Boat Detailing Questions

KJW Detailing

KJW Detailing

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Good Evening Fellow Agers,

Today, I received a call from a client, whom left me a message inquiring about having her 32' Rinker Cruiser (outside and deck detailer.)

This is the first time I've been contacted about having a boat detailed. Obviously, I need to speak with the individual to find out what she specifically wants done when she says detailed.

First thing first, can automotive detailing products be used on boats? i.e. Klasse AIO, Megs 105 and 205.

Second, what's the typical going rate for detailing a boat? I was considering 20-25$ per linear foot.

Those of you with boat detailing experience, please lend any suggestions, as well as any reason's why I should take or pass on this job.

Thanks, Kieran
 
for boats these are a must;

wool pads
rotary polisher

also i like aquabuff 1000 and 2000 for gelcoat
 
Would it be worth investing in a Marine 31 detailing Package for one boat? I know that the orbital will come in handy at times, but I have no idea how many boats I'd see.
 
ive never tried the Marine 31 line..i would look to getting a cheap harbour freight rotary until you are sure you will get the money and workload out of a more expensive machine...

while i like the aquabuff line, megs and 3m marine stuff is also pretty good and readily available OTC.
 
PMFJI.... Thought I'd throw this out there. Noticed that Advance had setup some shelf space for Marine 31 stuff the last time I was in there. Over with their seasonal boat and trailer stuff. Nothing on their website, but I know there was at least 4 different sku's.
 
primo spaghetti said:
for boats these are a must;

wool pads
rotary polisher
Click to expand...

Could not agree more

KJW Detailing said:
Would it be worth investing in a Marine 31 detailing Package for one boat? I know that the orbital will come in handy at times, but I have no idea how many boats I'd see.
Click to expand...

I bought some marine 31, also the Megs line of marine items work well. Much cheaper too

primo spaghetti said:
ive never tried the Marine 31 line..i would look to getting a cheap harbour freight rotary until you are sure you will get the money and workload out of a more expensive machine...

while i like the aquabuff line, megs and 3m marine stuff is also pretty good and readily available OTC.
Click to expand...

BINGO! That wat I did, find a 20% off coupon, find a local store and go to town. I did an 18 ft boat and brought it back to life with it and LC wool pads

cardaddy said:
PMFJI.... Thought I'd throw this out there. Noticed that Advance had setup some shelf space for Marine 31 stuff the last time I was in there. Over with their seasonal boat and trailer stuff. Nothing on their website, but I know there was at least 4 different sku's.
Click to expand...

Very interesting as I am looking for some locally. Will have to check my stores
 
I'm also getting some boat inquiries too. A local marina wants to give me some biz, however I too, don't know what to charge and so forth.

I take it with the rotary polisher on the gel coat you need not worry about doing any damage right? Unlike using it on clear...

What's everyone else charge....by the foot or?
 
I don't charge less than $150 no matter what I'm doing to a boat. Any time there is compounding needed i discuss expectations with the client and set a price. Most of my boats are privately owned with only mild imperfections. I usually don't spend more than half a day on them and use strictly automotive products. Rarely pull out a rotary also. Just because you can get really aggressive with gel coat doesn't mean you need to.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online
 
VP Mark said:
I don't charge less than $150 no matter what I'm doing to a boat. Any time there is compounding needed i discuss expectations with the client and set a price. Most of my boats are privately owned with only mild imperfections. I usually don't spend more than half a day on them and use strictly automotive products. Rarely pull out a rotary also. Just because you can get really aggressive with gel coat doesn't mean you need to.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online
Click to expand...

I guess I'm concerned because what if I get a tough boat...really oxidized...a DA will take so much longer....I really need to have a rotary on hand at least.

Had a guy yesterday that wanted a bowrider polished, carpets shampooed and windows done. How the heck do I price that?

Then with boats you have to deal with it being in the water at a slip...can't do the entire hull...etc. seems like one could run into lots of issues...I dunno....maybe not?
 
Triple Shine said:
I guess I'm concerned because what if I get a tough boat...really oxidized...a DA will take so much longer....I really need to have a rotary on hand at least.

Had a guy yesterday that wanted a bowrider polished, carpets shampooed and windows done. How the heck do I price that?

Then with boats you have to deal with it being in the water at a slip...can't do the entire hull...etc. seems like one could run into lots of issues...I dunno....maybe not?
Click to expand...

Whatever you think the client is willing to pay in balance with what you think is fair.

Some guys charge a preset "by the foot" schedule. This can lead to issues in my opinion. Flat rates as it may makes sense sometimes but in my estimation its not smart.

Last boat I did, the customer paid and paid well and didn't flinch at the price


just my 2 cents
 
I'm doing a 24' for 400 bucks...oxidation, scratch, swirl removal/polish/sealant; trailer tires/wheels polished, dressed, and sealed; windows polished; shampooed carpets; upholstery fabric protection; vinyl cleaning and sealing (vinyl was horrible); uv protection on dash and trim

I feel like I completely misquoted....I should have charged 1000$ I've worked on it for I would say....3 full days now....be very careful with boats.

oh and btw. this is my first one...so lesson learned
 
Triple Shine said:
I'm also getting some boat inquiries too. A local marina wants to give me some biz, however I too, don't know what to charge and so forth.

I take it with the rotary polisher on the gel coat you need not worry about doing any damage right? Unlike using it on clear...

What's everyone else charge....by the foot or?
Click to expand...

You can absolutelu still damage gel coat. Gel coat is generally thicker and more forgiving but can definitely get screwed up. Trim/molding can get burned if not taped off.

To the op, i dont advise starting on a 32 foot boat if you havent done one before. Try to practice on friends and families boats. I do a few boats here and there but man can they be difficult! Especially if they are heavily oxidized. Gel coat staind easily and can look uneven and weird if not finished down correctly.
 
Triple Shine said:
I guess I'm concerned because what if I get a tough boat...really oxidized...a DA will take so much longer....I really need to have a rotary on hand at least.

Had a guy yesterday that wanted a bowrider polished, carpets shampooed and windows done. How the heck do I price that?

Then with boats you have to deal with it being in the water at a slip...can't do the entire hull...etc. seems like one could run into lots of issues...I dunno....maybe not?
Click to expand...

I won't do a boat unless it is on a trailer. You need to look at it first and talk to the owner about expectations. I know as detailers we think everything should look perfect but often times our clients don't know the difference between perfect and really good. Most of the time the clients only want to pay for really good but we provide perfect anyway and lose money.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online
 
KJW Detailing said:
Those of you with boat detailing experience, please lend any suggestions, as well as any reason's why I should take or pass on this job.

Thanks, Kieran
Click to expand...


Most important
Tell the customer that you need to see the boat before giving an estimate. You need to both see the boat to determine the condition of the hull and topside and then find out what their expectations are.

Current condition and owner's expectations are going to determine how many steps you do and thus how much time involved.


I teach people to cherry pick their work, that is take the jobs you know you'll like versus taking jobs you'll hate. Invest your time into going after customers with projects you want to work on and let others tackle the rest. I talk about that in my section in Renny Doyle's book as a contributing author.

If you decided to take the job, educate your customer on what is involved or how many steps to take the current condition of the boat to the condition they, (the owner), expects.

Then give them a per hour quote.


If the gel-coat is oxidized, you definitely want a rotary buffer and both wool cutting pads and wool finishing pads. Gel-coats tend to shine up better with fiber pad over foam pads. The darker the color of the gel-coat and the higher the expectations of the owner for the quality of the finish, the more physical work you're going to have to do and the more steps you're going to have to do.


Here's the most recent write-up I have n boat detailing and this was a white gel-coat with colored or pigmented portions of gel-coat also. We did a two step to this boat and it came out awesome.

I'll let the before and after pictures speak for themselves.

Pictures: 2000 Baja 232 Boss High Performance Extreme Makeover

24_Baha_Boat_059.jpg



I have my next boat detailing class coming up on Thursday, June 27 for anyone within driving distance that would like to attend.



:)
 
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