Thinning gel coat?

[big_tuna]

After polishing I'm starting to think my gel coat is wearing down? I am not sure what it would look like as gel coat thins..... I have a 2005 parker. Never imagined I would burn through the gel coat but it's possible these edges have less gel coat

 

[Antidote]

Terrible picture; but, yes. Gelcoat is not thick. Think of it as nail polish. If you polish enough times you will go through it. every time you polish it you are taking off the surface of the gel coat. That is when a boat will get painted.

 

[big_tuna]

thanks, yeah how often should I be polishing? I compound pretty lightly, basically just enough to remove oxidation. I keep the boat in a slip. The gel coat oxidizes after 1 year no matter what wax I put on it. I end up polishing every 1-2 years. I've owned the boat now for 5 years

 

[Antidote]

You have to polish when it needs to be polished. You could wax more often to delay the need to polish; but, boats, like ours, living in the water are going to be in the sun. The sun will oxidize the gel coat.

 

[warthog5]

Time for paint. Awlgrip, Alexaseal or Tamco's AmerFlint II