79 MA restoration... here we go

[Blue_Heron]

I have decided not to paint or re-gelcoat. I bought some polish and wax and plan on giving her a good scrubbing.

I would go with Poly Glow instead of wax. If you look at their web page it looks like something from Ronco (NOT SOLD IN STORES!). At an MSRP of $64 per kit, I would never have bought it, but last year I saw Bushwacker's Seafari in Key Largo and the gelcoat looked like new. He recommended it, I used it, and I'm sold.

If you have heavy oxydation, and from your pics it looks like you do, wet sand with 600, then 800, then 1000, apply 5 or six coats of Poly Glow, and you're done. Just make sure you get all the oxydation off, or the Poly Glow will seal it in.

Poly Glow isn't a wax, it's an acrylic (I think) coating, and applies with a sponge like applicator supplied in the kit. There's no rubbing or buffing, so all the elbow grease is in the sanding.

I used it on my 20 SF and my 18 Action craft and have half a bottle left. I have a friend with a dark blue Wellcraft Coastal 290. His gelcoat was so oxydized he thought he was going to have to paint it. He sanded with 800 and applied Poly Glow and it looks like new. He's got enough left to do it again next year.

Dave