Yellowing Gelcoat?

[Tanner]

Hey guys my white gelcoat on my port side and my rubrail are starting to yellow. This boat has only been to exposed to dawn dishsoap/water and Zymol wax. It gets wiped down with vinegar and water after every use. Any have any idea what would cause it to yellow.... and better yet... a plan of attack.

I was hoping I could get by with just using some 3M Finesse It Finishing Compound. Anyone think it will work?

[Coach]

Re: Yellowing Gelcoat?

Originally posted by Tanner
Hey guys my white gelcoat on my port side and my rubrail are starting to yellow. This boat has only been to exposed to dawn dishsoap/water and Zymol wax. It gets wiped down with vinegar and water after every use. Any have any idea what would cause it to yellow.... and better yet... a plan of attack.

I was hoping I could get by with just using some 3M Finesse It Finishing Compound. Anyone think it will work?

I am no expert here about why a gel might yellow, but I will give you my $.02

I think your problem is the vinegar and water. When you use vinegar it strips the wax from the gel elimiating your protection. Unless you are waxing every time after you use vinegar and water your boat doesn't have any wax to protect the gel. You might try to color sand a small area to see if you get back the bright white then protect your boat and use a quality product to get rid of water spots like Hot Sauce by boat bling, Ducky, or Babes. None of these products will strip your wax when you use them to wipe the boat down. To me paying more for a quality product is worth the money to protect a boat you spent good money on. If you don't know how to color sand let me know I and I will post how to do it.

[Tanner]

Actually I do know how to color sand...but thank you. I'm hoping I can get away w/o having to do something as intense. But the thing is, I usually wax the boat once every other week, as like you said... I am stripping the wax. It's not that big of a chore as I make my friends help.

Another piece of the puzzle is that in my storage there is a window on the north side. The side of the boat that is exposed to this window is the side that's yellowing. That side of the boat gets sun almost all day as the sun goes from east to west as it rises and sets. But the rubrail, which is the thing that is showing the most signs is always under the cover while in storage.

Guess after I fix this problem, I'll lay off the vinegar and water to test your theory. But then again, I'll have to wait for next year on a new boat as this boat will probably be gone in favor of an 07'.

[chpthril]

I don't think it's the cause of your yellowing, but dish soap will take off your wax also, JAT!

[spharis]

Not sure if it applies to you, but it could just be that you have nothing but dirty water to ride in. The cleanest thing around here are a couple of oxbows, and a resevior/swamp not too far away. Other than that, the water has a visibility factor of about -2. Any boat around here with a white bottom yellows, and the only way to get it clean is with some degreaser or a good polishing. one of the best places to ride is north, Red River, and you can imagine why it gets its name.

[talltigeguy]

You are using white vinegar, right?

That may only partially explain your problem. It must have something to do with the sun as well, or it would be an all over problem. I would put some curtains over the window before the 07 arrives.

I would try some rubbing compound/wax before I do anything else and see if that makes a difference. 3M makes a great product.

Dirty water should cause stains all over the boat.

[dogbert]

Originally posted by talltigeguy
Dirty water should cause stains all over the boat.

Or it could be something with his cover. As he says, it's the areas that are under cover, but exposed to sunlight. Perhaps it's a combination of things reacting with one another. You might want to check what your cover is treated with or if it has collected some dirt. I rarely use my cover...probably about as often as i clean it with a power washer. You'd be amazed at the dirt and grime on your cover that then gets all over your boat.

One other possibility could be sunscreen. If some got on your cover and then sat in the sun...it would create a yellowish stain.

[Stoneman]

I'm having the same problem, but the yellowing is only happening right at the water line. I too use the white vinegar/water solution and re-wax everytime that I take the boat out of the water. I'm guessing it has something to do with the river water, but I'll have to wait until the end of the season, before I can give the boat a major detailing to determine if I can get it off.