Maintaining a boat properly is crucial to its performance and reliability, has a huge impact on how good the boat looks (which in turn affects resale value), and is an absolute must. Of course, things will still wear out over time and pieces-parts will need to be replaced. As one might expect, that means there are a lot of supplies you’ll need in order to do everything from fixing a chink in the gel coat to making that weathered teak look like new again. One important thing to keep in mind: it’s absolutely critical you only use marine-grade products when maintaining and repairing your boat. Caulks and sealants are a great example. The stuff they sell for use in a home simply cannot and will not hold up over time in the marine environment. Everything on a boat is constantly subjected to moisture, sunlight, and in many situations salty spray as well—so you simply can’t substitute the materials made for boat maintenance and repairs with those intended for use on dry land.