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Hi guys,

Getting a one year old CS22 in a couple weeks. I signed up for moorage/storage at the Rack n Stack Skylaunch in Seattle. I have zero experience owning a boat let alone caring for a beautiful Cobalt, so I'm pretty nervous about how to keep her looking new. I only have a tonneau snap cover so im wondering what sort of UV exposure it will be receiving on the rack and how worried/preventative minded I need to be considering that. Let's start with cleaning products though .

I see SIX 303 products on Amazon. I added them all to my cart. Any particular winners or losers you can comment on? No clue on how much/how frequent to use some of these products or if at all.

303 Marine Clear Protective Cleaner -

303 Products Marine Aerospace Protectant – UV Protection -

303 Multi-Surface Cleaner - Safely Cleans All Water Safe Surfaces -

303 Products Marine Quick Wax- Easy Spray On W- 90 Days Of Protection - Provides a Slick, Protective, Glossy Shine - Use On Wet / Dry Surfaces - Carnauba Wax -

303 Products Marine Boat Wash with UV Protectant - For A Deep Clean, Spot Free Shine - 30 Day UV Protection -

303 Products Marine Speed Detailer - Instantly Shines And Protects - UV Protection - Protects Against Fading -

I also added to my cart a collapsible bucket, a hose, and some brushes and some Microfiber towels. I figure I'll be able to wash it down in one of the on land "courtesy bays" between uses occasionally. Or do I have to bust out the bucket and wash and wax it every time it comes out of the water?

Thanks in advance!

edit: I just noticed I cant add amazon links to a post. I'll remove them cause it seems it really messed up the formatting of the post.
edit 2: just read a discussion from 2015 - viewtopic.php?t=101 - however im not sure there was a consensus on there... first its talk of Spraynine, then someone even mentioned just using Scrubbing Bubbles on most things. Then there is endorsement of Boat Bling. also 303 is in the mix. I will say Boat Bling has at least 8 Marine products. 303 at least 6.. Both of those options sound... overwhelming.. Where are y'all on this topic nowadays?

Congratulations on your new boat - pictures when you get it!
As far as care and cleaning - the main thing with a boat is keep it clean and waxed - depending on the area and exposure that could be once a year or 3 or 4 times a year. If in salt water a fresh water rinse is really needed after every use.
As far as products, everyone has their favorites 303 Products are generally considered very good - I use them myself. But you don't need a shelf full of different products - no more than what you use on your car.

Here is what I like:
303 Products Marine Aerospace Protectant – UV Protection -
There are two kinds, one is for fabric and one is for vinyl (like Armour All but much better).
Fabric protector, use to treat/waterproof canvas and covers - Use once a year.
Vinyl protector, use on vinyl seats and other vinyl finshes (that vinyl like material Cobalt uses to finish dashes etc) - as needed.

303 Products Marine Quick Wax- Easy Spray On W- 90 Days Of Protection - Provides a Slick, Protective, Glossy Shine - Use On Wet / Dry Surfaces - Carnauba Wax -
Never used the 303 quick wax, but some type of spray wax is a must - use between real waxing. Usually spray it on while boat it wet from washing. And wipe dry - like it says, a quick wax job.

As far as frequence -- that's really "as needed". I do the full on wax once a year. Boat get's washed and a coat of spray wax once a month. If the lift driver is not to busy I will give it a quick wipedown at the end of the day when they are putting it up - but not always. When we are swimming I take a lap around the boat with a sponge. We are in a very clean freshwater lake - if you are in salt or dirty water frequency could be much different. Leaving the boat wet with salt water is the worst.

303 Products Marine Boat Wash with UV Protectant - For A Deep Clean, Spot Free Shine - 30 Day UV Protection -
Never used this one either - I like Star Brite boat wash with wax, but I am sure the 303 is good also. You need some type of wash / soap.

303 Products Marine Speed Detailer - Instantly Shines And Protects - UV Protection - Protects Against Fading -
I use this and love it. Good on just about every surface include glass. I use it for a quick wipedown (removes water spots) and on all the interior surfaces except the vinyl seats (more on vinyl in a min.) Also great on glass and stainless.

Other things I keep for boat cleaning:
Spray 9 -
This is a great all purpose cleaner - practically every boater uses this stuff. I use it on vinyl seats (followed by 303 vinyl protector), on the SeaDeck flooring or swimdeck and in the bilge. It will clean just about anything and harms nothing that I have found. I don't over use it on the seats, once or twice a year as needed.

Wax - there are dozens of marine waxes, most are pretty good. Try a few and pick for yourself. I personally like Meguiars Flagship and Meguiars Cleaner wax. I use the cleaner wax like a polish and follow it with Flagship.

Get yourself a decent random orbital buffer - you can't wax a boat by hand like a car -- you will kill yourself.
In general keep bleach and household cleaners away from your boat - there are a few special cases, but not many. They will damage the vinyl, ruin stitching - stick to the products made for boats -- products like 303, StarBrite etc.

Get a good bush - from somewhere like StarBrite or Shurehold - one with a telescoping handle.
And a 5gal bucket - I keep one on my boat with all of my supplies in it along with a bin for microfiber towels - ready to go.
This is not hard stuff - you'll figure out the products you like and end up with a handful things that will get the job done.
Cobalt's are beautiful boats, I enjoy keeping mine looking good!

One other thing about UV exposure and being rack stored - I am inside a building so it's not an issue. If you are outside and exposed you might consider either purchasing a cover with "skirts" I have one for my boat that I use in winter - it basically has a skirt that hangs over and around the sides. I see a lot of Cobalts at my marina with this type of cover.

Test post with Amazon link to 303 Marine spray

https://a.co/d/8COPnPb

Edit - it does seem to work on the mobile app, but not on the web page on mobile. I had to manually copy the short link to get it to work via the web page on mobile.

billk2632 wrote: Mon Apr 08, 2024 7:41 pm Congratulations on your new boat - pictures when you get it!
As far as care and cleaning ...
IMG_0652.JPEG

You're a legend for breaking this down! I appreciate you mentioning at the end it's really not that difficult to get a proper routine going.

I will keep an eye for other similar boats at the marina and see what they are doing for UV exposure. I didn't know the was a skirt like cover option. It might depend a bit on which slot they stick me in, I suppose some are probably much more exposed than others.

Yes I'll post a couple pics when she arrives. Here's a sneak peek though -

Nice! Looks like blue/w grey striping - I like it.
Hey, here is another good resource for boat care, from Cobalt's website:

https://cobaltboats.com/owners/#knowledgebase

I'll add that the 303 mold and mildew cleaner + blocker is a great thing to have on hand. It's hard getting mold/mildew out of vinyl, but this does as well as anything I've seen.

For upholstery, I've had great success with OxiClean Total Interior. It's a foam with two brushes attached. Easy on/easy off.

When the cover's on, try to keep it from touching the upholstery. Those "touch spots" can cause ugly, and impossible to remove, blemishes.

Mothers CMX Surface Prep
Fireglaze Plus
303 Original
303 Speed Detailer
3M Metal Restorer & Polish