Bimini Sealer and Buff/Wax Questions

[Dschaffer]

I did a bit of searching and it sounds like there are plenty of options and opinions on these matters. So, I thought it would be best to ask my fellow V20 owners.
I have a punch list of projects to work on this spring, one of which is hooking up a new Honda 9.9 power thrust kicker motor! That is way off topic put I am pretty stoked about that purchase. Anyway, amongst many other’s on the to do list is sealing the Bimini top and, for “My” first time ever, detailing the boat. Unless I miraculously come upon a hard top similar to the picktures I’ve seen of Skunks old V20, I need to give the Bimini a good cleaning and then condition/seal it. Any product recomendations? Second question is should I buy this kit?,,,, https://www.chemicalguys.com/porter-...iABEgK4qfD_BwE
Or should I pay a guy around $200 to do it for me?
Final question, what product do you all use for small holes in the hull? (transducer hole size).
I’m going crazy here in NW Michigan as we still have tons of snow and ice with no end in site. My boat is at a pole barn that I am unable to access until the snow melts. Thank you in advance.

[Destroyer]

3M 5200 is the only product I would recommend for sealing small holes like screw holes, especially under the waterline.

As for cleaning the hull of water scum I like Mary Kate's On and Off. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!! If you use this product make sure you are outside or in a well vented area. For cleaning topside, I like a soap and bleach mixture.

As far as the bimini top, I've had good success simply hitting it with a spray bottle of "Fabuloso" and washing it off with a hose.

Never had to seal it so can't help you there.

[Dschaffer]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

5200 is the only product I would recommend for sealing holes, especially under the waterline.

As for cleaning the hull of water scum I like Mary Kate's On and Off. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS if you use this product, and make sure you are outside or in a well vented area. For cleaning topside, I like a soap and bleach mixture.

As far as the bimini top, I've had good success simply hitting it with a spray bottle of "Fabuloso" and washing it off with a hose.

Never had to seal it so can't help you there.

Thanks for the info. Do you wax the deck at all? I have read of people using mop n glow to make it easier to clean yet somehow not slippery? Any thoughts on the buffing kit? Thanks

[Dschaffer]

Off subject but what do you all do with the “live well” in the middle of the deck? I put ice and salmon in there last summer but I don’t like that the blood and debris drain into the hull. It could be used for storage but definitely gets wet. Mine has a drain hole and a bilge pump it it. Thanks

[phatdaddy]

For patching old holes, i use epoxy mixed with a filler to a peanut butter like consistency. It helps to over drill the hole to clean wood, wet it out with epoxy and then put the slurry in.. i try to do the same thing when mounting something below the waterline.

As far as waxing, never done it. I did have one of those harbor freight cheapie pressure washers under the boat house that i wash the boat with and scrub with soft scrub every now and then

When my bimini got thin, i would spray it with scotch guard. Seemed to help

Like you , i tried the fish hold in the middle and was not happy with the results, now i store cast nets in buckets and other stuff that can get wet. When i use it for fish i use one of those large cheap styrofoam coolers with the sides cut so the deck lid will close on it.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by Dschaffer

Thanks for the info. Do you wax the deck at all? I have read of people using mop n glow to make it easier to clean yet somehow not slippery? Any thoughts on the buffing kit? Thanks

NO, never waxed any of my decks so I cannot comment on doing that. My 21 footer has a truck bed liner (U-Pol Raptor) sprayed on the deck so slippery conditions are not a problem. To clean I just hit it with the pressure washer. My 20 footer just has a regular from the factory deck, and I've really never had a problem with slipping. I do have several non-skid self adhesive strips that I got from McMaster-Carr placed on the deck, mostly in the stern areas where slips from fish slime etc would be more likely. Again, I just hit them with the pressure washer to clean them.

[Dschaffer]

I think I’ll give the mop n glow a try. I will report the results. The hope is a easy clean deck that is not slippery. As for the hull, If a good cleaning doesn’t do it, I’ll probably purchase the wax/buff kit. Thanks for the tip on the 5200!

[Cam]

I have always used 303 cleaner and sealer for bimini top.

[Duke01]

I used 303 sealer on two different boats. It works well and is applied with a small diameter roller.