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5 Products To Keep On Your Boat!

Updated: Dec 27, 2022



I had a cool idea today and I thought I'd share it with you... because an idea without context is just a fantasy. I was thinking, if I owned a boat and I could only choose 5 products to keep on my boat what would they be? And what would I look for in a product? Some thoughts came to mind and I decided the product must be effective, necessary for maintaining my boat, and it must make my life easier. As a detailer, here's what I came up with! Let's begin.


 

The first product that came to mind was Starke Pure Clean (boat soap). I need to have a product on my boat that will keep it clean. Pretty reasonable right? Just as with a car, washing and maintaining it properly goes a long way in protecting your vehicle. Now, let's see if it checks the boxes. Is this product effective? Pure Clean in general is safe for any boat. A new boat, old boat, oxidized, waxed, coated in ceramic, Pure Clean works for all situations! It's a PH balanced soap, so it does not damage gelcoat or paint and it does not strip coatings such as wax, polymer sealants, or ceramic coatings. ✅


As a boat owner, is this product necessary for maintaining a boat? Absolutely, Pure Clean will keep the boat looking fresh. It will reduce the buildup of dirt, salt, and grime, which will push off oxidation longer and reduce waterline stains. Oxidation as we know, damages your gelcoat overtime. It causes the gelcoat to become extremely pores, absorbing more water than it was intended to, and reducing the thickness of your gelcoat. ✅


Does this product make my life easier? Pure Clean will keep my boat clean. That saves me lots of time and money. Washing your boat will prevent issues that could arise in the future. As we talked about, Pure Clean will reduce oxidation, which saves you extra unnecessary detailing work. If I have my boat coated with a polymer or ceramic coating, I can extend the life of my coating by keeping my boat clean. ✅




The next product that I thought would be very effective to have on my boat would be a waterless wash product. For this I'm choosing Adam's Detail Spray, a lubricant based waterless wash that works great for quick cleaning without requiring a water spigot, soap, or a brush. All you need is the product and a microfiber towel! Let's be realistic... sometimes you may spill something, need to do some dusting in the cockpit, or perhaps just need to wipe down a surface that is dirty. This product makes it easy and quick while leaving behind polymers to help protect the surface. Is this product effective? Adam's Detail Spray, is a lubricant and waterless wash making it very versatile for cleaning up anything from spilled soda to spider stains. ✅


Is this product necessary for maintaining my boat? Everyone has cleaning products on their boat, but often times these products damage your boat and fade the surface making it look dull and blotchy. Bathroom cleaners, degreasers, lysol, etc... these all damage your gelcoat and the surfaces on your boat. This is often overlooked, but it's true! Remember, your boat is not a toilet, it's not a sink, a kitchen countertop, or a shower. I want to take care of my boat like a detailer, the right way, the safe way, the most conscious way. Adam's Detail Spray can be used on all surfaces with amazing results. Gelcoat, paint, vinyl, plastic, brightwork, sinks, countertops, etc. ✅


Does Adam's Detail Spray make my life easier? It does, because it's very versatile, it's a product that can be used as a multipurpose spray. It cleans, it protects. and it shines! It eliminates having to buy multiple products and it's safe which prevents you from stripping wax or polymers out out of your gelcoat and surfaces. I have even noticed amazing results with this product on vinyl seats. It leaves behind a shiny finish that is not slick or oily! ✅




The third product I thought I would want on my boat is something to protect! After much thought and consideration I wanted to choose something versatile and easy to use on all surfaces, this is why I chose graphene protection. Graphene offer durability, gloss, and protection all in one. For this I'm choosing Graphene Glow by YACHTE. Graphene glow a graphene based ceramic coating that will give you 4-6 months of protection on the water. Is this product effective? For the easy application, and having to sacrifice a little durability compared to a true 9-10H graphene ceramic, this is still a big win. To be able to put this product into a spray, it still outperforms a wax all day while giving you a safety net. What do I mean? Graphene is safe for all surfaces. Gelcoat, paint, brightwork, plastics, glass, etc (not vinyl). Ideally you would want your boat FREE of oxidation when applying protection. Graphene is also great at reflecting heat, which wax is not capable of. ✅


Is this product necessary for maintaining my boat? Yes because protection is necessary for proper maintenance. You can wash your boat all day, and don't get me wrong this certainly helps reduce oxidation, but protection is necessary for blocking it off. When considering wax, polymers, SiO2, and graphene, in real-world applications graphene outperforms the rest. ✅


Does Graphene Glow by YACHTE make my life easier? Certainly is does, and that's why I chose the spray. Compared to a true ceramic coating which may take days to apply to your boat, this product can be applied within hours. Simply spray on and wipe off. Compare this to wax, it outperforms for the same process and amount of time. And for a polymer that needs to be applied by machine or applicator, the graphene offers easier application. Spray on and wipe off after 60 seconds, an hour or two of your time, quick cure time... on my boat I would want to have Graphene Glow. ✅




The next product I would want on my boat is something to protect my vinyl seats and keep my plastics refreshed! All boats have vinyl seats and plastics so this product did not take long to think of and that is 303 Aerospace Protectant! 303 Protectant offers a beautiful slick look to vinyl and plastics without making the surface slick! In my experience, it's also effective for restoring oils back into faded plastics. Is 3o3 effective? As I just explained above, I think it's safe to say that this product is effective on your boat. It's cost effective, it works great, and it keeps your vinyl looking new and refreshed. ✅


Is this product necessary for maintaining my boat? Well, let's imagine never restoring our vinyl on our boat, what would happen? Leaving salt on your vinyl, along with extreme heat and humidity, the vinyl is going to crack and fade relatively fast. Having a product to slow down this product is certainly worth investing in. There are a lot of products that can damage vinyl, strip oils, and turn it different colors. The great thing about 303 Protectant is it won't do any of that. It's safe, and apply every couple weeks and you're in great shape. ✅


Does 303 Aerospace protectant make my life easier? As a boat owner, yes, and it saves you peace of mind haha! As we know, nothing on a boat will last forever, but this will certainly push off having to replace vinyl further into the future. And it makes your boat look nice. The better you take care of your plastics and vinyl the better it will holdup against fading, cracking, and layering of mold and mildew to the point where there is no return! Plus, the application is easy, simply spray on a wipe off. Are we ready for the last product? ✅




The last and final product that came to mind is Starke Metal Polish. Here in Florida, if you don't take good care of your brightwork it will rust fast! The sun and the salt water is the worst combination for your stainless. With proper upkeep and maintenance it won't eliminate rust, but certainly slow it down and make it easier to restore. Is Starke Metal Polish effective? This polish is one of the best I have come across. When it comes to boats and even auto, I've noticed insane results by hand or with machine. The other feature I enjoy about this polish is that it doesn't leave behind wax or other unnecessary oils. It polishes and cleans. Wax is not very effective on stainless. In fact, if you wanted to go above and beyond, you could take the advice from product 3 on the list (Graphene Glow by YACHTE) and protect with that following the metal polish step. You want to keep stainless clean and free of contaminants for the best results. ✅


Is this product necessary for maintaining my boat? I would argue that it is necessary and for many reasons of which are all valid. If you never maintain your brightwork it will absolutely begin to fade and corrode away with rust. In a salt water environment, properly maintaining stainless is vital. Rust often forms at the base of the stainless where it attaches to the surface to the boat, which often times is gelcoat. The rust will begin to corrode away from the brightwork while leaking down into the gelcoat, corroding it away and into the fiberglass. This suggests many issues in the future. ✅


Does Starke Metal Polish make my life easier? I'm sure we covered some of this previously but we know that it prevents future issues so it does make life easier or at least owning a boat easier :) It cleans and eliminates rust, contamination, and water spots. Also it's a quick and easy application. Simply apply and work in with one microfiber and wipe off with another. No need to wait for anything to set up because their is no wax contained in the metal polish. Sure beats replacing the brightwork on your boat. I've seen quite a few boats in my years that are beyond restoration. We've made it! But wait... ONE MORE! Check out the honorable mention below ✅


Link Here: https://marinedetailsupply.com/products/starke-metal-polish (Use Code: TOPDOCK15 for 15% off)



Honorable mention for our boaters in Cape Coral and all of our boaters in Florida who struggle with mold and mildew. Starke Mildew Clean. I've tried low cost, mold and mildew products with other brands and they NEVER worked effectively. For whatever reason, this product has the perfect concentration of bleach and cleaners for removing all mold and mildew super effectively. Even in the worst of situations. ✅



 

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