the best thing that I have used on my boats to protect these areas is the 3M clear bra material. You can find it on ebay for a good price for bumper size roll. It allows you to cover the areas that will receive wear such as the splashwell where hoses make contact, front step area to keep shoes from scratching gel when entering boat, passenger side rod areas, etc. It will not yellow overtime and will remain there until you are ready to remove it. There is also no adhesive to remove should you decided to replace the piece. Just pull up and apply another. Hope this helps.
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