How to Achieve a Glossy Finish on Your Yacht

At Off The Deep End, we’re experts in everything yacht-related. From waxing and repainting, to the application of advanced ceramic coatings, we do it all! And we think it’s time to pass on some of our expertise to you!

So, if you’re interested in achieving a total gloss finish on your yacht, we’re here to help. Take a look at some of our best tips for achieving a gorgeous, glossy finish on your boat – and see how you can keep your yacht looking its very best!

1. Repair Any Surface Damage Or Scratches

The first step to achieving a glossy and perfect finish on your boat is to repair and remove any surface damage or scratches on your yacht. Scratches are all-too-common, and often caused by running into docks, dragging gear across the hull of your yacht, and a myriad of other problems.

Minor scratches can be repaired by simply using a powered buffing wheel to grind the surface to a smooth, mirror-like finish. Deeper scratches or flaked areas of gelcoat will require more comprehensive repair, usually with a gelcoat repair kit available at most marine supply shops. Fill in the area, paint it, and buff it until it’s even with the surrounding surface.

2. Make Sure That The Entire Surface Is Completely Smooth

Even if you do not have any serious surface damage or scratches, you should examine the smoothness of your entire gelcoat surface. To achieve a consistent, mirror like finish, you want to repair or grind away any defects such as:

Pitting
Uneven gelcoat layers
Ridging or other defects

Using a high-grit attachment for your buffing wheel, sand away all of these imperfections until you’re left with a totally smooth surface.

3. Polish With Care

Polishing is probably the most difficult part of restoring your gelcoat, and achieving a total gloss finish on your yacht. You’ll use a hand buffer or grinding wheel with a super high-grit buffing compound. Because the grit is so fine in these compounds, all surface scratches and defects will be removed – leaving behind only a gorgeous layer of gelcoat.

Because of this, you have to be very careful when polishing your yacht yourself. Here are some quick tips that will help you.

Work in small areas – Don’t worry about finishing the entire job all at once. Use a paint brush or roller to apply buffing or polishing compound evenly to a 1’x3’ area, and then focus on buffing this area evenly.
Don’t put too much pressure on your buffer – If you put a lot of pressure on your buffer while polishing, you run the risk of “biting” into your gelcoat – and removing too much of it. This results in a weakened hull, and an uneven result. Use a light touch – remember, you can always remove more material, but you can’t add it back!
Clean your buffing pad regularly – Your buffing pad is going to build up quite a bit of gelcoat, and lose its effectiveness. You can use a paint stirrer to remove the bulk of this material – simply scrape the surface of the pad with the stick while it’s turned on.

With these tips, you’ll be able to polish like the pros!

4. Protect Your Boat With Wax Or A Ceramic Coating Application

After yacht polishing and yacht surface restoration, you’ll want to protect your handiwork from the elements. You can either finish your project with a coating of wax, or a ceramic coating.

Wax is cheap and easy to apply, but usually wears off about 4 months after application. Ceramic coatings are a bit more expensive, and usually require professional spray application, but last for 3+ years above the waterline, making them a better investment overall.

Regardless of what you choose, ensure that you protect your investment with proper waxing or ceramic treatment.