DaySailer.org Forum

I have a neighbor who tells me to wax the hull. He has a 200hp engine on his boat, so I'm taking that advice with a grain of salt.

Small Craft Advisor, in the recent issue, included a line "but don't wax" without any discussion.

Is a little car wax a cheap way to reduce friction, or is a bad idea?

--john

For some perspective:

http://www.epickayaks.com/article/article/to-wax-or-not-to-wax

If you follow the Americas Cup all of the catamarans from the AC45 up to the AC72 are polished to make a mirror look opaque so that means they're not wet sanding.
I've been a firm believer in wax for decades as it helps to fill the microscopic pin holes that you can't see as well as offering protection to the polished surfaces.
My brother who made his living for years managing some of the fastest one design keelboats told me to buy the most expensive Carnauba Wax I could afford after polishing the hull of whatever dinghy I'm racing.