Scratch Repair

[Gregrharp]

All, Bought a 2008 Yamaha SX 230 about 8 weeks ago, did enough research to know that jet boats are awesome but hard to get used too in slow driving. Well that turned out to be true. I am starting to get much better now and would like to see if I can get the little scratches out that I put in my pretty boat. I have seen the videos for wet sanding etc. but for smaller scratches is there a product that might improve it without all that effort for now?
Thanks!

 

[biffdotorg]

Small is a relative term. Your definition may be different than the next guy.

All you can do is understand the levels of repair and choose the lightest repair and go deeper if it does not fix your issue.

Cleaning
Waxing
Acid Wash
Buffing
Wet Sanding
Gel Cote Repair
Fiberglass repair
New boat replacement

The first couple are very obvious, when cleaning and simple waxing will remove dirt and water spots. Acid wash will remove bio build up on the hull, and this mostly happens on the areas that are exposed to water on a daily basis.

Buffing compounds will remove most light scratches, and scuffs that leave residue from a rub rail on a dock, or bumpers that are harder than normal. Wet sanding along with buffing will melt the surface of the gel cote and blend colors or fade as well as remove deeper scratches. These always need to be followed by proper cleaning and waxing to protect the finish once smoothed.

Gel Cote repair comes in when the finish may be much deeper and the surface cannot be smoothed without filling in. This could be as deep as down to the fiberglass without damaging the fiberglass. Once you are into the fiberglass, or the glass has been exposed to water, then it needs to be repaired, as the glass will rot if not dried and or replaced with fresh.

I hope that narrows it down, but all you can do is try, and then move up a level if it doesn't work. All of them will require some elbow grease. The right tools make all the difference. Large areas can be worked with electric buffers and sanders, but the majority is a manual process by hand.

At that point, only you can put a dollar value on your time. Others get great satisfaction from creating a mirror finish on their own.

Good luck!