Care and Maintenance of an Awlgripped hull

[heartofgold]

I just read an article by Tom Wood (Sailnet) entitled "Spring Hull Cleaning." The article was about spring upkeep on gelcoat. However, he ended the article with the following:

But remember: once painted, the necessary care changes only slightly; the need to keep the hull clean and waxed remains the same.

I finished painting my hull with Awlgrip last month, and though I put the necessary amout of time into sanding, fairing, sanding, priming, sanding, and painting (did I mention that I sanded, too?), I put no thought whatsoever into what I should be doing to care and maintain by beautiful finish. Any recomendations from the group?

[dasein668]

DON'T wax. Just wash with either a mild soap or AWLwash and LOTS of water.

You can read the whole AWLgrip recommended maintenance info if you go to awlgrip.com and click on the "Topcoat Maintenance" link on the left side of the page.

Cheers

[Tim]

No wax! Waxing does nothing for your Awlgrip except make it look worse in the long run, and unnecessarily tires your arms.

All you need to do to maintain that beautiful finish is wash it regularly with mild soap (I use AwlWash), a sponge or soft brush, and lots and lots of fresh water. And wash it often, because a shiny hull and clean decks make you feel good!

[dasein668]

Hey, is there an echo in here?

;-P

[Dave, 397]

Here's a question, since we are on the topic of AwlGrip.

I'd like to do my paint in AG or Sterling, but the price figure Tim gave in the Glissando accounting scares me right off...my budget is more in line with 1-part poly.

Still...I cannot help but wonder about the viability of a commercial catalysed urethane paint like Ditzler's 'Fleetstar' (I think that was the product name) in a marine environment. Certainly more costly than 1-part poly...and extremely noxious to handle...but a lot less than the 'Marine" products.

This is tuff stuff, at least on land. Ever notice how fire trucks and the like stay seemingly forever shiny with only washing (how often have you seen the firemen out there with a buffer and wax?)? This is the stuff, used a lot on Semi Trucks as well. A friend did his street rod in it, and it was kind of a hassle to apply, but it is indeed tough as nails, no stone bruises, no nothing. You actually have to cut it back and buff it within a very short time of cure...or else you CAN'T! One problem I can see possibly is the issue of paint thickness vs. my nonskid surface, as the stuff is pretty heavy...but then again the last I was around it was 10 years ago or more and things may well have improved on that front.

Thoughts, anyone?

Thanks,
Dave

[heartofgold]

Dave,

I was in the exact same boat as you (not literally, you understand) less than 3 months ago. I had my heart set on Awlgrip, but when I priced it all locally my jaw left a dent in the concrete. I consulted with Tim (not on the forum), and he suggested that I try some websites like pyacht.com. I found their price to be near half that of my local supplier (differences in quantities as suggested by my local supplier compared to that recommended my Tim also helped). It still was more than I really wanted, but back within my budget. That little tip saved me from using a lesser product. I recently finished the job and can not imagine using anything other than Awlgrip for the hull/deck/cockpit. Go for the Awlgrip, it's worth it!