Boat detailer

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Woody said:
Ya, tell me about it. I quit one detailer because he jacked up his rate. He said 'it's about what everyone is charging now', so he wanted more for his crappy results.

Then I heard about a guy, 'he's the best but expensive'... a 100 bucks an hour. OK man do your thing. I popped in to see how things were going and he wasn't even working on my boat. He had two young people on my boat, one was a gal that had never buffed/waxed a boat in her life...so I got another crappy job along with some argument when we settled up.

So last year I figured 'screw 'em all', I'll do it myself. Quite the attitude from a guy that uses a cane most the time, can't kneel so sits on his ass and scoots. I got lucky and found a really good kid for a helper. I about wore myself out, lost 20+ pounds doing my boat...but it looked the best it ever has.

Problem is that this year my helper isn't available and I don't think I have it in me to tackle the job again...maybe I can but I don't want to.
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Ok so here’s my dilemma. I leave it to the board to decide. I’m on lunch brake at the harbor brewery. 2 beers in. Do I stay or head back to finish the port side?
 
Blueone said:
My first job was $2.15/hr….. fry guy at Burger King…. I can remember when min wage went up to $2.35….we were so excited.
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From about age 11 to age 15 I spent all of my time away from school being my dad's helper, not paid. I hated it, but looking back I learned a lot, and can do most things myself now.

At age 15 I got a job as a dishwasher for a startup restaurant that lasted about 3 months until it went out of business. My last paycheck bounced. Then a Shoneys fry cook, dishwasher, busboy, and worked my way up to being a server. Also had a morning and evening paper bike route at the same time. Looking back we were pretty poor, and my parents made it clear any money I wanted I'd have to earn.

I used to tip the boat detailers and wash guys very well, can't even find them now. $20 an hour plus tips could be a good summer gig.
 
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mrsrobinson said:
Shoneys here, fry cook, dishwasher, busboy, and later work my way up to being a server. May $24 in 3 hours the first lunch I worked, I thought I was rich.

I used to tip the boat detailers and wash guys very well, can't even find them now. $20 an hour plus tips could be a good summer gig.
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A small restaurant I go to seems to be always short of help. I asked about it, they said the waitresses were averaging $300 a day tips during the week, more on weekends and they can't get people to work.
 
@Blueone , BK is offering $10 hour here. Its on their sign, just went by it.
 
Golfman25 said:
Here’s the problem today. I have a friend’s kid who’s kinda trying to find himself. I have basic shipping, receiving jobs. Hire HS kids around 10-12 per hr. Now probably 12-14 per hour. Beer money. Good consistent flexible work which allows them to take classes, etc. Kid won’t consider it because he can make $20 doing grub hub or something. Problem is, it’s only 2-3 hrs per day. Can’t. See the bigger picture.
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That's all they want... just enough to get by until next payday...
 
Woody said:
is that this year my helper isn't available and I don't think I have it in me to tackle the job again...maybe I can but I don't want to.
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Two years before we sold Beachcomber I had her hauled to straighten props. While she was on the hard I decided to wax the entire hull. It took me 5 days working 5-6 hours a day. To get the underside of the pulpit I had to stand on an 8' ladder and reach as high as I could. What a job but she looked good when I was done.
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Oh, and the old Toyota pickup? That's one my wife's dad bought for her oldest son when he went off to Gonzaga. It's a 1981 IIRC, still in the family and still runs great!
 
Woody said:
Back in the 70's my cousin got a job at one of the Playboy clubs. He was happier than hell, he figured he'd be banging bunnies....but not a one. He did swipe some ashtrays with the logo on them. That's all he got, no other awesome memories:(
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I always made sure I had time to go to the playboy bunny club at ohare. If you are having a beer might as well have a view :)
 
I hired a what seems to be a nice guy to detail my project boat. I have so much going that I didn't really have time or felt like doing it. I have the interior out, windshield off and basically stripped. I needed it done before I put the side wall carpet and new seats back in so it won't get polish slug on it.
Guy had some scheduling issues at first and I was getting perturbed. No excuses! I have the project on a schedule and a cretin order of things to get done.
So he started on it and was excited to see how good it was. I figured it would clean up very well. I wasn't home yet so I ask the wife and she was like well.........
Oh great.
I look at it and I'm like come on man. It was hazy and still had oxidation in my bright yellow gel coat.
So back at the project yesterday and I grab my buffer and Marine 31 products (which I love) and I hit the gunnel cap so I can do the carpet and not get crap on it later. Low and behold wtf this thing looks amazing! So I keep going. Doing different areas I thought look bad. Same result. Wtf did this guy not do?
So dude show back up to finish yesterday.
I like hey man we gotta talk. I'm not happy with this. What are you using to do the job?
3m products- ok not my choice but good stuff.
Buffer- shurhold random orbit buffer.
Well there is the problem. That buffer won't work. Can't lay into and without the right pad and it won't cut the gelcoat. Need a high speed polisher.
So I gave him two choices.
1- you can finish the job, but it must look like what I did. I.E. get the right equipment
2 you can walk away.
He elected to come back and finish. Said he was going to get marine 31. That alone won't get it so I may have to offer him the use of my equipment and use this as a teaching lesson. I genuinely want him to succeed. I have been taking care of my boats for 20 years so maybe I can teach him although it's pretty mindless. Just takes strength to sling the buffer and patients. He told me he has been doing this about 2years now. Funny I was talking to a buddy that bought an Allsion and he hired a guy. Boat is white but he also thought the same result as my initial result with this guy. Same equipment and worked hard but just not the expected results. Not sure if it's the same guy but maybe.
 
I have watched a lot of professionals and nonprofessionals buff out and wax boats. Alot of the ones I watched put the rubbing compound on the buffer pad. "A waste of product." The proper way to use the product, apply strips on the boat then dip into the product strips with the buffer running and buffing out till the area shines and is mostly dry. Then move on down the boat repeating the same process. Even when applying wax use the same process. I used to warehouse Meguire's products and since I warehoused their product, I was shown the proper way to apply it. One of their biggest comments. "LESS IS BETTER."
Same goes for polishing cars.
 
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