The Skipper's Blog

Charlie ​asked:

After I sand calcium buildup off my pontoons, do I need to buff them?

Answer:

For your convenience, I’ve highlighted the hyperlinks. Click on the hyperlink to get more information about the selected product.

Sanding will make the aluminum shiny. Buffing will smooth out the finish as well as the appearance. The smoother the surface the more difficult it will be for marine life to attach. Even the tiny scratches from the sanding is sufficient for the microscopic bio-fouling to get a foot hold and anchor onto your pontoons. That’s why it’s so difficult to remove them.

After buffing, applying Alumetron and VS721 will make the surface even more smooth and slippery so that it will be more difficult for growth attachment. Many boat owners wipe the slime off the pontoons from time to time, when they’re swimming, or haul and wipe the slime off the pontoons, and that way the pontoons stay clean all summer and they don’t have cleaning issues at the end of the season.

Another benefit of the coatings is that in the event that the pontoons are neglected and become fouled again, the growth will be much easier to remove and you will be able to use chemicals, instead of sanding, to remove the growth.

Thanks for your question,
Captain Aurora
Richard Kittar

The Skipper Recommends:

ALUMETRON

VS721 BOTTOM COAT