Do-it-yourself yacht detailing: materials, service prices
How difficult is it to take care of the boat yourself? What tools and materials are needed? How much do detailing offices ask? Let’s deal with Bimbarent, a service where every shipowner can earn money by renting out.
We are by no means discouraging you from the services of professionals, but we also cannot look at how owners in marinas spend a lot of personal time trying to restore their vessel to its former glory. We also note that attracting sailors to the deck does not qualitatively solve your problem. If the sailor was a detailer, he would change his profession.
Prevention, restoration, gelcoat polishing
Next to ultraviolet light, the worst enemy of body is sea salt. We sympathise with yachtsmen from Odessa, Nikolaev, Zaporozhye and other cities of the Sea of Azov, who wash their vessel more often. The fact is that the salt that has fallen on the surface begins to burn it. Neither the protective layer of the hull, nor metal (in deck superstructures, handrails), nor rubber (non-slip deck coating), nor plexiglass (plexiglass in windows) or vinyl (salon lining) can withstand. The only way to get rid of sea salt is to wash the surface with fresh water.

After the sun ? salts, the pests are the microorganisms that live in the water. They grow on the hull with algae, shells – reduce the driving performance of the vessel. For example, large dry cargo ships, when they come to the port, order scuba divers-cleaners. Cleaning the bottom takes several days, the guys work almost around the clock. All in order to increase the cruising speed of a cargo ship by several nautical miles per hour. Time is money.
If your gelcoat is relatively fresh and clean, then you can try to restore its previous color. After a two-phase wash, walk with a soft cleansing wax (a jar weighing 300 grams costs $ 20, consumption of 12 cars). Wax penetrates into the pores – microcracks on the gelcoat, washing out the accumulated dirt from there during the season (you won’t remove the perennial, ingrained dirt). The effect of cleansing wax – the body becomes lighter by a couple of tones.
Why is wax consumption indicated for machines? Yacht restoration in Ukraine is often done by car detailing centres. If you don’t want to buy wax, get the kitchen Fairy – it’s harmless to surface and costs 20 times less.
After the spring reopening of the yacht, you may be asked to use a water-repellent wax. Its minus is its service life. Only 2-3 months (a jar of 300 grams costs $30, consumption for 40 cars). Then re-processing will be required, – this is again money & time. Instead of wax, pay attention to the quartz composition H-7 Ultimate Real Glass Coat (a 200 g jar costs $220, an expense for 4 cars). The protection of the quartz composition is enough for a season. This is a professional “cosmetics” that is used in the maritime industry. Quartz prevents dirt from catching on the surface, and everything that settles can be easily removed with a damp microfiber.
Gelcoat & glass polishing
The less often you polish the gelcoat, the better it is for it. To care for the gel coat, use high quality polishes that protect against UV plus sea salt. When the body cannot be restored, it is either replaced with a new one (very expensive) or tinted with high-quality marine paint (budget option).

Buffing is relevant when the gelcoat has sufficiently matted and darkened. In Kiev ask from $28 per sq.m. When communicating with the master, you will understand that they will not immediately name either the exact final price or the effect of their work – in order to charge the maximum price.
When ordering body-polishing, specify how many people will work on your boat, how quickly the crew can start, what tools, materials they use, whether they are operating with lighting fixtures (directional light helps to see all damage), how they solve the problem with chips and cobwebs of the gelcoat , what is the proposed deadline for the completion of work, – what are the penalties for delaying the repair.
How to remove fender marks?
Only light polishing. Note that hiding fenders in covers is strictly not recommended. Dirt, dust, sand eats into the fabric, and when rubbed, it only exacerbates damage to the gelcoat.
Self-polishing
You can polish the surface yourself in two steps. To do this, you need a polish-machine with 3000 – 5200 rpm. Several woollen and foam rubber circles of high, medium hardness. Two pastes: coarse & finish. Surface degreaser.
Glass polishing. There is a nuance here – the surface of polycarbonate during buffing is very hot, darkens. So be careful not to overdo it. How to work with circles – look on YouTube.
Does gelcoat colour affect hull ageing?
White gelcoat breaks down more slowly than others. On the colored case, flaws body and stains are more noticeable after each wash.
Dark colours absorb UV rays more strongly and thus heat up the boat inside. At some point, this will become critical, as your air conditioning system can no longer cope.
Boat hull washing, glass cleaning, leather dry cleansing & chrome restoration
After you have beaten off the dust plus dirt, of the body can be washed with a water-repellent shampoo. The shampoo leaves a wax film on the surface, which accelerates the flow of water and reduces the amount of dirt sticking. A 750 ml bottle cost $18.
Rub all windows, hatches and portholes with a water stone cleaner, then you can take the usual “anti-rain for glasses”.
On chrome handrails and other metal parts of the yacht, use Chrome Cleaner – it removes salt stains, chemical deposits, rusty smudges. A 125 ml – $12. Or you can try rubbing with cleansing cotton. It brightens various metals and removes stains, corrosion, oxidation, tar.
Sofas and upholstery can be treated with a gentle leather cleaner & conditioner – it moisturises the surface, which contributes to the long-term preservation of the original colour, surface integrity.
We recommend once a season or two to order dry cleaning of the cabins and galley. We tried to manage with ordinary cleaning, but when a team with specialised chemistry comes to you, the difference is noticeable on the face. Leather on sofas, ceilings, walls, kitchen countertops, carpet, beds, latrines take on their original appearance, especially when you want to sell the yacht for a higher price.
What are the types of professional detailing services?
External washing? cleaning:
- Hull: Cleansing the hull from algae & shells. Polishing the gelcoat, applying a protective coating.
- Windows and portholes: Purification of windshields. Sometimes buffing & replacement of sealant (on older yachts).
- Deck + upper part of the hull: Basic washing, cleaning from visible dirt, polishing of metal, plastic elements. It should be added that regular, self-care prevents the formation of plaque and surface destruction.
Internal “washing” of the yacht:
- Cabins: Basic vacuuming, wet and, dry cleaning of textiles, sofas, furniture, mold treatment of walls, ceilings, treatment of cabinets & technical rooms from unpleasant odors.
- Bathrooms / kitchens: Disinfection, plumbing cleansing, pipe flushing.
Additional options:
Ceramic coatings on the body: “Ceramics” creates a durable protective film that protects against UV rays, oxidation, dirt. Expensive – reliable.
Anti-fouling treatment: Protects the surface from rapid growth of algae & shells. This helps to save fuel during fast driving, also protects the hull from microdamages.
Restoration of the teak coating: The restoration process consists of removing the old coating (sanding) and applying special oils.
Metal polishing: Rails, mooring ducks oxidize over time. It does not look good.
Engine restoration: Removal of corrosion – deposits, application of protective lubricants (as a preventive measure, it will do).
Factors that affect the cost of yacht detailing
The cost of professional yacht restoration depends on many factors. But understanding what affects the final price gives owners a choice of where to save money, where to trust experienced craftsmen.
Size, type of boat: Obviously, the bigger your boat is, the more time, personnel, and materials it will take to complete the work. In addition, the type of vessel also affects the cost: sailing yacht, motor boat, flybridge yacht, catamaran, or pontoon boat. The price tag will vary.
The condition of the boat: The worse the condition of the vessel before detachment, the higher the cost of its restoration – everything is clear here. Once again, regular care allows you to maintain the vessel and save on complex, expensive work.
The quality of the materials used: professional products for cleaning, polishing & protecting surfaces vary in quality and price. Unfortunately, if you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s difficult to control what materials are used by the specialists when they detail your boat.
The location, seasonality: Yes, the price differs in different regions. The cost in Cherkasy or Vyshhorod is less than in Kyiv. Also, the service may require you to transfer the boat to their dock (or shipyard). In case of refusal, the use of special devices for access to the yacht on the water will be added to the final cost.
Additional services: A basic hull, deck cleaning with minimal preparation for winter storage is cheaper than a comprehensive detailing service that includes polishing, protective coatings, interior cleaning, other restoration procedures. Services often offer additional services, such as engine and propeller purification, awning repair. Also teak restoration, which is reflected in the final check. Before ordering, always ask for examples of previous work, find out which craftsmen will be working on your yacht, and try to run a couple of processes in parallel.
Finally, when choosing a company for detailing, pay attention to its experience, online reviews, specify what materials will be used. Also, feel free to ask “simple” questions / discuss the details of the services. Remember that regular & proper yacht maintenance is the key to a long and trouble-free service life of your boat.