Boat Detailers!

G

googledude

New member
Few questions for you. It's a market I'm trying to reach out to but have not done before so it's a bit difficult.



First of all...What services do you provide to a boat that is IN THE WATER?



What do you do for the interiors?



I've got 5 local marinas that I will be targeting in about a 3 weeks. Any information you have to offer someone who has not detailed a boat before would be aweomse and greatly appreciated.



I am going to detail my aunt an uncles' 38' something or other power boat for free for the pratice and to get a fell without being on a tight timetable.



Anything I should watch out for. Mabye some helpful terminology would be great too!



Thanks WAY in advance for anyone who replies with some information!



Mark
 
Along the same line of this post, I would like to know what to use to remove mineral/ and water deposits from the haul of a boat, might be doing one this weekend. I heard acid, but I'd like more options. Thanks Gary
 
Hey Mark,



Thanks for a good post!



To get you started, here's a link to a boat detailing article that was published in Professional Car Care Magazine:

http://www.carwash.com/article.asp?IndexID=6630457



-----------------------------------------



Get on board with boat detailing.



A natural extension of auto detailing, boat detailing offers few barriers to entry.



Summary: For detailers living near waterways, boat detailing can be a natural extension of auto detailing, with few barriers to entry. Getting started can be relatively easy, but there are a number of considerations before taking on those first customers.



http://www.carwash.com/article.asp?IndexID=6630457
 
Hey Gary,



There are products available at most boat supply stores that will easily remove mineral/ and water deposits from the hull of a boat.



One product that comes to mind is called On/Off. It is an acid base type product so you will want to wear rubber gloves. You simply wipe it on and then about five minutes later you wipe it off and the residue is gone.



Another trick is to use household bleach. This works especially well on white fiberglass and if there is not much staining involved. It's a lot safer than the acid type products too.



It is always a good idea to follow any of these processes with a cleaner compound and polish.
 
Boat detailing is hard work but profits are great.

I have done everything to detail boats of the water, to hanging someone upside down so they can reach the hull while it was in the water (not very safe).



I enjoy detailing boats more then cars
 
NY detailer said:


I have done everything to detail boats of the water, to hanging someone upside down so they can reach the hull while it was in the water (not very safe).



Click to expand...



Lol @ hanging upside down.



I have phobia of water and hanging upside down trying to clean anything over the water is out of the question! I will try to keep my boating business on land out of water as much as possible. I guess you could wash a boat in the water but could you really detail the sides?
 
googledude said:
Lol @ hanging upside down.



I have phobia of water and hanging upside down trying to clean anything over the water is out of the question! I will try to keep my boating business on land out of water as much as possible. I guess you could wash a boat in the water but could you really detail the sides?
Click to expand...



yes you can, but you are limited to the water line. I have detailed many boats that are in the water. as long as they are docked you will not have a problem.
 
Usually, you can do a full detailing, which includes the hull(above the water line) in the spring, before the boat goes in the water.



Then you can always do dockside detailings during the season while the boat is in the water, which would include everything above the rub-rail(no hull).



Then there is the pre-winter detailing which takes place after the boat is out of the water, before it is put a way for winter storage.



That is how it works here in New Jersey.
 
That was a great artical in "carwashing".



Just had a few questions for you Frank. The aproximate 2 Feet per hour rate - Is that for the out of water, rubrail up or pre winter detail? How do you adjust your price per foot for the different services?



Oh by the way - greetings from LBI!



Thanks - Tim
 
Hey Tim,



That two feet per hour rate is basically for the complete boat when it's out of the water, such as during a spring detailing. Keep in mind that's just the way it seems to average out. Some boats could take a little longer and some a little less time.



The way to adjust your prices for different services is to figure out the percentage of time required to do the service compared to a full spring detailing.



For example; a summertime dockside detailing which includes everything above the rub-rail usually takes about two thirds as much time as a complete (out-of-the-water) detailing. So, if a full detail costs $600 then a summertime dockside detailing would cost $400 or two thirds of the full detail price. (note: if someone just wanted the hull polished and waxed, then that would be about $200 or one third the time and price of a full detailing)



Another example would be a pre-winter detail that usually takes about one third of the full detail time would then cost about one third of the full price. In the example above a pre-winter detail would be priced at $200 or about one third the full price.



Remember, these are just estimates. You should always base your own prices on the hourly rate you have set for your business, multiplied by the actual time that you think the job will take to complete.
 
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