Starbright … creates drag?
… Some of the discussion regarding this product suggest that making the hull too slick actually creates drag … Anyone using Starbright have any issues?
Tried this on a new glass boat … paddled once w\out any polish … then applied Starbright … could be me, but the boat did seem a little more sluggish … seemed to glide less and start slower.
Just got a new glass boat … seems faster than my other boat (which was longer, BTW) … put 303 on the hull and used it today … boat seems to glide as smoothly as w\out.
Could be my imagination … just wondering … seems like a few people love this product … anyone tried it and noticed any increased drag?
StarBrite cost me
0.00043 mph and revocation of my Certified Treehugger card. ;^)
Seriously, if the surface effects are so small that the fast guys still argue about them, they’re WAY too small for me to worry about.
Did the difference you mentioned show up on your GPS? I’m betting that at typical canoe/kayak speeds the difference between a merely smooth hull and a Teflon-coated hull is probably about the same as that caused by increased humidity or greater atmospheric pressure.
I’ve been known to be wrong.
the cleanest slickest surface is fast.
anything that sticks out above the surface is not fast. if rubbing your boat with 1000 grit wet paper in the direction of water flow gets you a clean, slick surface, thats fast. if you apply a couple of buffed out layers of star brite and its still clean when you get to the launch site, thats fast too. little dead bugs stuck to your boat, tar and dirt picked up along the way, thats slow. ever notice how sailboat racers- lasers, lightnings, snipes, whatever- have fabric covers on their boats while towing to the races? thats to protect their clean smooth surface- whether waxed or rubbed doesnt matter really.
Good God
You must be rich as a nazi.
Suave Toasted Vanilla and Sugar smells ten times better and costs less than half.
(tastes awful)
If I remember right,
Wenonah recommends 303 only, and no waxes, polishes, or other finishes, for its gel-coated boats.
I also seem to remember reading that Teflon additives make repairing a damaged composite hull more difficult (not that I’ve ever done it).
Personally, I use a boat wax with UV protection (but no Teflon) annually on my rough water boat (Mariner Elan) and 303 on my racing boat (my new one–Kayakpro Vampire),
Sanjay
I’m not a teflon guy either…
and many of the high tech products turn me off.
My preference is for a nice reliable liquid carnuba such as Meguiars #26.
I do treat the deck rigging with 303. Keeps things pretty and pliable.
Holmes
Huki??
What happened to your Huki?
Suz