Boat Detailing. Products Needed???
- Thread starter Mr. Vic
- Start date
Definitely invest in gel coat specific products or pass on it. Meguiars and Collinite have great product lines specifically formulated for boat/RV use.
Be prepared to spend a lot longer than you think. I'd charge $15 a foot if the boat is in decent shape and needs no compounding to $25 per foot if it is in bad shape. The vinyl can be a pain to clean because of the exposure to sea/lake air, sweat and suntan lotion and every single cushion you lift up will have a compartment underneath to clean out. The carpet is usually not to bad to clean. The gel coat can be tough, especially if it is oxidized or has a lot of hard water spots.
You also have to find out how far down the sides of the boat the owner wants polished and sealed because if it is on the trailer, getting the bottom is going to be tough. I'd find out exactly what he wants done and see the boat in person before you decide whether to take the job or not.
Be prepared to spend a lot longer than you think. I'd charge $15 a foot if the boat is in decent shape and needs no compounding to $25 per foot if it is in bad shape. The vinyl can be a pain to clean because of the exposure to sea/lake air, sweat and suntan lotion and every single cushion you lift up will have a compartment underneath to clean out. The carpet is usually not to bad to clean. The gel coat can be tough, especially if it is oxidized or has a lot of hard water spots.
You also have to find out how far down the sides of the boat the owner wants polished and sealed because if it is on the trailer, getting the bottom is going to be tough. I'd find out exactly what he wants done and see the boat in person before you decide whether to take the job or not.
RTexasF
Pay Attention Boy...
Another product that is a must is Amazing Roll Off, a marine cleaner. It, along with muscle & a scrub brush, will clean non skid gel coat flooring when nothing else will touch it. Smooth gel coat is a non effort.
imported_themightytimmah
New member
If you rub your hand on it and it's chalky... *run away*. Oxidized or otherwise distressed gelcoat really requires a rotary and wool pads - via PC your best bet is gonna be to hit it with Meg's #67 and an orange pad - I like to follow that with Collinite on a black LC.
1+ for the Bow to Stern lineup from properboatcare.com. I used the polish and polish/sealant AIO. Very easy and friendly product in the sun. I also used their All marine cleaner...work great on black streaks, vinyl,and most everything else. I did however use Megs Flagship wash. I read great things about the wash and decided to use it instead of the BTS wash.
Envious Eric
New member
dont need a kit...
get a gel coat wax
gel coat compound
gelcoat glaze
vinyl cleaner
wool pads
rotary
ONR
maybe even some kind of water spot remover, but if compounding, not necessary
it took me about 4 hours to wash and wax and clean the seats on a 24' boat with minor interior cleaning, along with washing and waxing the trailer and wheels
get a gel coat wax
gel coat compound
gelcoat glaze
vinyl cleaner
wool pads
rotary
ONR
maybe even some kind of water spot remover, but if compounding, not necessary
it took me about 4 hours to wash and wax and clean the seats on a 24' boat with minor interior cleaning, along with washing and waxing the trailer and wheels
I just detailed a 25 foot Cris Craft last weekend and used the Collinite Fiberglass Boat Cleaner (No. 920) and followed it up with the Collinite Insulator Boat Wax (No. 845) - and applied everything by hand no less with excellent results.
The cleaner wasn't too abrasive but then it wasn't able to get out some of the more oxidized areas of the boat. However, there was definitely a difference in those areas.
Using the Collinite was easy too (my first time using it, btw). The cleaner is liquid and can be applied fairly easily but will dust up a bit when wiping off. The wax has an almost jelly consistency and spreads onto the surfaces very easily with no dusting when wiping/buffing.
The cleaner wasn't too abrasive but then it wasn't able to get out some of the more oxidized areas of the boat. However, there was definitely a difference in those areas.
Using the Collinite was easy too (my first time using it, btw). The cleaner is liquid and can be applied fairly easily but will dust up a bit when wiping off. The wax has an almost jelly consistency and spreads onto the surfaces very easily with no dusting when wiping/buffing.
MBurnickas
New member
I just polished a boat a couple weeks ago, I hit it with AIO followed by Collinite 845 in the sun-no problems. It had some swirls but I talked the guy out of compounding them because it was a white boat and you could barely see them. You don't want to level gel coat unless you know what you are doing. It's not that difficult, you just don't want to mess up, painting a gel coat has a ridiculous price tag. If there is stripes you can deswirl those and leave the white part as is. You can usually get away with that if you tell the owner to call a body shop and find out what it is to repaint a boat. Plus it is a royal pita to do the under stuff like Scott said, especially where it sits on the trailer. To do it right you need a boat forklift. With boats you need at least a PC and a AIO of some type. I think most people would agree that everytime you detail a boat you need to clean wereas sometimes you can get away with it when detailing a car. Collinite is good stuff for boats too, even their non boat specific stuff like 845. I can relate what Scott said about mildew too.
http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/90390-bad-mildew-vinyl.html
http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/90390-bad-mildew-vinyl.html
imported_mirrorfinishman
New member
Mr. Vic said:
Polishing and waxing a boat in the sun can be a problem with any product. Carnauba waxes are rather difficult in the sun, since they have a tendency to harden up very quickly. On the other hand, polymer sealants are a bit easier in the sun. The key is to try to work earlier in the day, when the sun's rays are not that intense. Another tip is to coordinate your work so that you are always working on the shady side of the boat. That is not always possible, but it is something to keep in mind. Especially when you are work on a boat that is very large.
Here are a few more tricks for those who are really beginning to get into boat detailing. Always try to wash the boat on a rainy day. It uses a lot less water, since you very rarely have to rinse and it gives you something to do on a rainy day when other detailing jobs are postponed due to the rain. Try to get to polishing and waxing the upper areas of the boat(the areas that will receive full sun) early in the day. That will help to avoid working in the sun when the surface is extremely hot. And as already mentioned, always try to plan your work so that you are polishing and waxing on the shady side of the boat.
In summary, work smarter, not harder.