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Boat Detailing & Ceramic Coating

What Does Your Boat Need?

Every boat comes in a little different. Some need a wash and fresh protection. Some need real correction to pull oxidation out of the gel coat. I match the work to the boat, then give you a price you can count on before I start.

Want a number right now? Answer two quick questions for a ballpark. A firm price comes after I see the boat.

The Work Ceramic Maintenance Marine Services

Why Eastern Shore Boats Age Faster

Before you spend a dollar on detailing, it helps to know what you're fighting. A boat kept around Ocean City and the Delmarva bays takes more abuse than most people expect, and it comes from two directions at once.

Salt Never Takes a Day Off

Whether your boat runs out of the inlet or stays in the bay, it's breathing salt air the whole season. Salt is hygroscopic, so it holds moisture against the gel coat. That constant damp-salt film is what dries out wax in a few weeks and works into the surface once the protection thins out.

Sun Does the Actual Damage

UV breaks the resin down at the top of the gel coat. Once it does, that layer goes dull, then white and chalky. That chalk is oxidation.

Most wax is carnauba based, and carnauba starts to soften around 180 degrees. A dark hull in July sun gets into that range, so the wax doesn't wear off gradually, it cooks off. That's why wax gives you 2 to 4 weeks down here. A sealant isn't wax. The one I use, Hyper Hold Pro, doesn't break down until 220 degrees, so the same July sun that cooks carnauba off doesn't touch it. It holds 3 to 6 months. When protection runs out and nothing replaces it, UV goes to work on the gel coat, and a boat that looked sharp in May can go flat and dull by August.

How Oxidation Builds Over One Season

You don't wake up to a chalky boat overnight. It happens in stages, and each one is easier and cheaper to deal with than the one after it.

Spring launch

Protected and glossy

Fresh out of winter storage with wax or sealant on the gel coat. Water beads up and the finish is slick, because UV is bouncing off the protection instead of hitting the surface.

Mid-summer, peak UV

Protection wearing thin

June and July put down the hardest sun of the year. Wax is long gone and sealant is thinning. Water stops beading the way it did in May. The gel coat is starting to take UV directly, even if it still looks fine.

Late summer into fall

Active chalking

With nothing left protecting it, UV goes after the resin at the top of the gel coat. The color goes flat first. Then it turns white and chalky, and your hand comes away with it. That chalk is oxidation, and it takes machine correction to remove. A wash and wax won't touch it.

Two Things Set the Price

Price comes down to two questions. What kind of shape the gel coat is in, and how far you want to take it. Answer those and the work sorts itself out.

Is It Oxidized?

Run your hand across the gel coat. A clean hand with no chalk means the finish just needs a polish and fresh protection. White chalky residue on your palm means oxidation, and that takes machine correction to remove. Dark hulls show it faster than white ones.

How Far Do You Want to Take It?

A wash and seal keeps a clean boat clean. A full correction brings the gloss back on a faded finish. Ceramic coating adds 12 to 24 months of protection on top. Your call, and I'll walk you through what makes sense for how you use the boat.

Four Kinds of Work

Most jobs fall into one of these. The right one depends on the shape your gel coat is in and how much protection you want. Not sure which fits? Send photos, or run the calculator for a ballpark.

In Good Shape

Wash & Seal

Clean, protected, ready to run

A full exterior and interior clean with fresh sealant on every surface. No machine correction. This is the right call when the gel coat is already in good shape and you just want it clean and protected for the season.

Best for: Newer boats, well-kept finishes, spring commissioning, keeping a good boat good

Get Your Price
Light Swirls

Polish

Bring the gloss back

A machine polish with Elevate to cut light swirls and haze, then sealed to lock in the shine. No heavy compound, no oxidation removal. The move when a finish looks dull or flat but hasn't gone chalky.

Best for: Swirl marks and light haze on a finish that isn't chalky yet

Get Your Price
Most Common

Full Correction

Oxidation gone, shine restored

Multi-step machine correction for a chalky, oxidized finish. I compound with Level-R to cut through the oxidation, refine with Elevate, then seal it. Heavy cases and dark gel coat get extra steps. This is what a boat usually needs after a season or two in the salt and sun.

Best for: Oxidation, chalky gel coat, dark hulls, boats that have sat outside, getting a boat ready to sell

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Long-Term Protection

Ceramic Coating

12 to 24 months of protection

Correction first, then a two-layer ceramic coating on the surfaces that take the most sun and spray. Repel Pro soaks into the gel coat, then Kraken or Thor seals on top. It beads water hard and makes wash-downs quick all season.

Best for: Owners who want the longest protection and less upkeep between details

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How I Bring the Gel Coat Back

Oxidation isn't dirt, so you can't wash it off. It's a dead, UV-burned layer sitting on top of good gel coat. Correction is the process of cutting that dead layer away and refining what's underneath until it shines again. Here's how that actually goes, and why each step is there.

1

Read a test spot

I start on a small section before I touch the rest of the boat. A test spot tells me how deep the oxidation goes and how the gel coat responds, and it confirms there's enough thickness left to correct safely. Gel coat is a finite layer. Knowing what I'm working with before I commit to the whole hull is how you avoid buffing through it.

2

Heavy cut with Level-R on the rotary

This is the step that removes the oxidation. Level-R is a heavy cut compound run on a rotary with a wool pad, and it shears off the dead, chalky top layer to expose fresh gel coat. A rotary does the real cutting work here. A random orbital alone won't pull heavy oxidation.

3

Refine with Elevate on the dual action

Heavy cutting leaves fine swirls and holograms behind. I follow with Elevate, a lighter polish, on a dual action machine to clear those out and bring up the gloss. This is the step that turns "corrected" into "clear," so the finish reflects cleanly instead of hazing in direct sun.

4

Jewel it with Finish-R Optional

For owners who want the deepest possible gloss, a finishing pass with Finish-R chases out the last of the micro-marring and adds that wet, mirror look. It's not needed on every boat, and I'll tell you honestly whether yours would show the difference.

5

Seal it so the work lasts

Bare, freshly corrected gel coat is porous and unprotected, so it will start oxidizing again fast if I leave it that way. I seal with Revolution or Hyper Hold Pro for 3 to 6 months of protection. For the longest hold, a two-layer ceramic (Repel Pro plus Thor or Kraken) locks in the correction for 12 to 24 months.

Ceramic goes on the surfaces that take the most sun and spray, or the whole boat if you want maximum protection. Which surfaces make sense depends on how you use it, and that's a conversation I'd rather have after looking at the boat than guess at online.

Ceramic Coating

Ceramic goes on after the correction, not instead of it. The surface has to be right first, otherwise you're locking flaws under the coating. Both options run two layers and hold 12 to 24 months in salt and sun.

Liquid Thor

12-24 months protection

SiO2/TiO2 nano ceramic. Strong water beading, UV protection, salt resistance. Two-layer application: Repel Pro base coat soaks into the gel coat pores, then Thor seals everything on top.

Liquid Kraken

12-24 months protection

Graphene nano coating. About 50% less water spotting than standard ceramic, which matters when a boat sits at the dock all summer. Same two-layer application as Thor.

Thor and Kraken are priced the same here. Kraken's graphene layer is the pricier material, but I don't mark it up over Thor, so the choice comes down to the finish you want, not the bill. These are real marine numbers, not the 5-year claims automotive shops make. A boat living in salt and sun breaks a coating down faster than a car in a garage. Want a ballpark? Run the calculator, or I'll give you a firm number after I see the boat.

What Detailing Can and Can't Fix

A buffer works miracles on some problems and does nothing for others. I'd rather tell you which is which up front than take your money on a job that won't get the result you're picturing.

What correction fixes

  • Oxidation and chalky, faded gel coat
  • Dull finish that's lost its gloss
  • Waterline stains, scum line, and rust runs
  • Light swirls, buffer haze, and fine scratches you can't feel with a fingernail
  • Yellowed, dried-out vinyl and cloudy isinglass

What it can't

  • Gel coat that's past chalky and needs wet sanding. Still fixable, but that's a custom job I price in person
  • Gel coat worn through to the fiberglass underneath
  • Structural stress cracks in the gel coat
  • Deep gouges or impact damage that needs bodywork or paint

If your boat is in that second column, I'll say so and point you toward the right fix instead of buffing something that needs more than a buffer. Send me a couple photos and I'll tell you straight.

How to Keep It Looking Good

A correction resets the finish. What you do afterward decides whether it stays that way for one season or several. None of this is complicated.

Rinse after every outing

A quick freshwater rinse knocks off the salt before it can dry down and sit against the surface. This one habit does more for a finish than almost anything else, and it takes five minutes at the dock.

Wash on a regular cadence

A real wash with a boat-safe, pH-neutral soap lifts grime the rinse leaves behind. Skip the dish soap and driveway car products, they strip whatever protection is on the gel coat and speed up oxidation.

Know your protection window

A polymer seal like Revolution or Hyper Hold Pro holds about 3 to 6 months in salt and sun. Ceramic runs 12 to 24 months. When the water stops beading, the protection is telling you it's time to refresh.

Stay ahead of it

Keeping protection on the boat is far cheaper than letting it oxidize and paying for a full correction again. A little upkeep on a schedule beats a big restoration every couple of years.

Don't want to think about any of this? A recurring wash and maintenance plan keeps the boat washed and protected at your slip, so you get the payoff of the correction without doing the upkeep yourself. See the plans below.

Wash & Maintenance Plans

Scheduled wash and maintenance that keeps your boat ready to go. Same detailer every visit, at your slip. Starting at $7 a foot.

Maintenance Wash

From $7/ft

The regular wash that keeps salt, grime, and dock spray from settling in. Clean top to bottom, every visit.

  • Salt Clean wash and hand-dry
  • Fish boxes and storage compartments vacuumed and wiped
  • Non-skid scrub

Full Service Wash

From $10/ft

Everything in the Maintenance Wash, plus Replenish protection that keeps your sealant alive between details.

  • Everything in the Maintenance Wash
  • Interior vacuum and wipe-down
  • Starke Replenish SiO2 spray on glass, metals, and all surfaces
  • Light waterspot and rust stain treatment
  • Fabrics, vinyl, and foam flooring protected with Starke Shield
  • Bilge vacuumed and wiped

Starting prices shown. The size and complexity of your boat set the final price. Full maintenance details here

What's In a Detail

Every detail covers the same core clean. When a boat needs the full-restoration treatment, I go deeper into the parts most details skip.

The Core Clean

Included on every detail

  • Full exterior wash: hull, deck, topside, cowlings
  • Scum line removal and waterline cleaning
  • Rust stain treatment on topside and hull
  • Light vinyl cleaning + UV protectant
  • Light clean and vacuum all compartments
  • Non-skid deck scrubbing and rinse
  • Light metal cleaning + corrosion blocker
  • Streak-free glass and isinglass cleaning
  • UV protection on all plastic trim
  • Remove light scuff marks

The Deep Restoration Adds

On full-restoration jobs

  • Full exterior wash: topside and hull
  • Multi-stage water spot and scale removal
  • Rust stain removal + corrosion block protection
  • Deep vinyl cleaning, brightening, and restoration
  • UV and ceramic protection on all vinyl seats
  • Deep clean and vacuum all compartments + odor treatment
  • Scum line removal and hull decontamination
  • Non-skid correction (oxidation removal + UV protection)
  • T-top / hardtop polish and seal (if applicable)
  • Deep metal polishing, restoration, and ceramic sealant
  • Stainless hardware rejuvenation (screws, cupholders, fittings)
  • Isinglass / glass restoration + UV protection
  • UV protect and restore all plastic trim
  • Spray sealant inside compartments and head
  • Remove all scuff marks and surface scratches
  • Console, gauges, switch panel detail + UV protection
  • Windshield track and gasket cleaning
  • Caulking and seal cleaning and conditioning
  • Anchor locker rinse and refresh
  • Deep bilge cleaning + odor neutralizer
  • Engine bay cosmetic cleaning and protection
  • Spray sealant on glass, screens, and doors
  • Trailer detail and tire shine (if applicable)
Marine Services

More Than Detailing

Captain services, boat management, and storm preparation. Because owning a boat means more than keeping it clean.

Captain

Captain Services (Coming Soon)

100T USCG Near Coastal Captain

Boat delivery and relocation between marinas, sea trials for buyers and sellers, dock-to-dock moves, shakedown runs after maintenance or repair work. Your boat gets where it needs to go without you taking time off work.

Learn More →
Concierge

Boat Concierge

Your Boat Managed While You're Away

Regular wellness checks on your boat between visits. Pre-trip prep so it's ready when you show up Friday afternoon. Post-trip rinse and button-up. Maintenance coordination with local mechanics and yards. Provisioning runs if you want the cooler stocked.

Learn More →
Storm

Storm Preparation

Your Boat Secured Before It Hits

When a storm is 48 hours out and you can't get to the marina, I can. Double lines with chafe protection, extra fenders positioned for surge, canvas removal or securing, coordination with the dock master, and post-storm damage assessment with photos.

Learn More →

Not Sure What Your Boat Needs?

Two quick checks, then get a number.

The Touch Test

Run your hand across the gel coat.

Clean hand? No oxidation. The finish needs a polish and fresh protection. Wash & Seal or Polish

White chalky residue? That's oxidation, and it takes machine correction to remove. The heavier the chalk, the more steps it takes. Full Correction

How Far You Want to Take It

Just want it clean and protected? Wash & Seal

Want the gloss back on a faded finish? Full Correction

Want the longest protection and less upkeep? Add ceramic coating

Still Not Sure?

Answer two quick questions in the instant pricing tool for a ballpark, or send me a few photos. I'll tell you what your boat needs and quote it. If it only needs a wash and seal, I'll tell you that.

Questions I Get a Lot

How much does boat detailing cost?

Two things set the price: your boat's size and the condition of the gel coat. A clean boat that needs a wash and seal costs less than a chalky, oxidized one that needs full correction. For a quick ballpark, answer two questions in the instant pricing tool. For a firm number, I'll look at the boat in person and quote it before I start.

How do I know what my boat needs?

Run your hand across the gel coat. A clean hand means the finish just needs a polish and fresh protection. White chalky residue on your palm means oxidation, and that takes machine correction to remove. Dark hulls show it faster. Send a couple photos and I'll tell you what your boat needs.

Why do boats on the Eastern Shore oxidize so fast?

Salt and sun, working together. Boats around Ocean City and the Delmarva bays sit in salt air all season, and salt is hygroscopic, so it holds moisture against the gel coat. Then there's the heat. Most wax is carnauba based, and carnauba starts to soften around 180 degrees, which is where a dark hull lands in July sun. That's why wax gives you 2 to 4 weeks down here and a sealant holds 3 to 6 months. Once the protection is gone, UV breaks down the resin at the top of the gel coat, and that is what turns it dull, then white and chalky.

How long does ceramic coating last on a boat?

12 to 24 months on a boat, applied as two layers (a Repel Pro base coat plus a Thor or Kraken topper). A boat sitting in salt and sun breaks a coating down faster than a car in a garage, so ignore the 5-year numbers you see from automotive shops. Rinsing after every outing and washing regularly gets you toward the top of that range.

Does Kraken cost more than Thor?

No. I price Thor and Kraken the same. Kraken's graphene layer is the more expensive material, but I don't pass that on as a higher rate, so the choice comes down to the finish you want. Ceramic goes on after correction, since the surface has to be right before it's sealed. I'll quote it after I see the boat.

What can't detailing fix?

A buffer restores oxidized, dull, or lightly scratched gel coat. It can't rebuild gel coat that's worn through to the fiberglass, and it won't close structural stress cracks or fix impact damage, since those need bodywork or paint. Gel coat that's past chalky and needs wet sanding is still fixable, but it's a custom job I price in person, not a standard detail.

How often should I detail my boat?

It depends on what's protecting the finish. A polymer sealant like Revolution or Hyper Hold Pro holds about 3 to 6 months in salt and sun, so a boat on sealant does well with a fresh detail each season plus regular washes. Ceramic lasts 12 to 24 months, so a coated boat mostly needs washes and a yearly check. A recurring maintenance plan keeps you from paying for a full correction twice.

Dock-Ready Guarantee

When I'm done, if anything isn't right, I come back and fix it. No charge, no argument. The job isn't done until you're happy with every surface.

Let's Talk About Your Boat

Send photos for a quick assessment, or call to schedule an inspection. I'll give you a fixed price before I start.

Get a Free Assessment (302) 853-2853 jacob@catalystmarineservices.com

Starke Certified | USCG Licensed Captain | Ocean City to Delaware

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