303
I buy 303 by the gallon. It works well on a number of products.
I do not like the greasy feel it leaves on poly boats, which btw- already have plenty of UV protection. It does attract dust. Just put that greased up boat on a rack and drive it on a dusty road and then wipe it off. been there.
I’ve also seen the sheen left after putting it in water as it washes off.
whatever.
steve
303 Environmental impact?
So, if we use lots of 303, are we damaging the lakes / rivers / creeks that we paddle in? Do we have any alternative product that’d have less of an impact?
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303 over Armorall
Armorall is actually not good for your boat. 303 however works just fine. Used it many times and will use it in the future no doubt. Why? 'Cause it works!!
303 does not wear off significantly
– Last Updated: Mar-28-06 8:58 AM EST –
after it's been applied for a while. I put a coat on my poly boat a month before using it, no "oil slick" or milky residue on the deck after water splash on it, still no slick after an hour and a half in the water. Makes the rubber hatch covers a breeze to work with. If you store outside like me, it's a must.
It was proved in MIT Naval Arch. labs
long ago that a slightly roughened surface has less drag than a highly polished surface. We used to wet-sand our rowing shells, but when we looked harder at the data, the effect was not large enough to make the extra labor worthwhile.
I have never noticed a speed-up effect from waxing, nor from 303 or Armorall. The one time I thought I detected an effect was when I de-fuzzed a fast old WW kayak, rolled on epoxy, sanded down to about 330 grit, and then sprayed on a fairly long-lasting preparation designed for speedboat hulls. The kayak felt faster, but perhaps removing the fuzz was more important than the magic spray?
I don’t believe there is any wax or spray on the market that will make more than a +/- 2% difference in performance. And notwithstanding ericnyre’s test, and based on the MIT studies, I believe that any high gloss, water shedding wax will slightly slow a boat, not increase its speed. Sometimes you have to believe the big research outfits rather than the small privateer study. Sorry, eric… You’re welcome to replicate your study, and provide more on the double-blind method you used.
Murphy’s Oil Soap and 303
A local kayak shop owner(who also works for Old Town)recommended using Murphy’s Oil Soap (diluted w/water) to wash down plastic kayaks on a regular basis–and to use 303 once in awhile, for it’s UV protection. It worked fine last season!
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How do we KNOW it is not good
for the boat? We keep hearing this about Armorall, but so far there has been only a little “expert opinion” with no data.
I’m using the stuff now, and I expect to get away with it. It is just not conceivable that the weak agents in Armorall would harm the vinyl layer on Royalex, or the ABS underneat. The solvent in Vynabond is another matter…
not even sure
if 303 is environmentally damaging but…
I don’t see the need to ‘grease up’ the water I paddle.
steve
armorall
from what i have heard from a Rep and understand it: 303 has more protectants than armor all does…
What you heard from a rep? That’s my
point. Why should one take that as authoritative?
I “believe” that 303 has more UV protection than Armorall, but based on what I see on the boat, Armorall leaves a drier film. That’s a convenience factor… less need to buff.
By the way, for others in this thread who believe 303 washes off in streams, what about Coppertone, etc.? Sunscreens on the skin serve the same purpose… screening UV. They claim to not wash off in water. What if they do?? Then millions of people are polluting our streams with sunscreen lotion!
We know 'cause Armor All says so
Here is the response I got from Armor All when I asked:
October 28, 2005
Reference Number: 4254184
Dear Mr.[…]
Thank you for contacting us about Armor All Protectant - Original. We always appreciate hearing from our consumers.
We would not recommend that you use this product on a plastic boat. There are two reasons, the first is it is not waterproof and it will streak and the second is that many boat manufacturers treat the boats with something that may react with the silicone in the protectant. Please contact us at any time if you have additional questions.
Again, thank you for contacting us.
Sincerely,
Patti Copper
Consumer Response Representative
Consumer Services
just paddle
If PE deteriorates, the chainlength of the polymer molecules is decreasing. There is no way to repair that. If you remove the scratches with heat, you’ll force the aging process.
Leave is as it is, clean with water, apply some hard wax if you want gloss. No oils.
UV protection is done by stabilizers, which are mixed into the polymer during manufacturing. Better hide your boat from direct sunlight if not in use rather than applying sunscreen.
Airhead
looks like a sweet boat. How do you like? I’ll bet you are really concerned about the “speed” wars raging on your post when you’re asking about luster on a 6’4" planing hull!
If your’e looking for luster, 303 is probably the way to go. unless you want to go all out and use the foaming aerosol Armorall, it looks great but is definitely a bit oily. UVTech by McNett is the best for uv protection.
That looks like a really sweet boat. Did you get it to handle your height or your weight or both. Its time for me to get a new playboat and I’m kinda beefy at 6’, 220#. Should I try it?
Thanks
My 2 cents
Try Pledge furniture polish. It is recomended by Old Town in there owners manual. I work in a shop and we use it all the time. It does a nice job of shining up the boat and making it look new. Also adds a UV protectent and tends to keep that brown sludge waterlines off the boat. And doesn’t leave the oil slick in the water. Yes it’s a wax and it may slow your boat down by .0000000something. If your that worried about speed get a glass boat. 303 is great stuff for curtian things.
Just my 2 cents.
Good Journey’s
Shawn
Lemon
scented works well for the rods on the foosball table and combats the oder from the hockey gear hanging up nearby. Great stuff!
Cheers
The Airhead
To answer your question - its a really sweet playboat…
Lots of fun, MEGA stable.
I am 5"10 weigh 189lbs, I am really low for its weight range, but have found it better than the Space Cadet ( I was sinking ).
If you have any more questions you can get me through here:- www.ammanvalleypaddlers.co.uk
Craig Jones