Caring for Your Fiberglass Boat

How to Care for Your Fiberglass Boat

Nicks, scratches, and other signs of wear and tear on your fiberglass boat shouldn’t be cause for panic—above all, they just mean that you’ve been getting a lot of good use out of your boat! There’s no such thing as taking your boat out on the water too much. It’s also a lot easier to repair your boat’s surface than you might think, especially if you use the high-quality products ResTex offers. Read on for everything you need to know about fiberglass boat care.

 

Should I Repair My Boat Myself or Seek out Professional Help?

There are two sides of the spectrum when it comes to the intensity of fiberglass boat care—some boat owners ignore every crack and seemingly small sign of damage, taking a more lackadaisical approach, while others call a boat repair service for the tiniest of fissures. A smart boat owner should take somewhat of a middle path. Use common sense, erring on the side of caution if you see damage that seems to be going beyond the boat coating and affecting the actual laminate layer. And even though you might be proud of your boat's signs of use, take note of your boat's condition often, making sure to notice if cracks seem to be getting longer, deeper, or more complex. In fact, anything that looks more serious than a purely aesthetic scratch does deserve at least some of your attention, because you never know if water has already started to make its way into the layers of the boat's walls. This could eventually lead to more thorough damage that will cost more money and time to repair, so it's good to be proactive even if you plan to take repair into your own hands. It's a good idea not to make any repairs yourself that would require you to cut into the boat or use any complex machinery unless it's something you already have experience with. However, it is possible to make some structural repairs yourself. You'll need to look out for specific materials in the repair products you purchase to make sure they'll do the job well.

 

What is Laminating Resin?

Laminating resin is a type of composite, which is a combination of fiber reinforcements and resin. If you have a fiberglass boat, the outermost layer of the surface laminate is likely made of a laminating resin referred to as gelcoat, which gives a boat its color, shine, and a lot of its water resistance. On its own, gelcoat can be mixed as a thin substance (it's only a little thicker than paint) and used for boat repairs of varying degrees of damage.

 

What is Isophthalic Polyester?

Most fiberglass boat parts are constructed with polyester resins. Isophthalic polyester resin is one of the most durable, water-resistant types of polyester resin, and ResTex uses it in all of their gelcoat. If you need to repair anything from chipped paint to a more substantial crack, Gelcoats by ResTex can do the job well!

 

Gelcoat Color Matching

One of the most difficult components of gelcoat boat repair is matching the color of your boat to the color of the gelcoat you’ll need to use for the reparations. Thankfully, ResTex has got you covered! If you send in a physical sample of your boat’s color in the mail, their in-house gelcoat color matching expert will use an advanced spectrophotometer to assess the sample’s exact color, and they will match it with one of the gelcoat colors within 48 hours. Gelcoat color matching has never been simpler or more accurate!

 

Supplementary Cleaning and Care with Hula Boat Care

Once you’ve dealt with any slightly more substantial boat repair issues, it’s time to turn to more preventative and aesthetic means of caring for your boat—cleaning methods that don’t take much time but make a big difference in the long run. After all the time you’ve spent on repairs, you’ll definitely want to make that just-like-new feeling last! ResTex carries the highest-quality line of boat care products on the market: Hula Boat Care. The Hula Boat Care Kit is the best place to get started with this line of care and Hula Boat Care’s products. In addition to two microfiber towels and a bag to carry your supplies, here’s what the kit includes:

Big Kahuna Polymer Sealant

This is a unique kind of polymer sealant that really packs a punch—it contains micro-abrasives that gently strip your boat’s surface of any leftover wax and residue at the same time that it seals your boat’s gel coat. After the product has been applied, left to cure, and wiped off, your boat will be left with a high-gloss, protective, water-repellent coating. There isn’t a better product on the market for DIY long-term gelcoat boat maintenance!

Surf Away Spray Detailer

For quick grime clean-up that maintains gloss between waxing, use this no-nonsense spray with a clean, dry towel. In addition to its cleaning capabilities, it leaves a water-repellent polymer coating on treated areas!

Wipe Out Vinyl Cleaner & Conditioner

Caring for your boat's exterior makes it look prettier, but its interior areas really matter when you're actually enjoying time out on the water! Keep the vinyl seats of your boat beautiful and comfortably clean with the Wipe Out cleaning and conditioning spray. It removes freshwater spots and grime and all the sunscreen and other kinds of spills bound to build-up on a well-loved boat.

 

Why Choose ResTex and Hula Boat Care

ResTex has been putting customers first since 1997, always producing and stocking only the highest quality, premium FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastics) products. Both Gelcoats by ResTex and Hula Boat Care are great additions to the boat care routine of a boat owner who truly wants the best for their boat.

If you have any questions—big or small, about boat care in general or something more specific about one of the products they offer—please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can either call (210) 642-0323 or fill out their contact form.