Questions about heavy oxidization

[MovingZen]

So last year I wanted to do something about the paint on my boat. I got some stuff but kept putting it off and putting it off until now. I bought some stuff, and after watching some videos and reading some threads on here I'm starting to think I may have gone in the wrong direction. This morning I had good cloud cover and decided to give what I have a try. The results seem ok, but I'm worried about some weirdness I haven't seen in any videos.
Here's what I am using-
Chicago electric 7" polisher/sander
Meguiars w-700 cutting pad
Meguiars 105 and 205
Small orange hexlogic pad I use with a drill

I'm pretty sure the Chicago electric was a fail. I think (last year) I started just trying to wax by hand and wasn't getting anywhere, then I tried some 3M marine rubbing compound by hand and it was brutal. I felt I needed something strong so I got the stuff above except for the small orange pad that I got to restore headlights.
Fast forward to this morning and I'm using the polisher, cutting pad, and 105 trying to follow Junkmans's advice in technique. Right away I'm having issues with the curvature of the boat, but even more so the compound seems to be gumming up rapidly. I've got the polisher on the lowest speed setting, trying to only use enough pressure to hold it in place, and the thing is jumping all over the place. I really can't even get 2 sqft done without it gumming up and it seems like the compound is burning. I do a little spot and have trouble wiping off the compound with my mf cloth. It takes some serious pressure to get the compound off the paint. I end up hand applying 205 just to get the dried 105 off the paint. I also tried just using the 205 with the polisher and it was a little better but still seemed to gum up and burn very rapidly. I did a few feet and stopped because the sun was unexpectedly coming out.
Here are a some before pics -

and some after-

I don't consider that area done yet. It still needs more work, some sort of sealant, and a marine wax.

My questions-
Why is it gumming up so fast? Speed or how much oxidization is coming off the boat?
If oxidization, how often should I be changing pads?
Should I dump the Chicago and get something else? the chicago says 1200-1500 rpm, I used the slowest setting.
Would something smaller help me deal with the curvature better? It's a V hull so the curve gets really bad up front.
Or, should I just expect this and keep going?
General advice on boat paint? The paint doesn't need to be perfect, the boat is 12 years old and has it's dings. I'm using this as practice before I move up to my cars.

 

[inyadreems]

It is gel coat correct? Sounds like 105 is drying out, try spritzing the area with water first and then hitting it with the polisher. Water will reactivate 105 and let is work longer. Might also want to try switching from a wool pad to a MF cutting discs. Try the water first and see if that works.

 

[DHG1078]

I have never polished a gel coat vehicle, but one of my friends did and said it was a PITA. It came out great at the end though. I'll have to ask him what he used to finish it after polishing.

It sounds to me more like you are getting hazing from the polish, not oxidation. There's a couple reasons for hazing after the use of a buffer, but I think your problem is that the 105 isn't allowing you a long enough working time on the gel coat to allow it to break down properly. I would give what inyadreams suggested and see if that helps. Sometimes it takes a finer polish to get rid of it.

I will try to get a hold of my friend and ask him about his experience with the gel coat and if he has any tips/tricks. He has gotten super flakey lately though so I can't promise anything.

 

[MovingZen]

Thanks for the replies! Yes, it's definitely gel coat. I'm starting to wonder if I'm putting too much pressure even though I'm trying to go really soft. Last week after I watched junkmans videos I ordered orange, white, and red hexlogic pads. They came in this afternoon so I tried the orange pad. It still gummed up fairly quickly if not as fast but the orange pad didn't do nearly as well as the mequairs pad I used earlier. It took more attempts to get the same result. In the area I've done, the oxidization is pretty well gone and the result is easily good enough for my boat. I figure to do the whole boat to that result, then a sealant, and then a marine polish. I do have some marine compound, I'll give that a try the next time I'm able to get the boat back in the driveway.
I will give the water a try next time also. Thoughts on using a quick detail spray instead of water?
I know one things for sure, I'll not be letting the boat get this bad again.

 

[hoamskilet]

First off, 105 can be a pain in the ass to use.

Second, why would you put a sealant on and then do a marine polish? If you polish after applying a sealant, its just going to take that sealant off.

I had good luck with the Marine 31 line of products on our 25 year old boat. Used a dewalt rotary and a wool pad with their compound, switched over to a rupes with a foam polishing pad and their polish, and finished up with their wax.

 

[MovingZen]

First off, 105 can be a pain in the ass to use.

Second, why would you put a sealant on and then do a marine polish? If you polish after applying a sealant, its just going to take that sealant off.

I had good luck with the Marine 31 line of products on our 25 year old boat. Used a dewalt rotary and a wool pad with their compound, switched over to a rupes with a foam polishing pad and their polish, and finished up with their wax.

lol because I don't know wtf I'm doing? My experience consists of hand waxing only. So you're saying use their compound, polish, then wax? Have you tried their non skid sealant?

 

[DHG1078]

lol because I don't know wtf I'm doing? My experience consists of hand waxing only. So you're saying use their compound, polish, then wax? Have you tried their non skid sealant?

Definitely polish before you use the sealant. Sealants and waxs are last step protection products. They are only meant to go on after any compounding/polishing/clay bar or whatever you're doing is done. You could do a sealant followed by a wax if you wanted to.

 

[hoamskilet]

lol because I don't know wtf I'm doing? My experience consists of hand waxing only. So you're saying use their compound, polish, then wax? Have you tried their non skid sealant?

I have not tried their non skid sealant