Choose biodegradable products
Be careful, first of all, check that you are working with "clean", biodegradable products. Indeed, we should not spoil our pleasure of going on the water by polluting the natural environment that we like so much. The demonstration we are going to make in this subject is made with Autosol products, a German brand that exists since 1929 that cleans all vehicles, whether they drive on land, fly in the air or sail on water.
A shampoo to start with
Cleaning the hull requires a little care. Indeed, on a polyester boat, the hull is made of gelcoat. This material is not completely waterproof. It absorbs impurities. That's why you should start by cleaning it with marine shampoo soap. Marine Shampoo has the advantage of being biodegradable, but above all of being diluted with seawater. So you can wash your boat by drawing a bucket of seawater before diluting the product in it. Once the hull is clean, the washing should be finished by rinsing with fresh water, in order to remove all the salt remaining on the surface.
Yellow traces at the waterline
Despite this washing, even if the appearance of your hull starts to shine again, you will inevitably notice a trace of dirt just above the waterline. These are remnants of salt that stick to the algae. It is therefore necessary a product that dilutes this unsightly dirt.
For this purpose, Autosol offers the Water Line Cleaner Extra. A product that sprays on the yellow trace and is allowed to work (count between 10 and 15 minutes depending on the ambient temperature, the colder it gets, and the longer you have to wait). Then rub with a brush or rigid sponge before rinsing and the trace leaves without difficulty.
A polish and wax for a perfect shine
To finish and restore the original shine of the hull, it is advisable to apply a polish. The Autosol range includes two polishes depending on the state of the gelcoat. If the latter is very dull, even slightly floury, it is necessary to start with the High Performance Marine Compound, a coarse-grained polish that will cleanse and restore the gel coat. Then High Performance Marine Super Gloss Polish is a much finer polish that will restore all the shine to the hull.
These treatments are carried out with an electric polisher, working in small sections and without turning too quickly to avoid overheating the product.
The last step consists in protecting its shell from future aggressions by applying High Performance Marine Protection Coating wax. With it, the gel coat is protected and the dirt has much more difficulty to cling. Once protected with wax, you can spend the winter without fear and especially sail all next season without fear for your gel coat.
