It was 6 years since the last haul-out. About 2 1/2 years on the Columbia River (fresh water) and the rest in Puget Sound. Paint was Petit SR40 ablative. The only significant growth was on a boo-boo on the front of the lead part of the keel when I challenged a rock in British Columbia a couple of years ago and on the bottom of the keel where we had a soft grounding in river sand. In Olympia we get lots of mussels but not too many barnacles. The blue patches are places where I hit it with a couple of strokes with a brush the day before. I think it could have gone another year, maybe 2. Based on local recommendations I went with Seahawk AF33 ablative this time. Hope it works as well.

Here is what 3 days with a polisher with compound and wax can do for 26 year-old gel coat. First was Meguires One-step polish followed by Collinite Fleetwax 885. Found that applying the wax with a circular polisher and foam pad worked great. Dabbed spots of wax on the hull then kept going over with the foam pad at medium speed until it shined. Did not have to follow with a polish rag hardly at all. Created a sensation in the yard by using 20 feet of bungee cord from a halyard to levitate the polisher. It was a cheapie from Harbor Freight but has lasted through 2 sessions on this boat. Swantown Boatyard is operated by the Port of Olympia and is one of the few that still let you DIY.