How to Repair a Sun Damaged Fiberglass Boat Hull

The finish that's sun-damaged on your fiberglass boat is not the fiberglass; it is the gelcoat finish on top of the fiberglass. Sun, wind and water all take their toll on the soft gelcoat finish and cause it to turn hazy, old and tired. When your boat gets that sun-damaged look, you can give your boat a "beauty treatment" with cleaners and polishes that exfoliate that tired gelcoat to return your boat's appearance to almost-showroom new.

Things You'll Need

  • Dish soap
  • 5-gallon bucket
  • Long-handled deck brush
  • Sponge
  • Clean rags
  • Acetone
  • Polishing compound
  • Electric buffer
  • Clean buffer pads
  • Automotive paste wax
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Instructions

    • 1

      Mix 5 cups of dish soap and 5 gallons of hot water in a bucket. Use long-handled deck brushes, sponges and this mixture to scrub the exterior of the boat.

    • 2

      Soak a rag in acetone and wipe the exterior of the entire boat, folding the rag as necessary to keep a clean, acetone-dampened surface on the hull. Replace the rag as necessary during this process.

    • 3

      Rub polishing compound on the boat in overlapping circles with a clean rag, in small 3-by-3-foot areas at a time. Polish the boat, using an electric buffer, until the surface is glassy once more.

    • 4

      Apply a coat of automotive paste wax, using -- once more -- an overlapping circular motion. Allow the polish to dry to a hazy appearance and buff it with a clean buffing pad and an electric buffer.