Re: chalky boat finish
Mark,
Welcome to I-boats. First you want to throughly wash/scrub the surface with a good soap and water using a synthetic scrubbing pad. Rinse and dry well. Use a good marine rubbing coumpound and a power buffer and try it on a small area to see how well the finish will come back. If it looks good then follow with a good polish and finally a good wax top coat.
If you cannot get the gel coat to shine then you are looking at a paint job. If the finish is smooth and clean but dull, you could also try Poli-Glo, which is an acrylic top coating that will add a shine and if properly maintained can be cleaned and reapplied for a long time.
