On Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:42:38 -0500, "H the K (I post with a Mac)"
wrote:

I know this isn't a *real* boating group any more, since so few of the
"regulars" actually have boats or, really, any interest in boats, but...

...I was down at the local marina today, "supervising" the shrink
wrapping of "Yo Ho" for the winter, when I espied the shiniest center
console fishing boat I've ever seen. It had a mirror finish. The owner
had just pulled it onto his trailer after a day of feeeshing, and I
asked him what sort of wax he was using.

He said the sheen wasn't wax. When he took delivery of the boat this
past summer, he had the gelcoat cleaned to remove whatever wax remained,
and then he had someone he knows in the auto painting biz "clearcoat"
the hullsides inside and out, and those areas inside the hull where no
one walks (console sides, coffin box sides, et cetera).

Well, clearcoating a boat hull was a new one on me. The boat owner said
the clearcoat would keep the boat from fading for many years.

Any *actual* boaters hear about this...?

Gelcoat is a hell of a lot tougher than clear coat. I wonder how
it'll wear after several years weather. You can remove wax and polish
the gelcoat. Clearcoat is permanent.

Did he wax the clearcoat like you'd do a car?