I recently purchased a new canoe with a Kevlar hull (Swift, Algonquin 16). I’m looking to buy a protectant to keep UV rays from degrading the boat, and I plan to use the protectant twice a year (end of season and mid-season). I also have a vinyl decal on the hull that warns to not use waxes or polishes that contain petroleum distillates. I have also read that traditional car waxes and polishes may yellow boat finishes over time. The canoe is stored in a garage when it isn’t in use.
I’ve been looking at a few different products, but most of them contain petroleum distillates. So far I’ve ruled out:
-Nu Finish
-Meguiar’s products
-Mothers products
I’ve done some searching, and this is what I’m looking at:
-303® Aerospace Protectant
http://www.303products.com/
-Hullkote
http://www.mclubemarine.com/hullkote/
-Advantage
http://goclean.com/product/Advantage_Waterless_Wash_and_Protectant_24oz.html
So - what has been your experience with protecting your Kevlar boat, and what do you recommend?
photodegredation
If your canoe is stored indoors you probably don’t have too much to worry about. I have read that epoxy or vinylester resin does not begin to degrade until after 6 months of continuous UV exposure.
I believe that 303 protectant is effective in preventing photodegredation. It just doesn’t last as long as I would like.
Outside a cover
suspended above the boat. I am not a 303 fan on boat hulls…it washes into the water. I do use it on drysuit gaskets.
Inside, nothing.
I have several early '90s kevlar boats. We have had to store them outside during several Maine winters. The chief hazard was falling over them when the snow got higher than the boat.
I’ve occasionally used auto waxes
with petroleum distillates on fiberglass or Kevlar boats over the last 40 years. I have never noticed a negative effect. Vinylester and epoxy resins are immune to petroleum distillates. The boat cloths are protected by the resin, and they are not damaged by petroleum distillates, either.
Kas of Millbrook canoes, maker of S-glass/Kevlar whitewater kayaks, recommends using a premium auto wax with a UV inhibitor, and your Meguar satisfies that requirement.
We have 5 kevlar canoes
that are all stored inside except for one, which is in the Florida Keys for for four months outside.
We have a cloth bag for that one and also keep it on when it is on the vehicle roof.
Luckily my wife is handy with a sewing machine, so she made the cover herself.
You can buy one if you can’t make it.
We also use 303 on them a few times a year
jack L
303
is what I’ve used - no problems at all so far
What I’ve read
is that assuming your kayak will be stored indoors or under a cover during the winter, don't bother putting a protectant on at the end of the season. If you want to use it twice a year, put it on at the beginning of the season and mid-season. It will be doing nothing during the winter.
I suppose it really doesn't matter too much though if it does nothing all winter, it'll just be ready in the spring. Assuming 303 or whatever you use doesn't have a time limit at which it loses it's usefulness. I'll be storing my kevlar kayak for the first time this year as well, so we'll see how it turns out!
303
I’ve always used 303 on gelcoat and recently came across another way of applying it…could it last longer using this method? Anyone try it?
http://303products.com/index.php/product-uses/restoring-gelcoat-fiberglass