Star brite

Star brite in South Africa

Star brite says it has developed and made appearance, maintenance and performance products since 1973. It's headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with manufacturing in Montgomery, Alabama, and it describes many of its staff as boaters and anglers themselves. Our range is its boat care side: salt removal, washing, stain removal, waxing, and care for vinyl, canvas, tubes, bilges and fuel. The brand also makes products for RVs, cars and home care.

Salt removal for boats and dive gear

Fresh water moves loose salt around, but dried crystals in seams, hinges and engine passages stay put. Salt Off Concentrate is made to dissolve them, and Star brite lists dive gear, fishing rods and reels among its uses, alongside hulls, trailers and an outboard's cooling system. Leave it on for 10 to 30 minutes, then rinse. About 30 ml topped up with fresh water refills a spray bottle. The Salt Off Applicator fits between a garden hose and a trigger nozzle, mixes the concentrate into the water as you spray, and has a knob to switch to plain water for the rinse. It's sold on its own, so order the concentrate with it. See more in scuba maintenance and cleaning.

Washing the boat

For the routine wash after every launch, Boat Wash and Wax Concentrate washes and leaves a layer of UV protection in one bucket; about 30 ml makes 3.8 litres of wash. Power Pine Boat Wash is the one for decks, fish boxes and wet kit lockers, as it cleans and deodorises without stripping wax. Inflatable tubes need their own product: the Inflatable Boat and Fender Cleaner Protector is formulated for PVC, Hypalon and neoprene, and leaves a coating that helps shield a dive RIB's tubes from sun and salt.

Stains and the waterline

A brown scum line after weeks on a dam or a mooring calls for Instant Hull Cleaner, an oxalic acid formula you wipe on, leave for two minutes and rinse off. Star brite recommends rubber gloves and temperatures of 10 C or warmer. For rust streaks and stains on vertical surfaces, the Fibreglass Stain Remover is a gel spray that clings to a hull side or transom instead of running off. Test a small area first and keep it off fabric and decals.

Wax and polish: match it to the oxidation

Choose by the state of the gelcoat. A hull with no or light oxidation needs the Marine Polish, which seals and protects. Light to medium chalking calls for the Cleaner Wax, which cleans and protects in one application. A coloured hull that has gone pale and chalky needs the Restorer Wax, which removes medium to heavy oxidation without a separate rubbing compound. Wash the boat first and work in small areas.

Bilge, fuel and engine

Heavy Duty Bilge Cleaner goes into the bilge and the boat's motion does the scrubbing: run for at least an hour, then pump out. Boats of 7 m or longer take the whole bottle. For boats that sit between trips, StarTron Enzyme Fuel Treatment stabilises fuel for up to 24 months; one 30 ml bottle treats 30 L on the first dose and 60 L on refills. Two-stroke outboards take the 2-Cycle Engine Oil TC-W3, at the engine maker's ratio.

Vinyl, canvas and the rest

Seats and console covers get the Vinyl Brite Protector or the Vinyl Cleaner and Polish. Biminis, covers and dive boat canopies are cleaned with the Sail and Canvas Cleaner, then treated with the Water-Based Waterproofing Spray. The Corrosion Blocker protects trailers, hardware and tools, Liquid Electrical Tape seals wiring splices, and the Paddlesports Cleaner and Protectant looks after kayaks and boards. Browse the full range in boat care and cleaning.