I always wanted to own a navy blue boat, and I'm very pleased to have achieved that ambition. But there's no doubt that the “wow factor” comes at a price. The big downside is that, compared to a white GRP hull, every little scratch and fender rub shows, and the finish tends to fade and go chalky.
Our boat is five years old now, and despite plenty of wax and TLC, her transom, especially, was starting to look rather sad. It faces the sun in our regular marina berth, and by the end of last season was looking decidedly faded. All kinds of drastic measures involving cutting paste were suggested, but we prefer not to go that route. We began to think we might have to have it painted, to restore it to its former glory.
Then Shipshape Norfolk offered TheMainSail their range of Collinite boat cleaning products, imported from America, to try. Our transom would provide a meaningful test.
So up the ladder I went with Collinite's No 920 Fibreglass Boat Cleaner, which claims to remove dirt, film, oxidation, oil, grease, rust and exhaust stains from fibreglass and to restore the original colour quickly without hard rubbing or buffing.
There were no stains to speak of, but plenty of oxidation. A single application, without hard rubbing, didn't make it all disappear. But a second application, and a bit more rubbing, did. I was well impressed.
“Collinite 920 leaves a chemically clean surface to which Collinite waxes can bond perfectly,” said the blurb. So the next step was Collinite's No 925 Fibreglass Boat Wax (“premium quality for those who demand the best.”) This went on really easily, and buffed up to a brilliant, mirror-like shine. It took a couple of hours' work, but the back of the boat was back to looking like new.
The idea of using two treatments for the whole of the hull was a bit daunting, though, so I tried Collinite's No 870, “special heavy duty Fleetwax for marine and aeronautical finishes,” for the rest of the topsides. This claims to “clean, protect and beautify” marine finishes in a single application.
Again, the results were really impressive. The hull was pretty clean, but inevitably carrying a few marks from being laid up ashore, and these disappeared easily. The wax also did well at camouflaging the odd scratches and scuffs, and rubbed up to an impressive shine.
Apparently it combines carnauba waxes and advanced polymer technology to create “a double coating of protection that lasts and lasts.” Only time will tell how long it will last, but at this stage I'm very happy.
The Collinite marine range also includes Metal Wax (No 850) and Leather and Vinyl Treatment (No 855) and there's also a complete range of products for motor vehicles.
All the products are available from Shipshape Norfolk Ltd, www.shipshapenorfolkltd.co.uk. No 920 Liquid Fibreglass Boat Cleaner costs £9.99 for a 16 oz (I pint US) bottle and £35.99 for half a gallon. No 925 Fibreglass Boat Wax costs £17.50 for 16 oz. No 870 Liquid Fleetwax costs £18.50 for 16 oz and £66.60 for half a gallon. Fleetwax is also available in non-abrasive paste form in 12 oz cans at £19.99. All prices include VAT and delivery within the UK.
Shipshape Norfolk also supplies premium quality microfibre cloths, claimed to clean without scratching or smearing, at £3.50 each - “Treat yourself: you won't be disappointed at how well they work!” says the website.
I used one for the final polish, and it worked brilliantly. But like most people, I suspect, I used a roll of disposable mutton cloth for most of the job!
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I was very impressed with these products which all did exactly what they say on the label. They may not be the least expensive available, but they certainly do an excellent job.
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