Vertglas recommends you use a soft cloth instead of their special applicator to apply the product to the non-skid. I tried it both ways... didn't seem to matter which one I used. The key is multiple (9)thin coats. By the time you finished one hull, the other was dry, so the process went quickly. First 4 coats didn't look very even, but by 6th and successive coats, it smoothed out and looked great.