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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Non-skid Maintenance

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bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1776 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/25/2008 : 11:05:34

Having an older (1980) boat I am looking at my non-skid deck areas and would like to find a way to maintain the beige non-skid, which is in good shape, as long as possible. I have always shied away from using a wax/polish on the non-skid area both to make sure it is not slippery and because it is tough to get polish out of the texture. Looking at Practical Sailor it seems that their are some products designed for polishing non-skid areas. Has anyone used a polish/surface treatment that protects but does not make the deck so slick that you end up holding on for dear life even while at dock? Have others found a manageable solution to this issue or is it just a wait until repainting is the only answer.

Open to all input . . .

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2008 : 11:35:02

I read the Practical Sailor review of the 3 main products for non-skid areas. I had already tried the Aurora product and it was so-so mainly because you go through a lot of it to work a non-skid area and not sure if the benefit derived is worth the expense.

The Woody's product is so darn expensive....it did not even enter into my consideration. You have to compare the size of the containers for the cost and how they want you to use these products versus the large surface area of non-skid if you not only include the colored non-skid but the white non-skid areas as well.

The Starbrite product was rated below the Woody's and above the Aurora product in the Practical Sailor review and the Starbrite product is less expensive than the Aurora product - So I would give that a shot. I actually have about 5 bottles or so of the stuff and only tried a little bit at the end of last season - Not enough of a try to get a good feel for how it works. That is going to be my next maintenance item as soon as they turn the water back on at the dock. I got the 5 bottles for less than $1.00 each ! The Boat US Headquarters is in my neck of the woods and the West Marine Store adjacent to it still has the Boat US name (at least last time I noticed the sign). last year they were getting rid of some of the old stock that still carried "Boat US" name on them and the Starbrite product was one of the products - They had 60-70 bottles of the stuff...maybe more in the back room. So...I picked up 2-3 bottles one day and then decided to pick up more.

Edited by - OLarryR on 03/25/2008 11:36:07

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2008 : 22:17:07

Larry -- Thanks for the input. I was leaning toward the Starbright only because it is so available but just don't want to end up having to pick up my crew from the drink when they head up forward to pull the mooring pennant. Will report back as the project progresses.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2008 : 22:25:14

Tell your crew, "At all times, one hand for the boat, and the other hand for the job." After all, brand new non-skid is covered with brand new (shiny) gelcoat.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/25/2008 22:26:34

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2008 : 22:26:58

Dave: Knowing my crew it's "one hand for the boat and one hand for the beer" . . .

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2008 : 06:26:02

Oh ! Forgot to mention about the concern regarding "skidding" on the non-skid after using one of these products. I do not think that is so much a concern. I used the Aurora product on a good bit of the deck non-skid and it did not make it slippery. That is the intent of these non-skid cleaner/polishes. They are formulated specifically for the non-skid areas to not make it more slippery. I think the Practical Sailor review also indicated this was the case in their reviews of all 3 products.

But the main concer as I see it is the cost ! One bottle ain't goin to do it if you buy the Woody's product. Check out it's cost - it's like liquid gold in a bottle. Then it comes down to the choice between Aurora and Starbrite. The Starbrite was supposeldy rated as a better cleaner/protector than the Aurora and the Starbrite is cheaper. I would give one bottle of Starbrite a shot and see how it works. I have to wait till they turn the water back on the dock in about a week or two.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 05/05/2008 : 23:16:39

The Aurora product worked fine for me but since the Starbrite was less expensive and as I indicated...they were getting rid of the ones still having the Boat US name (for less than a $1.00 a bottle) I bought a bunch of it.

A week or two ago, I used the Boat US/Starbrite product on the cockpit seats - Non-skid areas. It worked fine !

I first used Boat Soap to clean the whole cockpit area and seats. But the seating areas were still dirty looking with contaminants. So, I then used Black Streak Cleaner and that worked well. Then I folowed the instructions for applying the non-skid cleaner.

The Starbrite product is a lot different from the Aurora product. The Aurora product is like a white cream. The Starbrite Product is a liquid cleaner and at first did not seem like it would be leaving anything as a protectorant, though, the bottle indicates it cleans and protects...and Practical Sailor indicated it was pretty good. So...I spread it around and then scrubbed with it per the directions. Turns out that with the scrubbing, the liquid foams up into a lather. It seemd to work fine and the areas are not slippery. I plan to use it on the deck surfaces probably by next week.

The Aurora and Starbrite Products both work well....Not sure which one is better. It comes down to how much of this stuff do you need to do all the non-skid surfaces and the total cost. Maybe not all that great a difference between Aurora and Starbrite, though, they are totally different to look at in the bottle. May wind up with not that big a difference in total cost using either one. But the Woody's Product which is top-rated, is a smaller bottle and costs about 50-60% more than the other products. If it lasts a lot longer....well then maybe it's a viable option as well.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/05/2008 : 23:29:29

I have used Woody's, Aurora and Starbrite. I have settled on Starbrite as cost-effective and easy. I can wash the entire deck and cockpit in 10 minutes using a boat pole with brush attachment. The other products are much more labor intensive. The result is I wash the deck much more often now. It also leaves a protective, non-slippery, coating.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 05/06/2008 : 08:33:19

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by 1981capri
 ...I like to sail bare foot...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 05/06/2008 : 09:32:07

What do you use to clean up fresh blood. We have a rule that you clean up your own toe blood.

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