If you are lucky enough to be the owner of a beautiful boat, like, say a Stacer Crossfire boat, or an impressive cabin cruiser yacht, you want your boat to gleam and look brand new all the time. Nobody would fawn over a drab-looking boat, and anyway, if you don’t keep your boat in tip-top shape, it’ll be prone to get damaged faster than you can say starboard. Part of being a responsible boater is to ensure that your boat should look new and shiny always.  

Boats are often exposed to harsh and extreme conditions such as weather changes, rough waves, water quality, and scratches and bumps from docking or running the boat aground. Boats have gel coat that serves as protection, and they could strip away if you don’t apply a protective wax to maintain their shine. Just like your car, you need to wax your boat regularly to maintain its shine.

If you’re a first-timer, waxing a boat may seem a daunting task, especially if you’re going to do it alone. However, don’t let your inhibition keep you from achieving this, here is a short tutorial on how to wax a boat:

Remove the Boat from The Water

Make sure your boat is out of the water by loading it onto the trailer. It’s important to wax them out of the water since you have to dry them out before they’ll be exposed to the water. If trailering a boat is a breezy task for you, it’ll only take 10 to 15 minutes to do this.

Clean The Boat

Once your boat is safely on land, transport it to an area where you can rinse off your boat. Wash it with warm water and scrub it with a brush and soap suited for boats. You can use a detergent to help you save money since they are cheap. This will effectively remove all the dirt, grime, sludge, debris, stains, and moulds sticking to your boat. Rinse off the soap residue and let the boat dry off completely.

It’s important to wash a boat before waxing it because it ensures a high gloss finish, and it is easier to wax since all the contaminants on the boat are removed.  

Buff Boat Wax into Boat Exterior Surfaces

Now it’s time to wax on, wax off your boat. First, get your marine-grade wax and apply it on your boat’s exterior. Just like how Mr Miyagi has taught Daniel, apply it in a clockwise motion. Make sure to cover the hull, transom, bow, and engine case surface. After applying the wax, use a buffing pad or a polisher to buff the wax on the exterior’s surface. Make sure to buff the boat in sections and don’t stop until the exterior surface is gleaming and all the scuff marks from the wax have been removed. Depending on the size of your boat, this will take about 30 minutes to do.

Buff Boat Wax into Boat Interior Surfaces

Next is to move on to the interior parts. Do the same procedure with the exterior surface except using a specific wax suitable for the interior surface.

Wipe Away Excess Wax from Boat Surfaces

Use a soft towel to wipe away any excess wax build-up from around the boat’s exterior and interior that you missed while buffing. Wipe off any scuff marks as well to ensure an even-looking finish without any weird patches. And anyway, finishing this will totally enhance the overall elegant look of your boat.

Before you wax your boat, it’s important to use the right products designed for boats. Make sure they don’t destroy your boat’s exterior appearance. However, some car waxes are suitable for boats as well, so you don’t need to necessarily look for marine shops to buy a boat wax (unless of course, you want to use a high-quality boat wax because you want to use a specific brand for your boat, then do so). Boats are usually waxed at least twice a year; however, if you often use your boat and take it on trips to the ocean for long periods, then you may need to wax your boat more often.

The great thing about regularly boxing your boat is that it is easier to clean and lets you inspect your boat more closely; you can check if there are any cracks or damages and noticing them right away will let you fix them right away before they can get worse.