Polishing aluminum boats.

[Bassn Blvd]

I have an aluminum Tracker that is a year old and I want to polish /clean the hull.  Can the hull be polished too much that it hinders your fishing, like making it shiny instead of dull?

They come new with a dull finish so should they stay that away?

[Bob Kavanaugh]

I have a Tracker, and a Grumman aluminum canoe. My personal preference is to let the natural oxidation remain. Grumman says it's a natural protective barrier against further, more serious damage. Plus, polishing can be hard work, and I'm not a big fan of that.  

Having said that, I have seen highly polished aluminum boats, and boy are they sharp looking.  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

3 words....MOTHERS ALUMINUM POLISH

There is a sealer out there also too called "sharks skin?  Seal skin?"  It keeps the finish shiny, longer.

[Bassn Blvd]

Thanks guys.

[Jimzee]

I'm gonna make a suggestion, it's up to you to follow my advice. I just did this to my boat last week. Go to your nearest auto parts store and get four bottles of Eagle One Etching Wheel Cleaner.

Have the water hose handy, a pair of goggles or safety glasses, and a pair of rubber gloves. Spray the cleaner on a small spot underneath the boat to see if you want it this shiny. Believe me, it will shock you when you find out how fast it works. Rinse the small spot after 20-30 seconds. If you like what it does then get ready to spray the whole hull in small sections. I would wet the decals and trailer down with water before doing this. It didn't react with my decals or trailer but better to be on the safe side. DO NOT SPRAY IT ON ANY KIND OF GALVANIZED METAL such as your trailer jack. It will rust it immediatly. Just to be on the safe side, make sure your trailer is painted and not one of the galvanized ones.

After that, I dried the hull good and then polished it with Mother's with a buffer. This was day two. It will take some time to polish. My hull looks like a mirror now. I also did my gunnells to a mirror finish with the Mother's. After all was said and done, I waxed it with auto wax to seal in the shine. It will give you a headache in bright sunlight now. ;D

[SV1000]

^^^ post some photos...