# Silicone Bunk Spray



## obrientimm (Jan 28, 2013)

Does anyone have a better cheaper way of keeping their bunks slick to dry launch a boat?


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

Tim,
I just buy WD-40 silicon spray from Home Depot. I buy 2 cans...one for each bunk.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Haven't tried it yet, but lots of people swear by canning wax. Gulf wax, I think it's called.

I plan on giving it a shot this summer.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Gulf wax. Been using it for 15 years.
Might take a couple applications initially, but once it's in the bunk carpet it last a long time.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

gulf wax seems to last the longest


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## Plantation (Nov 24, 2015)

Gulf wax. Only wax 2/3rds of the bunks leaving the bow/forward portion unwaxed. At least try that first before doing all of the bunks. There is such a thing as too slick. This way you can just lift the bow a little and it'll slide right in. Also when putting skiff back on trailer it wont slide back in if you are by yourself and you drive it up far enough.


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## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

Gulf wax had been awesome for me as well.


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## brianacnp (May 18, 2011)

Gulf wax or liquid roller spray.


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2018)

You can also purchas the plastic covers they use on pontoon trailers, not cheap but slick.


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## obrientimm (Jan 28, 2013)

el9surf said:


> Gulf wax. Been using it for 15 years.
> Might take a couple applications initially, but once it's in the bunk carpet it last a long time.


So gulf wax which is a parafin wax? I guess I just rub it on like waxing a surf board. .


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

obrientimm said:


> So gulf wax which is a parafin wax? I guess I just rub it on like waxing a surf board. .


Yeah wait till the bunks are warm from the sun and just rub it into the bunk with a little force. As mentioned leave the top quarter or third of the bunk near the bow unwaxed otherwise the boat will be difficult to unhook.

It usually takes me about two applications on a new bunk carpet about a month or two apart before the wax really gets worked in. Once it's in there it will last for a good while. After that I usually don't have to reapply for 8 months or longer.. It takes about 2 minutes to do.


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## backwaterbandits (Dec 15, 2006)

Yes, Gulf Wax is the deal...Take one "cake" out of the box, put it in a baggie and take it with you when you launch. Drop the boat and when you park, rub the wax on the bunks real good. Let it sit in the sun all day. Rub the wax on it again when you come back. It will take 2 applications and you will be good to go. Like el9surf said, you won't need to reapply for a long time. That box of wax will last you for 10 years!


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I still have the initial box that I bought all those years ago if that tells you how effective it is. Doesn't take much.


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## NativeBone (Aug 16, 2017)

If it helps, not much luck with liquid roller, not to mention it's pricey. Thinking of trying the gulf wax.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Previous thread on this topic. Liquid Rollers is not good for the environment or your health. Surprised it's even on the market.

Gulf wax is the way to go, for sure. Easy off and on and it lasts forever.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Been using gulf wax for years. One application lasts 6+ months. And a $3 box lasts about 4 years.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Boatbrains said:


> You can also purchas the plastic covers they use on pontoon trailers, not cheap but slick.


Good way to take the gel coat of the bottom of your hull.


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## Guest (Apr 28, 2018)

Pretty sure that the plastic has a softer barcol hardness than cured gel coat, but I could be wrong. Have seen a lot of poly on bunks with no issues.


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

I just put HDPE over my bunks. They are slick but I really didn’t consider gel coat issue. The bottom of my boat is well used anyhow.


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## NativeBone (Aug 16, 2017)

So how do you apply the guff wax? Just rub the block into the bunk? Do I need to heat the block first?


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

NativeBone said:


> So how do you apply the guff wax? Just rub the block into the bunk? Do I need to heat the block first?


See above...


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Boatbrains said:


> Pretty sure that the plastic has a softer barcol hardness than cured gel coat, but I could be wrong. Have seen a lot of poly on bunks with no issues.


When sand gets on the bunks and you run your boat up on them then strap it down and drive if around over bumps it’s like an oscillating sander on the gelcoat.


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2018)

Do you believe carpet don’t hold sand?


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

My wife has all sorts of spraywax for furniture. Think I'll give it a try. I already have PVC gutter downspout caps on my bunks. I have a tinny, so no worries about gel coat, either way.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I have seen it first hand on 2 different boats where the gel coat was coming off on the little plastic strips. 
You are also putting all the weight on the little strips instead of spreading the weight out over the whole bunk. To each his own, I won't ever have them on one of my boats.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Boatbrains said:


> Do you believe carpet don’t hold sand?


I’m not going to argue with you bud but I can tell you from firsthand experience hard bunks will ruin the finish on your hull. Carpet has cushion so at least the sand is not between the hull and a hard bunk. Your trailer sits in the parking lot and wind blows sand on your bunks then you back the trailer in and load the boat onto dry bunks with sand on them. Even if you dust them off your bunks will gather road grime while trailering and get in between the hull and bunks in front. I had to refinish the bottom of my last hull once because of it and never had that problem with carpet and millions of others either.


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2018)

Wasn’t wanting to argue myself, the debris will get in there no matter what though, was just defending my suggestion a little. You are right about the carpet providing cushion. I actually prefer carpet on my bunks as it will provide a little grip if front is unwaxed and it doesn’t pound. The plastic is really for aluminum to help keep salt from sitting between the bunk and hull.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Before purchasing and using any chemical product,
always review the Material Safety Data Sheet ( msds).
You will find it available on line for most products.
Those spray on bunk lubes are toxic.
Canning wax, is basically food quality safe.
More important, it's cheap and it works.
Been using it for over 45 years, no complaints.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Brett said:


> Before purchasing and using any chemical product,
> always review the Material Safety Data Sheet ( msds).
> You will find it available on line for most products.
> Those spray on bunk lubes are toxic.
> ...


As someone who's been tasked with writing our MSDS SOP truer words have not been spoken.

Where do you guys buy Gulf Wax. Lowes sure didn't have it.


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## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

Megalops said:


> As someone who's been tasked with writing our MSDS SOP truer words have not been spoken.
> 
> Where do you guys buy Gulf Wax. Lowes sure didn't have it.


Any grocery store has it


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Thank you sir!


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2018)

Megalops said:


> As someone who's been tasked with writing our MSDS SOP truer words have not been spoken.
> 
> Where do you guys buy Gulf Wax. Lowes sure didn't have it.


Publix, or probably any grocery store. It's in the same aisle they sell Mason jars


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## NativeBone (Aug 16, 2017)

Walmart $4 for 4 bricks. Should last me forever


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Ace Hardware is where I bought mine.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Thanks fellas! My wife just got back from Publix and picked up a box. Man, this stuff is hard. Do you just rub the entire bar longwise on bunk until friction starts to melt? Where do you store bar after rubbing? Cooler? I’d imagine it would melt inside truck. Probably over thinking this. Lol.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Sorry, just reread page one!


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2018)

Megalops said:


> Thanks fellas! My wife just got back from Publix and picked up a box. Man, this stuff is hard. Do you just rub the entire bar longwise on bunk until friction starts to melt? Where do you store bar after rubbing? Cooler? I’d imagine it would melt inside truck. Probably over thinking this. Lol.


Just bring one bar with you. About 30 mins before I get back to ramp, I'll pull it out of cooler and put in full sun. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn't completely melt.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Just grab a bar and start grinding it into the bunk with a little force. Helps if the bunks are hot from the sun. Grind it in till you see the white residue all over the bunks might take 10 passes. You will be left with a bar of wax that still looks pretty much whole, maybe a slight groove from the bunk. Reapply in a month and you should be good for a long time. Reapply when you notice the boat starting to have trouble sliding as easily.


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## T Bone (Jul 24, 2014)

Has anyone had the Gulf Wax not work? I have applied it 2-3 times after my trailer has been sitting in the sun and covered about 2/3 of the bunks until they were white. My boat will not come off my trailer now unless i dunk the whole thing. When i used the liquid roller spray, my boat would slide off the trailer great. Wondering if i put too much wax on my bunks or what?


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## E-money (Jul 7, 2016)

T Bone said:


> Has anyone had the Gulf Wax not work? I have applied it 2-3 times after my trailer has been sitting in the sun and covered about 2/3 of the bunks until they were white. My boat will not come off my trailer now unless i dunk the whole thing. When i used the liquid roller spray, my boat would slide off the trailer great. Wondering if i put too much wax on my bunks or what?


I have used gulf wax and I think it works great for the first couple of launches. I have gone to liquid rollers. Gulf wax just wasn't lasting so I don't think it is anything you are doing wrong.


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## GullsGoneWild (Dec 16, 2014)

I'm using gulf wax with no issues. I think it may need to be applied more often than the spray.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I've read enough half way through. Who cares about sand getting on your bunks. If you don't have scratches on hull you are not polling shallow enough. Wax, silicone spray or even cheap dish soap. Try all and use what works best for you.


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## T Bone (Jul 24, 2014)

It never worked once for me. And i applied the wax very liberally three times. It seems like the wax had the opposite effect on my bunks/skiff. Its like glue


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Capnredfish said:


> I've read enough half way through. Who cares about sand getting on your bunks. If you don't have scratches on hull you are not polling shallow enough. Wax, silicone spray or even cheap dish soap. Try all and use what works best for you.


I have plenty of scratches on the bottom of my hull, some very fresh from Thursday’s trip with my lady poling some skinny marsh shorelines. You and I always go back and forth, so be it.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Capnredfish said:


> I've read enough half way through. Who cares about sand getting on your bunks. If you don't have scratches on hull you are not polling shallow enough. Wax, silicone spray or even cheap dish soap. Try all and use what works best for you.


You assume everyone here fishes skinny waters. The sites about small boats, not necessarily flats fishing. I've used gulf wax for years without issue. I won't use silicone spray or any of the others because I've seen how some will discolor a hull. Not to mention the environmental implications.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I’m allowed to assume, even though I could be wrong. I use silicone and my black hull is still black. Have used soap as well. The sand part was in response to guys going back and forth about sand blowing onto bunks. You use wax with good results. Your boat, tow vehicle and all of us cause environmental implications. Pretty much goes with what I said. Use what works for you. Was never calling you out Smack. It was three pages about 3 basic bunk lubricant ideas, not 300 ideas.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

You know how it is on the web. You keep trying to prove your point until you feel enough people agree with you.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Capnredfish said:


> You know how it is on the web. You keep trying to prove your point until you feel enough people agree with you.


Or you find one or two people that you never agree with and beat your chest when they post something you don’t like. Get over yourself, you can take that sandy bar of Gulf Wax, lube it up with some toxic bunk spray and light it on fire for all I care. I’ll come have a beer with you on my way down to the keys next month.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

actually used tranny fluid works the best


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

topnative2 said:


> actually used tranny fluid works the best


Just more oil residue getting into our waters. I wouldn't use it.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Drum roll please....





















Takes a full can to spray down the rear 3/4's of each bunk in a 4 bunk system on a slow slung trailer. I can launch the boat with 2 fingers in spit! Best stuff I've found so far! Cost $8-12 for a can, depending where you find it. 

Btw, wax will capture and hold sand and grit. This stuff wouldn't and can either be sprayed down to remove any or dunk the trailer at the ramp if you've seen any.


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## mark_m (Jul 10, 2018)

Gulf wax has always worked well for me.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Backwater said:


> Just more oil residue getting into our waters. I wouldn't use it.


It was a J-O-K-E!


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

topnative2 said:


> It was a J-O-K-E!


Ha! Ok! You'd be surprised to see how many people would think you were serious tho (including me ) and then some dummy ended up using it. Ha!


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

topnative2 said:


> actually used tranny fluid works the best


cis-gender fluid has too much privilege to be of any use.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

SomaliPirate said:


> cis-gender fluid has too much privilege to be of any use.


good follow thru!!!!!!


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Backwater said:


> Ha! Ok! You'd be surprised to see how many people would think you were serious tho (including me ) and then some dummy ended up using it. Ha!


Well, I googled crc food grade silicone thinking it was a photo shop.................


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

Just curious, how did you get that used tranny fluid?


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Moonshine......just ask Burt.....or Brucie


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

topnative2 said:


> Well, I googled crc food grade silicone thinking it was a photo shop.................


Nope! Spray down your reels and rod guides with it too for a great salt corrosion without feeling that greasy feeling. It only leaves a dry film on it and not toxic since it's not petroleum based. The stuff is crazy versatile. From fly line dressing to putting a few squirts in all my locks. They've never worked so good. Ace hardware carries it, but you can get it cheaper delivered off of ebay to your door cheaper.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CRC-03040-...324615&hash=item33dfa839c2:g:YPcAAOSw-RFaW0uU


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

A properly setup trailer that give the skiff the right attitude goes a lot farther than all of this.

Had trouble dry launching my old copper head with its pos trailer no matter canning wax or silicone. 

Rebuilt a used trailer and set rear bunks as low as possible and front about 3-4” above that and skiff slid off like butter.

Adjust your bunks if possible then apply snake oil.


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## T Bone (Jul 24, 2014)

My trailer is setup properly and had no problem dry launching when using the liquid roller spray. When i made the switch from the spray to the gulf wax, that's when my boat would not budge off the trailer unless it was submerged. That is why i was curious if anyone has had the same experience with the gulf wax? I guess i will be going back to the spray


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## KiKoKiK (Oct 20, 2017)

Gulf Wax. I've tried silicone sprays, liquid rollers, etc..... Gulf Wax worked best for me.


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## KiKoKiK (Oct 20, 2017)

T Bone said:


> My trailer is setup properly and had no problem dry launching when using the liquid roller spray. When i made the switch from the spray to the gulf wax, that's when by boat would not budge off the trailer unless it was submerged. That is why i was curious if anyone has had the same experience with the gulf wax? I guess i will be going back to the spray


My boat wouldn't budge with the silicone sprays. I tried liquid rollers next. It worked, but I still gave Gulf Wax a try. End result, my boat comes off the trailer easiest with gulf Wax. I now alternate between wax and liquid rollers until I run out of spray.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Never heard of gulf wax not working. Used it on every boat I have owned and that's a long list. Only thing I can think of is that you didn't wax the bunk far enough forward toward the bow. If you have a lot of weight forward on an unwaxed bunk it will create enough friction to stick. I actually leave a small portion of the front of the bunk like this intentionally so when I go to lunch I lift up on the bow slightly and push. Otherwise the boat is incredibly difficult to hook and unhook, wants to slide on it's its own. It will lanch with the push of your index finger though if you want it to.


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## Indoman (Jul 25, 2013)

I’ve now put two applications of Gulf Wax on and I must not have put enough on or didn’t apply it far enough up the bunk. So far now real improvement. 

How much should I used and how far up the bunks? I went from the end up to about 6” past the axle. About 60% of each bunk. I’ve used about 30% of one block.

Thoughts?


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I do my whole bunks. I don't remove my strap until it's time to slide into the water so it works well.


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## nautilott (Oct 29, 2017)

OK, I'm convinced. Anyone have a pic of this Gulf Wax of which you speak? I never knew this stuff existed, let alone seen it...and I'm a frequent Publix and WM vagrant. 

The first, and only time I've dry launched my (new to me) Cayo, I popped something in my left forearm and now I can't even brush my teeth without discomfort. I need to buy some of this stuff before my breathe gets nasty.


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## Indoman (Jul 25, 2013)

So far I’ve had better luck with silicone or liquid rollers. This past weekend I covered most of the bunks again ...and when I went to run the boat up on the trailer, it felt VERY sticky. Will see how it comes off this weekend. I plan to bring a stiff nylon brush and may end up removing what I can and going back to silicone.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

nautilott said:


> OK, I'm convinced. Anyone have a pic of this Gulf Wax of which you speak? I never knew this stuff existed, let alone seen it...and I'm a frequent Publix and WM vagrant.
> 
> The first, and only time I've dry launched my (new to me) Cayo, I popped something in my left forearm and now I can't even brush my teeth without discomfort. I need to buy some of this stuff before my breathe gets nasty.












Look for it by the Bell jars - it is used for canning veggies


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I wonder if you guys with issues with the GulfWax being sticky has to do with the type of hull coating? Are your hulls gel coated or something else like Awl Grip coating?


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## nautilott (Oct 29, 2017)

yobata said:


> Look for it by the Bell jars - it is used for canning veggies


Thanks, now I know what to look for.



Smackdaddy53 said:


> I wonder if you guys with issues with the GulfWax being sticky has to do with the type of hull coating? Are your hulls gel coated or something else like Awl Grip coating?


I was thinking the same...only more like the type of carpet on the bunks.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

I've applied Gulf Wax a couple times to the entire carpeted bunks and side bunks. You can see the wax embed into the carpet on a hot summer day. Skiff slides off now slicker than snot on a raincoat. 

Regular gel coat on the Beavertail hull and marine grade gray carpet on my Rolls trailer.


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## Indoman (Jul 25, 2013)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I wonder if you guys with issues with the GulfWax being sticky has to do with the type of hull coating? Are your hulls gel coated or something else like Awl Grip coating?[/QUOT
> 
> Gelcoat


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