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waxing bottom of boat


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Not only is it not necessary, apparently is impedes the waters ability to flow over the hull (because of the waxy, surface)

Obviously wax down to the water line, and then a little further, but no-need to go crazy on the bottom of the hull

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Not only is it not necessary, apparently is impedes the waters ability to flow over the hull (because of the waxy, surface)

Obviously wax down to the water line, and then a little further, but no-need to go crazy on the bottom of the hull

Great I layed on a cold cement floor last winter waxin' below the water line...

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Not only is it not necessary, apparently is impedes the waters ability to flow over the hull (because of the waxy, surface)

Obviously wax down to the water line, and then a little further, but no-need to go crazy on the bottom of the hull

This had been a long discussed debate since the early days (MBO.com) but the general conslusion was, it's a waste of time.

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Not only is it not necessary, apparently is impedes the waters ability to flow over the hull (because of the waxy, surface)

Obviously wax down to the water line, and then a little further, but no-need to go crazy on the bottom of the hull

Not sure I buy this! You mean waxed gelcoat somehow creates greater resistance to flow than

unwaxed gelcoat? And, even if this were true, would it even be measurable, let alone noticeable?

In fact, my previous boat, bought used, had lived full-time at a marina [on a lift] when I bought it, and I kept it for

another year at that same marina. When I moved to another lake, I pulled her out and noticed quite a bit of

water spotting and lime buildup on the bottom. Took me hours, lying on my back, using various solvents, to get

it clean-looking. Then I waxed.

A year later, I pulled her out again when I was preparing to sell her. Thought I'd have to go through the same

hassle to get her ready to show, but when I crawled under, she was almost spotless!

I'd think that lime buildup over time would have a greater effect on water flow across the hull

than would any effect of waxing. What am I missing?

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A boat is faster and has less total form drag when you break the surface tension of the water as it passes across the bottom. Waxing the wetted surface causes the water to "adhere" to the bottom. At the speeds we travel it's probably not a big deal. On an off-shore boat trying to break the 100mph mark, waxing the bottom will cost you 7-10mph.

Exactly...you won't find any sailboat racers waxing the bottoms of their boats either. When you're traveling slow with only wind power, it could mean enough drag to loose you the race.

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I think waxing keeps the gel coat from blistering if the boat is kept in the water.

No need to wax if you don't leave your boat in the water.

So what do racers use to clean the bottom of their boats? Do they treat the bottom after washing? You bet!

I guess it probably doesn't matter for people like me who keep their boats in the water all summer.

Are you guys saying that a hull cleaned with soap and water will have less resistance than a waxed hull? That doesn't make sense.

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I think waxing keeps the gel coat from blistering if the boat is kept in the water.

No need to wax if you don't leave your boat in the water.

So what do racers use to clean the bottom of their boats? Do they treat the bottom after washing? You bet!

I guess it probably doesn't matter for people like me who keep their boats in the water all summer.

Are you guys saying that a hull cleaned with soap and water will have less resistance than a waxed hull? That doesn't make sense.

Yup, in fact, if you want the least resistance, do a light sanding of the hull. The slight roughness will not allow the water to adhere to the hull, causing less friction.

I doubt that you would notice it at the speeds our boats run at.

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I think waxing keeps the gel coat from blistering if the boat is kept in the water.

No need to wax if you don't leave your boat in the water.

So what do racers use to clean the bottom of their boats? Do they treat the bottom after washing? You bet!

I guess it probably doesn't matter for people like me who keep their boats in the water all summer.

Are you guys saying that a hull cleaned with soap and water will have less resistance than a waxed hull? That doesn't make sense.

Yup, in fact, if you want the least resistance, do a light sanding of the hull. The slight roughness will not allow the water to adhere to the hull, causing less friction.

I doubt that you would notice it at the speeds our boats run at.

Yeah...you wouldn't even notice an effect on speed on our boats...but some sailboat racers wet sand with 3k or 4k grit before races. It breaks the surface tension between the hull and water. The last thing you want is air bubbles traveling along the hull causing drag, you need to keep the bottom wet. That all being said, it definately won't hurt to wax the bottom of yer bu, but it would be an incredible waste of time. I would agree that if you leave the boat in the water for an extended period of time, wax might not be a bad idea.

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Any waxing you do, will probably be washed off after the first few min of cruising speed.. Crazy.gif Seems to be a waste of time either way

Not to mention the debris in the water which adds to that factor of removal. Waste of time in my opinion Biggrin.gif

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Kind of a <hijack> here,

What about a dulled bottom vs a pretty shiny one? Would it be worth it to hit it the bottom with Perfect-It/Finess-It just to bring up the shine, then not wax it?

</hijack>

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