Sophie waxed the boat (almost) on her own.

This week, Ryan is in Singapore for work and I tried to wax the hull of Polar Seal by myself!

Polar Seal hadn’t been waxed in at least 3 years. Her gelcoat started to show some signs of fatigue, in the form of big dark stripes running down the deck.

Things didn’t start off very well, as I realized that I was lacking the proper tools to work. In order to execute the task safely, I need a ladder with a little platform, and also someone else to help me! Polar Seal was standing way too high for me to work on her.

After the first day, I left the marina a little low, feeling bad about my skills. But I didn’t give up, and eventually got some help from a good friend, Marika. Our fantastic harbor master let me use his tools, and I was all set to get going!

Once I got my hands on both tools and an extra pair of hands, I got really confused by the multitude of steps and products involved. It took me an entire morning to figure out how I was actually going to take care of the task.

Another friend of mine, Frida, had told me that she and her dad use a miracle technique to rub the hull, using a solution of water and white spirit. Upon trial, that technique didn't seem to work, and I was back to square one. DAH. 

How do you actually wax a boat?!

Wash/rubbing compound/polish/wax/wax sealant…. It’s all so confusing!

Once the harbor master told me what to do, I finally engaged in the very unglamorous task of rubbing the hull with compound and a buffing machine.

The task turned out very tiring, and the next day, I figure out a way to make things go forward: making my friends work ;)

That very friend just so happened to Frida, whose technique turned to work perfectly, and we ended up finishing rubbing the hull without a buffing machine. 

In this video, Frida demonstrates the miracle recipe: 1dl of white spirit mixed with 4dl of water in a spray bottle, shake and spray a layer of solution on the hull before rubbing it with a cloth and rubbing compound. Bam!

The boat turns so shiny that you can actually put make-up on and use the hull as a mirror (almost ;))

Ryan was quite impressed with my work, and Polar Seal is now ready to be launched!

 Conclusion: I absolutely NOT waxed the boat on my own, and I am very grateful for all the friends we have who help us. Without them, we wouldn't sail very far!