Bottom compound and wax

JFSteimer

New Member
I have owned my laser for 5 years.
The boat's in excellent condition but the gelcoat on the hull is fading.
Can any one recommend the best compound and wax?
I would like to begin to race her in our club racers.
Rock Hall Yacht Club, Rock Hall, MD ( Stop by and visit. )
Thanks in advance.
John Steimer.
[email protected]
 
Some people just stick with a 600, 800 wet sand and call it good. Others go after that and use 3M; 1500, 2500, 3500 grit products. Any carnauba wax after you get the polish you want.
 
If you want a fast finish, wet sand it to at least 800 grit, then use polishing compound with a buffing wheel, then swirl mark remover with the buffing wheel. Do NOT use wax. Either leave it as it is, or put McLube Hullkote on it.
 
From the attached article from 67713,
seems to suggest that wax is a good thing.

In other class racing (50 years ago) there was a graphite paint
that the class winner used to use all the time. He'd sand it smooth
and pull the boat after a racing weekend.

From what I've read/studied we want water to stick to the hull
so that there is a water-water barrier (or joining) so that it rolls
through the water with least resistance.

Anyone else have any more definitive information?

Spike
 
From the attached article from 67713,
seems to suggest that wax is a good thing.

In other class racing (50 years ago) there was a graphite paint
that the class winner used to use all the time. He'd sand it smooth
and pull the boat after a racing weekend.

From what I've read/studied we want water to stick to the hull
so that there is a water-water barrier (or joining) so that it rolls
through the water with least resistance.

Anyone else have any more definitive information?

Spike

I read an article a couple of years back that involved Lightning sailboats and a hydrodynamics study re: what finish is fastest. The study determined that, for the first day or two, a 500 grit, wet sanded and unpolished finish is the fastest, however, its performance quickly degrades as dirt, grime and other rough stuff starts to stick to the hull as well, disrupting the "water-water" barrier you mention.

This same case study found that the second-fastest finish (and fastest over the long-term) was one that had been wet-sanded up to 1200 grit, or more (small marginal gains were noticed after 1200 if I remember correctly) and then polished with a non-wax-based hydrophobic compound.

So, for a weekend, your guy was doing the right thing for a two-day event. But a longer event (i.e. 5 days as some large events are) would require some bottom maintenance and wet sanding. I will see if I can find the article.
 
I read an article a couple of years back that involved Lightning sailboats and a hydrodynamics study re: what finish is fastest. The study determined that, for the first day or two, a 500 grit, wet sanded and unpolished finish is the fastest, however, its performance quickly degrades as dirt, grime and other rough stuff starts to stick to the hull as well, disrupting the "water-water" barrier you mention.

This same case study found that the second-fastest finish (and fastest over the long-term) was one that had been wet-sanded up to 1200 grit, or more (small marginal gains were noticed after 1200 if I remember correctly) and then polished with a non-wax-based hydrophobic compound.

So, for a weekend, your guy was doing the right thing for a two-day event. But a longer event (i.e. 5 days as some large events are) would require some bottom maintenance and wet sanding. I will see if I can find the article.
Fast Finish - International Lightning Class Association Not the article I am thinking of but here are some statements from pro sailors here in the US about bottom finish.
 
I know this is an older thread but I have a bit more experience in canoes vs sail. Canoe racing/long distance cruisers never wax the bottom. It is the water sticking to the hull making the boat slicker in the water phenom mentioned above by USMC Spike.

Sorry...I'm loving the great search engine capabilities on this forum....far superior to many I'm familiar with.

May save you all a lot of pestering by me for questions!! :cool:

kudos to the Owner/Mods
 
So, Great Garbanzoe :D, what is the preference of the canoe racing world for a fast bottom. And what type of surfaces do the canoes have (epoxied wood, gelcoat, fiberglass, carbon fiber, Kevlar)?
 

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