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Faded/streaked Gelcoat


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I have a 2006 Wakesetter 247, black and grey, and have some gelcoat problems. The lower half has streaking/fogging that I have tired to have repaired. Bottom line, I am being told that the problem is from the boat cover (supplied by Malibu). Malibu isn't going to help in fixing the problem (wetsand the entire hull). This has been a long drawn out issue.

Has anyone experienced anything like this on their boats? Help me out. I love the boat, the experience and, up until now, the company.

Thanks,

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We need pictures. It's tough to say what's going on without them, and while some problems can be fixed by correcting the surface (polishing or wet sanding), some can't.

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You're not towing with the cover on, are you? Where are you keeping your boat? Garage, outside, in a slip, etc? In real time, not model years, how long have you had the boat? I'm guessing 2 years? Although my boat is 5 years older than yours, I can tell you that my boat went from polished to hazy in a year or two, from keeping it outside, in my backyard, with just the cover on.

I'd be surprised if it really required wetsanding, though. As long as it's just a haziness and not scratches, then all that should be required is polishing with a heavy compound and wool pad, and finished with a fine compound or glaze or something.

Pictures are a necessity, though. We all like looking at boats here!

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My dealer towed my boat to my house with the factory sunbrella cover on. I called to complain and he said they do it all time.... they just put tape on the hull where the straps would rub. I am not real happy with what happened as I too now have hazy spots all over from the cove rubbing. You can even see the white color of the gel on the inside of the cover!!

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If the damage was caused by abrasion from the straps on the cover against the gelcoat, any experienced details shop will have no problem removing them. Basically the surface has just been marred to the point that it isn't smooth. They'll use various compounds, working from slightly less abrasive than the strap that did the damage, to a very fine polishing compound to return the gelcoat to the condition of the surrounding area.

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I have a 2006 Wakesetter 247, black and grey, and have some gelcoat problems. The lower half has streaking/fogging that I have tired to have repaired. Bottom line, I am being told that the problem is from the boat cover (supplied by Malibu). Malibu isn't going to help in fixing the problem (wetsand the entire hull). This has been a long drawn out issue.

Has anyone experienced anything like this on their boats? Help me out. I love the boat, the experience and, up until now, the company.

Thanks,

We had a similar problem above the rub rail. To me it looks like two different colors of black above and below the rubrail. We also have a little grey above and that looks the worst. I hired a marine detail company to buff it out. Our boat is almost all Black, Grey with a little Yellow.

The dealer tried to tell me the same thing about towing with the cover so I haven't towed with the cover since. After detailing it was fine for about 3 or 4 months. Now it's been sitting in the garage all winter and needs it again. I'm guessing it's the Black and Grey Malibu is using for that year. When we put it away for the season (Inside garage) it looked perfect. Now from sitting in the garage it already needs a good buff/polish again. I was surprised that it doesn't seem to take Sunshine to fade the colors.

Pretty dissappointing but it can be fixed without wetsanding. I figured it was part of owning a black boat.

Malibu used our boat for a year as a promo boat, so I'm sure they always pulled it around with the cover on.

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Chances are the detail company you hired used products that hid the imperfections rather than correcting them.

-Chris

I know he used a random obital buffer. Hit it once with compound, then polish, then wax. Let's say it looked a lot better, but could have been improved. Our main issue is everything above the rub rail. Below the RR still looks new with that see your reflection in the mirror look.

Edited by crescentbar
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No, I dont tow with the cover on. The first year I did park it outside, as it didn't fit in the garage. I then put up a RV cover and parked under there (20-30). I did leave the cover in to keep dirt/cats etc out. It is more like a streaking with some water spots. I did use Babes Spot remover a few times to try and get this stuff off. Attached is where you can find some photos.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10374968@N02/

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Chances are the detail company you hired used products that hid the imperfections rather than correcting them.

-Chris

I know he used a random obital buffer. Hit it once with compound, then polish, then wax. Let's say it looked a lot better, but could have been improved. Our main issue is everything above the rub rail. Below the RR still looks new with that see your reflection in the mirror look.

Crescentbar,

Gonna need to wetsand, compound, then polish, then wax. If it looked good and then faded it sounds as if he only polished it and didn't wax it. Polish will dry out and become duller looking if you don't wax over it to hold the shine in. I just had a guy come over to my house to do mine, did it in my garage. Let me know if you're interested I'll give you his number. Just had it done Monday. He didn't wetsand my whole boat, just the problem areas that had a couple scratches.

Edited by 06vlx
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Chances are the detail company you hired used products that hid the imperfections rather than correcting them.

-Chris

I know he used a random obital buffer. Hit it once with compound, then polish, then wax. Let's say it looked a lot better, but could have been improved. Our main issue is everything above the rub rail. Below the RR still looks new with that see your reflection in the mirror look.

Crescentbar,

Gonna need to wetsand, compound, then polish, then wax. I just had a guy come over to my house to do mine, did it in my garage. Let me know if you're interested I'll give you his number. Just had it done Monday. He didn't wetsand my whole boat, just the problem areas that had a couple scratches.

Did you take a look at the pictures?

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Chances are the detail company you hired used products that hid the imperfections rather than correcting them.

-Chris

I know he used a random obital buffer. Hit it once with compound, then polish, then wax. Let's say it looked a lot better, but could have been improved. Our main issue is everything above the rub rail. Below the RR still looks new with that see your reflection in the mirror look.

A random orbtal won't take out serious defects in gelcoat. You really need the full rotary buffer and someone who knows how to use it.

As for that 247 gunsligner...that looks like water spots/streaks...

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Chances are the detail company you hired used products that hid the imperfections rather than correcting them.

-Chris

I know he used a random obital buffer. Hit it once with compound, then polish, then wax. Let's say it looked a lot better, but could have been improved. Our main issue is everything above the rub rail. Below the RR still looks new with that see your reflection in the mirror look.

Crescentbar,

Gonna need to wetsand, compound, then polish, then wax. I just had a guy come over to my house to do mine, did it in my garage. Let me know if you're interested I'll give you his number. Just had it done Monday. He didn't wetsand my whole boat, just the problem areas that had a couple scratches.

Did you take a look at the pictures?

I looked at your pics and I have the same color grey on my boat. Most of what I saw were hard water spotting. I had a little of that to but came off when buffed out. It's really important to wipe your boat down, expecially with the darker colors.

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I agree with 06vlx, most of it looks like hard water. I can see where the abrasion really dulled the gel in one pictures near the decal.

I would recommend getting the number of a really good fiberglass shop from someone in your area. Ask around, and get some referrals. Then take the boat to them and tell them you want it to look brand new. Nothing in those pictures is beyond repair, but based on the oxidation that has occurred, it probably makes sense to have the entire boat wet sanded. There's enough gel on today's boats to have that done a few times over the life of the boat, so it's not a huge issue, but you definitely don't want to make a habit of having it done every year.

Then once that's done, talk with the shop about how to protect the surface (wax) and keep it from water-spotting again (wipe it down with each use).

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My '95 was almost completly dull above the rub rail when I bought it. I never used wet/dry on it to get back the shine. I used heavy duty rubbing compound on any really bad spots, and cleaner and polish on the rest. It shined up like new. I am using a two speed buffer (700 & 1000 rpm) from Sears.

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The Black above the rubrail on my 06 also has a hazy look to it. Dealer tried to buff it last month with no good results. I am beginning to think maybe the 06 black gellcoat may be the problem.

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I agree with all that is said. I dont want you to think I am a newbe to boating. I have been around boats for 30 years (8 of them in the US Coast Guard at small boat stations). The steps I take to care for this thing go beyond what has been said here (wiping down right after it comes out of the lake, wash down WITH Deinonized water (for those unfamiliar-all the minerals and contaminants removed-PURE water) when I get home). I use more care on this than I do my 1969 Chevelle 396SS! I have never, myself, touched the hull with anything harder than terrycloth. The dealer, in dealing with this, did have a detailer go over it AND he couldn't get these out even when using rubbing compounds. The only way this came off was wet sanding, by the fiberglass shop.

This is the issue: Everyone that looks at it (professionally) says it isn't water spotting. It is in the gelcoat. This is occuring on the lower part, not the upper (or anywhere else for that matter). Why? My feelings were that there may have been an issue with the gelcoat, the release agent (in the mold) or even the cover. I have taken great effort to keep this thing looking good. Granted, it is black (My wife just LOVED it) and that, in itself, takes more effort and precautions (the boat not the wife). I feel this is an issue that Malibu needs to be more involved with. I am taking care of the boat as they said I should and it looks like crap. They gave me the cover, I used it. If there was something on it that did this, well, is that my problem? I love the boat. I love how my dealer has helped out (they want to help pay for the work to be done) and how they have treated me in the past. I hate to go on and on on this, but I am pissed I have to spend so much money getting it fixed.

Oh, Thanks to all of you on this, really. Anyone ever in Redding, CA or on Lake Shasta, let me know.

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That's much clearer than your first post, sorry to hear about your problem with the gel. If that's how your taking care of the boat there is no reason it should look like that. I can't believe your dealer won't step up for you, maybe you need to turn up the heat on them. It just looks so much like water spots and streaking, maybe they're thinking the same thing. Whatever happens I hope you get it taken care of and in time for boating season. I would agree with you, the grey is a much harder color to take care of than I would have thought. My last boat was black and I said I'd never do that again. I like the dark colors so much but this grey is a pain in the butt to.

Good luck.

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Thanks for the clarification, that definitely helps.

If you look closely, can you see individual imperfections in the gelcoat, almost like little air bubbles?

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I would call Malibu and explain how you take care of the boat and the problems you have been having. Malibu, like many of us did, may just think the boat has not been cared for and therefore should not be covered under warrenty.

-Chris

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I talked to one of the reps, Steve ??, at a boat show up here. He related he would look at it and get back to me. He looked and told the dealer it was a Malibu problem. So, now I am sucking eggs and have to cough up some dough to get it worked.

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I talked to one of the reps, Steve ??, at a boat show up here. He related he would look at it and get back to me. He looked and told the dealer it was a Malibu problem. So, now I am sucking eggs and have to cough up some dough to get it worked.

Please re-explain that last post?????

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The post prior had said to talk to Malibu, which, in a sense, I did by talking to this rep "Steve." He took my name, number and said he would look at it. He blew me off and had the dealer tell me Malibu didn't feel it was their problem. Basically, I have to pay for the repair (wet sanding).

Just phoned Malibu in Merced. After 30 minutes, "It isn't our problem." Can you feel the love.

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