Sounds like lithium grease. Starts white, but gets grey or light brown with age.
Any waterproof grease will do, I typically use silicone grease as it's cheap and has a very wide range of uses on boats, plus it's clear so less messy if you get it on your clothes. If you're short on space, get some Superlube, which is fancy silicone grease with PTFE mixed in, giving it an even wider range of uses, but at higher cost. Winch/furler grease will also do and is typically silicone or calcium based.