Our Marketing Director Maike Kowal donned her teacher hat at Cape Fear Community College last week. On a recent trip just south of the Outer Banks, she took the opportunity to teach 24 students in the Boat Manufacture and Service Program and their guests about BoatLIFE’s high-quality boat repair, boat maintenance, and boat restoration products.
Maike Dons Her Teacher Hat
As part of her tutorial, Maike explained the differences between polysulfides, polyurethane, and silicone-based sealants using PowerPoint slides and other visual aids. Additionally, Maike demonstrated how to use BoatLIFE’s Hot Knife for the easy removal of sealants from deck seams, and the different blades and head sizes available. She also demonstrated how to properly caulk deck seams using BoatLIFE’s Life Seal®. Lastly, Maike showed them how to use “Git”-Rot®, the brand’s two-part liquid epoxy that restores the original strength of rotted wood.
The Importance of a Neutral Cure
In case you missed our blog post on the importance of neutral curing when choosing a boat sealant, Maike facilitated an interactive sniff test, where she had the students and their guests smell the differences between BoatLIFE’s Life Seal (a neutral cure sealant) and another competitor’s marine-grade silicone (an acid cure sealant). The difference in odors was noticeable right away, with the acetic-acid based silicone releasing an intense vinegar-like odor, whereas Life Seal’s acid-free formulation was virtually odorless.
Stay tuned for more of Maike donning her teacher hat as she will be back on the road doing demos at the community college and at upcoming boat shows. If you see her at the BoatLIFE booth, be sure to stop by and say hi!
About Life Industries Corporation
Founded by Mr. Edwin Kehrt on Long Island, New York in 1959, Life Industries formulates, compounds, labels, packages, and ships various chemical compounds. Parent company to BoatLIFE, RVbyLIFE, and AeroLIFE, the organization relocated to its present home in North Charleston, South Carolina in 1995. Grace L. Schmidt, Mr. Kehrt’s daughter, has been president since 1987. This year marks the company’s 65th anniversary.
