The Outdoor Line Forum

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My 3 year old aluminum boat hull had oxidized to the
extent it had an old / dull appearance.
After much work with abrasives I have a bright new aluminum hull back. Before it goes in the water again it will have 2 coats of Sharkhide applied to seal & keep the aluminum looking like new.
So...advice to buyers of new aluminum boats....apply Sharkhide to
your new hull before it ever goes into the water. This is vital to keep
unpainted aluminum looking like new.
Boiler Up !

That's a great tip and thanks for filling us in!
Did you take any before and after pictures?

That stuff is amazing. I've had it on my boat for about 4 years and it's so great not to have to polish out that saltwater line off my hull every 3 times out. I love that stuff

Anyone know where I can find some Sharkhide? Looked all over the Tacoma area: J and G Marine Supply, West Marine as well as Sportco. Everyone knew about it but don't carry it. Seems odd... Is there more to the story?

Update to my last post... Found a can of the Sharkhide via the internet as it seems none of the locals want to carry it for some reason. I washed my boat and dried it well and then applied to all the aluminum surfaces as the instructions suggested. Didn't have a cotton diaper lying around (praise the good Lord) so used an old white T-shirt folded up. Long applications back and forth. Did the entire 21 ft boat in a little over an hour. Surprisingly easy going. No streaks and dried quickly. I am happy with the results and now ready to get back in the salt to see how it holds up.

One tip:
buy fender sleeves.

The fenders will attract salt from the water and rub between the fenders and the boat acting like sand paper. This will rub a hole in the sharkhide and you will have oxidized spots where your fenders hit the dock.

A sleeve on the fenders and regular application of sharkhide are necessary.

-Good Luck