation and scratches. They can be followed by foam pads for polishing and waxing.

In conclusion, maintaining your boat's fiberglass requires careful attention and the right tools and materials. Regular cleaning, wet sanding for oxidation removal, and compounding, polishing, and waxing will keep your boag stunning and protect it from the elements. With the right products and techniques, you can ensure your boat remains a source of pride for years to come.

Best boat carpet

As part of the overall refurbishment of the interior of Seaglass, Rita and I wanted to make the interior more 'homey.' Although we love the abundance of teak in our Grand Banks, it can be a little overwhelming, plus taking care of it also takes considerable time to keep it looking fresh and new. This is especially true of parquet flooring, which gets a lot of wear during the year. Although we take our shoes off when we enter the salon, the cabin sole can take a bit of a beating. There can't be many GB owners out there that don't have some rug, mat, or runner to add a splash 0f color and make the cabin sole easier on bare feet.

Uncertain as to precisely what we should do to the boat's interior, we called in Kate Seremeth, who runs Tack Studios in Maine. She has extensive experience working on yacht interiors and was a delight to work with; and would heartily recommend her services if you are thinking of sprucing up your boat's interior or going for a complete do-over. 

Amongst the other thing,  Kate suggested the use of a fitted rug. She also suggested working with Colonial Mills,s who weave rugs out of Sunbrella material. Ubiquitous with yachts, there can't be many boat owners who have not used or at least come in contact with, Sunbrella at some time. Most known for fabrics for awnings, covers, and cushions, the Sunbrella material that the rugs are woven from is far softer and has a look, somewhat, of woven sisal but feels so much better underfoot. 

Rather than buy a rectangular rug that fit the space, the lovely folks at Colonial Mills offered to make a bespoke one that would fit the space perfectly -- all I had to do was make the templates. 

 

As you can see in the picture,s I made the template from stiff building paper,r and this was later transferred to Tyvek so that I knew that the template would not tear or distort, leaving me with the wrong size carpet or worse. If you look closely at the images above and below,w you will see a line drawn in black Sharpie a half inch from the edge. This is an important step and makes completing an accurate temple much easier. Basically,y the technique is this; you cut the template almost the right size but deliberately undersized by a small amount. This saves your time and your temper, as you are not trying to cut it accurately at this stage. With the paper pattern then taped in position,n you use a straight edge of known width and, as in this case with the spacer pressed against the woodwork at the floor's edge,e mark a line, which is the one you see above.

 

Here's a close-up shot of the technique in action. Then when I got home,e I laid out a large sheet of Tyvek, taped the brown paper template on it,p and once again lined my spacer along the black lines I made when I was on the boat, and voila, a perfect facsimile of the wooden sole. Even s,o as it was,s I spent several hours making the templates -- first the brown paper and then the Tyvek that I sent to Colonial Mills. Rita and I chose an aqua colo,r but there are almost a limitless amount of colors to choose from, so if you are not replacing the upholstery I was we were,e then you are sure to be able to get something to coordinate.

 

Overall I think the carpet looks great; it's hardwearing and has stood up well. Best of all,l it is somewhat unique,e and it draws admiring glances from jealous owners when we have attended Grand Bank's get-together. You will also notice the edges are whipped to prevent unraveling,g and this,s plus the overall weight of the carpet, keeps it lying flat on the floor. If I have one regret,t it is that I had some cutouts put in the carpet to allow the two table legs to make contact with the floor. If I did it again,n I think that I would have gotten four holes cut to allow the removable bolts that hold the table in place to pass through and allowed the table to sit on top of the carpet; the bolts would have helped hold the carpet in place and it may have looked a little neater. But then, I may be being overcritical of my choice. But judge for yourself and let me know what you think.

 

Teak Swim Platform

Below is a video that I very recently posted. Only when I was editing it did I realize I did not mention that I used Gorilla glue. Available from Home Depot and other hardware stores, I really like this glue, but with some caveats. Where you really need something never to come apart, there is no substitute for epoxy with some thickening or filler powder depending on the application. But as in the video here, Gorilla glue is ideal as it can be squirted out of the bottle and, depending on the temperature, will set up in relatively short order allowing work to continue without waiting overnight for the glue to set up, as would be the case with epoxy. 

It is essential to read and heed the instructions on the bottle regarding the correct application technique and safety instructions. I have found that it is tough to remove if you get glue on your fingers or skin. Washing your hand under the tap only makes the glue set up faster as it is a moisture activated. It is always best to wear disposable gloves. Finally, never put your fingers close to your face when using; I suffered severe eye irritation that was very painful even though I never actually got any glue into my eye. Just being close was enough to cause problems. A

Anyhow, I do hope that you enjoy the video and that you will comment either here or in the comments section below the video. More videos are coming soon.

 

 

Top Boating Videos of 2021

I'm happy to report that a couple of my videos came top of the list of  BoatUS' most-watched in 2021 and are embedded below for your viewing pleasure. Repairing gelcoat is a common boat owner task, but it requires more than just filling in small spider cracks. “How to Spray Gelcoat on a Boat Using a Preval Sprayer,” which shows how to make professional gelcoat repairs over a larger area, was the most-watched new BoatUS video of 2021, from BoatUS Magazine. The second most-watched video on the list, “Bilge Pump Not Working? Here’s How To Troubleshoot the Problem” proves that even in this technological era, boaters continue to be vexed with the age-old issue of keeping water out of the boat.

 

 

 

 

Cheap and effective spray booth

I have recently been working on some upgrades for the boat's headliner. A full video will be coming soon but in the meantime I thought that I would share the process that I have been using to spray the wooden strips.

The original headliner for the Grand Banks series of classic yachts was a sort of perforated vinyl material of the sort that might be found on a 1950's vintage Chevvy. Over the years this had suffered from rips and discoloration and I decided that it was well due for replacement. Apart from the general wear and tear I also wanted to upgrade the lights and add speakers for the stereo, neither of which would be possible without changing out the headliner. In short, I have gone for a painted wooden headliner which allows easy installation of the new lights and speakers. 

I wanted to paint the tongue and groove strips I had machined up before I installed them as painting them in place would be next to impossible. I could have painted them with a brush I suppose but spraying gives a far better finish and is faster once the necessary spray equipment is set up. Initially I did think about setting up some sort of poly tent in the garage but then by chance came across an 8 man tent for $100 in Walmart, far easier and almost cheaper than any home made contraption. The end farthest from the opening door has a ready made mesh winder which is perfect for a box fan. A  furnace filter stops the overspray from going everywhere and in all the tent works better than I could have hoped. The strips are more that 12 feet long and they fit easily inside the tent, plus once the job is complete I can pack up the tent into its bag and save it for next time. The pictures and video below give a flavor of just how capable the whole system is. For the actual spraying I'm using a Groco airless sprayer which, when correctly set up, produces almost perfect results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gone From My Sight

I know that I have been somewhat missing in action from the blog recently but I do have a good excuse I  had to go over to the UK to attend to my mother’s funeral and sort out some of her personal affairs.

My mother was always a very neat, tidy, and orderly person and died almost to the hour on her 93^rd birthday, at Christmas. Despite her age was very fit and alert right up until the very end, indeed, I spoke to her the day before she died.

 

At her funeral I had the honor of reading Gone From My Sight by Henry Van Dyke. It was a favorite of hers, a beautiful poem which will strike a chord with anyone who as any sort of connection with the sea and boats.

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until; at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.

And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

And that is dying...

Dinghy for Grand Banks

I think Charlie Doane and I must be on the same wavelength or something. Just as I sat down to write about dinghies I heard a ping and into my inbox popped a notification that on Wavetrain, Charlie’s blog, he had written about the veritable dinghy.

Like Charlie I favor the roll up type of dinghy. Seaglass has an ample lazarette in the cockpit sole, which swallows all sorts of stuff; fenders, spare parts, hoses, cleaning supplies, and yes, the dinghy as I dislike hanging the dinghy off the back on davits.

I’ve had and used a bunch of dinghies over the years, from small Avon’s with soft floors that always left you with wet feet, to high tech center console RIB’s that have served as tenders to large expensive yachts. I like a hard dinghy if possible, because if well designed they are a delight to row, thus providing good exercise and at the same time eschewing the need for an outboard. Some years ago I built an Eastport pram kit from Chesapeake Light Craft, which I still have. It’s a handsome craft to be sure and always seems to stand out above the run of the mill inflatable cousins when tied to the dock outside some waterside restaurant. The down side is that I don’t have space to stow the pram aboard Seaglass so it’s rarely used these days.

A dinghy is necessity for me as I spend a lot of time at anchor, so getting ashore at regular intervals to walk the dogs is but one of the duties that the dinghy is called upon to perform. The new 10-foot Zodiac that I now have is an inflatable RIB, in that it has a rigid double blow-up floor. This floor keeps feet out of any bilge water and thus shoes, if worn, remain dry and the rigid bottom allows the boat to plane easily when anything larger than a 9-hp motor is strapped to the plywood transom. It’s a great boat, which blows up easily with either a manual or an electric pump. Deflating it is easy to but it is somewhat awkward and unwieldy to handle when in its limp state. Thankfully the large, opening, lazarette on the Grand Banks swallows it whole with ease, even if I’ve never actually managed to get the boat back into the bag that it came in.

Charlie also made mention of a folding rib in his post and I do in fact have one of these early folding RIBs. The bottom section is in three sections made from glass fiber, with Hypalon tubes glued to the outside edge in the same way as a solid RIB is constructed. The boat is pretty nifty and can be rowed, used with an outboard, or sailed. In fact I still have the brand new unused rig that came with the boat. I’ve not tried it but it should be fun as instead of leeboard there is a proper dagger board and trunk. In fact I have it up for sale at $600 if anyone’s interested. It’s in Virginia stored indoors. Email or call me with any questions.

 

Do Fire Extinguishers On Boats Need To Be Inspected?

 

 

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the use, testing and inspection of fire fighting equipment on boats. The rules for commercial passenger carrying boats are different to those used in the recreational market and in summary these are that non-rechargeable extinguishers have a life expectancy of 12 years after which time they are replaced. There is normally a two number date stamped onto the bottom of the cylinder 16 for 2016, 98 for 1998 and so forth. After 12 years they need to be replaced. However they need not be inspected by anyone other than the boat owner to ensure that they are in correct and proper order. The full transcript is attached below in the PDF pulled from the USCG website. This standard and most of the others relating to fire are jointly drafted by the USCG and National Fire Protection Agency, often just called the NFPA.
However if your boat has an installed fixed system in the engine room then this can only be inspected by a certified person and must bear a tag showing the date, the inspectors initials and the certified company that he works for (these resemble old fashioned luggage tags).
Link to inspection requirements

As I mentioned the rules for commercial boats are more strict, and this includes skippers with a 6-pack license who occasionally charter their boats, these must be inspected by a certified person each year.

Chesapeake Light Craft

 

 

 

One of the exhibits that garnered a lot of interest and airtime at the Annapolis Sailboat show was not a boat at all, but a trailer.   

Teardrop trailers were championed in the immediate post-war era as a means of getting out into the country and away from the town on the cheap. They were light and inexpensive and you could build one yourself. In fact, Popular Mechanics had several sets of plans and these proved extremely popular in the late forties and early fifties. As the economy boomed in the sixties, micro-trailers were left in the dust as campers turned to the likes of Winnebago and Airstream for something considerably larger and more luxurious.  Recently, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in going small, the tiny house movement, at first thought of as a joke has gained a lot of traction in recent years as folks once again take a hard and fast look at their living expenses. This is particularly the case amongst younger generations, and this has led to the renewed interest in micro, or teardrop trailers.

The one on the CLC stand was made, like their boats, using the stitch and glue method of construction and was clear finished, so it was easy to see the puzzle joints to connect panels together before they were bent to shape. One word that seemed to be overused was 'cute' by almost everyone that inspected the trailer. Sitting atop an aluminum trailer the whole outfit was so light it could be towed behind just about any car. Replete with roof rack, which had a kayak strapped to it, the boats did not get much of a look-in but it was heartening to see one of the Eastport pram's adjacent to the trailer.

Replacing a boat fridge

 

Until now I’ve never owned a boat with a refrigerator, all my past boats have had an icebox. This was not necessarily by choice, my electrical system has been for the most part pretty minimal and I’ve not had sufficient electrical capacity to operate a fridge, but this changed when I got Seaglass my Grand banks 32. By comparison to my other boats, electricity is profligate, not only do I have a huge battery bank but additionally I have a generator, able to supply 120 volts AC at the push of a button.

Like many marine and RV refrigerators the unit fitted to Seaglass is able to operate from either AC or DC. When the boat is connected to shore power, or the generator is operating, the unit runs from this supply, but disconnect or interrupt the AC and the fridge defaults to 12 volts. Up until now I been manually selecting AC or DC on the breaker panel and it was only after I spoke to the good folks at Thetford that I found out you can leave both breakers turned on.

The fridge on the boat was, I think, original and although it had soldiered on for 25 years it was showing its age. The old fridge didn’t look too bad but after 25 years time was up.

The door seals were worn, the flap to the freezer compartment was missing, and it ran almost all the time in an effort to maintain its temperature – it had to go.

When the boat was built the buyer had two options, have a meat locker cold plate style fridge replete with solid teak door and stainless steel interior or a standalone marine fridge. Frankly I wished my boat had come with the former option and although I could have had one built, the cost, along with the siting and mounting of the separate compressor/evaporator was more than I was prepared to tackle. The simpler option then was to replace the fridge that was there with a complete new unit. I had assumed that this would be a fairly simple matter of unbolting and sliding out the old unit and replacing it with new fridge of identical dimensions. Sadly it was little more complicated than that, as a direct replacement is no longer available. So after looking at all the available options I decided on the Norcold 0788, the closest in size to the original.

Here’s how I did it.

1. The first step after turning off the power was to get the old unit out. To make this easier I first removed the door.

2. Screws through a flange around the fridge secured the fridge to the surrounding woodwork. With the screws removed the fridge could finally be pulled forward to reveal a quarter century of dirt and crud.

    3. After double-checking that the power was off I disconnected the power connections, both 12 volt DC and 120 volts AC were hard wired through separate terminal blocks.

4. With the old fridge off the boat I measured the opening, as I knew that I would have to make some adjustments to ensure a neat and tidy installation of the new unit. Because the new fridge was slightly smaller in both width and height compared to the old one it was necessary to make up a new teak surround to blend seamlessly with the existing teak joiner work.

5. To promote good air circulation and give the fridge a firm base on which to sit two half-inch marine plywood skids were screwed into the base of the cabinet.

        6.The new fridge came with a right hand hanging door so I had to swap the hinges to the other side – an easy job – so that it swung the other way to make it more convenient for the         cook.

7. Before I bolted the fridge in position I had to connect up the power cables. I’ve said it many times before but don’t be tempted to use wire nuts, which should never be used on a boat at any time. I used proper crimped connections and cable of the correct gauge to extend the wiring that was then reconnected to the terminal blocks.

8. One final check before turning the fridge on is to make sure the door seals correctly. The instructions that came with the unit explain how to do this but a dollar bill should just be pinched between the seal and door edge. If the bill slides out too easily, or not at all, then the hinges need adjustment.

9. The completed job after the fridge was bolted in place through its feet into the ply skids installed earlier. An added bonus was being able to repurpose the space above the slighter shorter new refrigerator with a new cutlery drawer, which is made of teak then varnished to match the existing joiner work.

Many thanks to the good folks at Thetford for help with this project.