scalisemarine

Hey Wiley, David and I will be attending the MAATS part of the show as buyers for Scalise Marine, staying at the Westin. We will keep an eye out for you, it'll be nice to meet you in person after all these years. -randy

A little truly does go a long way, but I use 1/4 bottle on my car. I would imagine you boat would require much more. The biggest error people make is using too much product since no matter how much you cake on, it still only leaves a micro thing coating when you buff it out. Anything more than just enough to cover the surface thoroughly is wasting money and adding to your work load to get it off. That being said, I have noticed that the first time you use a good polish, after removing the old stuff of course, the finish will be shiny in spots and dull in others. This is normal as the first coat is more of a sealer than a high gloss. Adding a second coat will really bring out the shine. If you are going to use Rejex or any other quality polish, stick with it after the first application instead of mixing with whatever you or your detailer have on hand. A good polish works best when it is used consistently because it will bond to itself adding protection with every application. Unlike wax, buid-up with a polish is a good thing since it will not turn on you.

7 years is good for a Sunbrella top, it usually needs retreating at about 5 years. There are a number of sealants for Sunbrella but as stated earlier, the 303 Fabric Guard is the one recommended by Sunbrella and the only one to my knowledge that is allowed to display the Sunbrella logo on the label. It is easy to apply, just light overlapping coats and let dry thoroughly. Yes, it may be a bit pricey, but it is really good stuff and can easily be found in most major marine stores. I spoke in length with the Sunbrella rep about retreating and how, on another forum, the buzz was to apply Thompsons Water Seal on the canvas and never worry about another leak. The rep says this is truly a bad idea as it makes the canvas brittle. For the seam lines, look for a product called PlastiSeam. You can still find it in 2 oz size with an applicator top but this size has been discontinued so they will be becoming scarce in the near future. Another option is parafin wax (candle wax) but that has a tenancy to melt out in time. Stay away from silicone based sealers, they will never truly dry and will end up attracting dirt leaving you with a stripe on the top. On a side note the Sunbrella Rep tells me that Sunbrella has upgraded their weaving process, the threads are much tighter now. New fabrics (since October) now come with an awesome 10 year warranty instead of the old 5 years. Of the ten, the first eight are full coverage and the last two pro-rated. Hope this helps, Randy

You have been missed and I wish you great success with this venture.