Vasoline for boat hulls!

fatlazyless · 06-07-2011, 06:26 AM

This might sound a little bit weird except that it works good. Got an old kayak or fiberglass canoe or sailboat that is looking like it has been out in the sun too long and has that died out - el dirty & tired look to it. For about two dollars at a store like Family Dollar, you can pick up a large container of vasoline, and using a small abrasive backed sponge, simply rub vasoline all over that old kayak to make it look like new again.

If the kayak has caught a case of kayak mildew, that black stuff that grows in the scratches, then first it should be scrubbed down with a solution of bleach-dish detergent-hot water and rinsed good before getting the vasoline rub down.

Who knew that plain old vasoline, which is dirt cheap, like $2.40 for a huge container, could do such a good job of restoring old plastic boat hulls, and is much easier to apply than boat wax.

It seems like it improves the performance paddle-ability of a kayak too, because there will be less friction between the water and the kayak hull, so the kayak will slide through the water a greater distance with each paddle stroke. No kidd'n around, this stuff really improves the paddle-abilty for a kayak!

06-07-2011, 06:26 AM	#1
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,724 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,000 Times in 729 Posts	Vasoline for boat hulls! This might sound a little bit weird except that it works good. Got an old kayak or fiberglass canoe or sailboat that is looking like it has been out in the sun too long and has that died out - el dirty & tired look to it. For about two dollars at a store like Family Dollar, you can pick up a large container of vasoline, and using a small abrasive backed sponge, simply rub vasoline all over that old kayak to make it look like new again. If the kayak has caught a case of kayak mildew, that black stuff that grows in the scratches, then first it should be scrubbed down with a solution of bleach-dish detergent-hot water and rinsed good before getting the vasoline rub down. Who knew that plain old vasoline, which is dirt cheap, like $2.40 for a huge container, could do such a good job of restoring old plastic boat hulls, and is much easier to apply than boat wax. It seems like it improves the performance paddle-ability of a kayak too, because there will be less friction between the water and the kayak hull, so the kayak will slide through the water a greater distance with each paddle stroke. No kidd'n around, this stuff really improves the paddle-abilty for a kayak! __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!