303
And what about the hatch covers? I never had to replace mine but I heard that VCP hatches are pretty expensive and that the material is way more sensitive to UV radiation than the gelcoat of the boat.
I’ve been using 303 on the hatch covers and nothing on the deck/hull - I am still making up my mind about the best choice for the gel coat. I store the boat out of the sun and always wash it with a garden hose after every outing.
If Starbright polishes the surface then it also takes a minute part of the finish with it, no big deal in the short run, but I am not so sure on the years to come.
JB
Hatch Covers
I am not a 303 user but from what the product literature says on the container and on the website it looks like 303 is a good product to use on rubber type hatch covers. (I have composite covers so …)
I have owned several, (14), fiberglass sailboats over the years, and a couple, (4), fiberglass motorboats. All of these boats have/had/used gelcoat as the exterior covering. I used wax on all of these and starbright on a couple. I have one sailboat now that I have owned for 23 years. It has had at least two applilcations of wax each year since it was new. The gelcoat now has a few scratches and nicks, a few spiders, but looks good especially for a 20 some odd year old boat.
Starbright does not use abrasives. Some waxes use abrasives and some don’t. Most “cleaning waxes” use a mild abrasive to provide the cleaning action. Ive used both and have not been able to perceive any long term differance. However, the cleaning waxes do a great job cleaning up dirt, debris and I do like that. Starbright uses a chemical agent to provide the cleaning action and it does a nice job also. I cant say anything derogatory about either wax or starbright.
Mark