Originally Posted by
luckydave215
When I said nothing works for long, I wasn't considering painting them.
That is unlikely to work for long, once the aluminum has chloride ion penetration due to exposure to saltwater there is no was to un-do it and paint will soon bubble due to corrosion underneath the paint.
As far as taking them down to give them a regular polish and wax - sure, that will work. But mine are 48', it takes three guys and hour to get them off the boat and two to reinstall..
I recently rebuilt mine (all new wires etc) and polished them in the process. They looked like I hadn't touched them a month later.