Price to buff, wax, polish, entire Sea Ray 380??

Haden

Haden

Active Member
May 27, 2020
482
Madison, Alabama
Boat Info
2001 Sea Ray 380 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 8.1l Mercury w/V Drives
What should I expect to pay to have my 2001 Sea Ray 380 cleaned, buffed, polished, waxed, glass cleaned, canvas, compartments, etc. I want ever inch on the outside sparkling. One other note, the 380 is in the water at the dock.
 
It will be difficult to do under the rub rail. It costs me a boat dollar to get my 400 Sedan Bridge cleaned and waxed each winter while she is on the hard.
 
My yard charges $23 / foot for spring cleaning / waxing on the hard.
 
Would $50 per foot be too much to pay? I honestly want an amazing job.
 
I’m live in Madison, Alabama. I’m sure it will be more than $1,400 here unfortunately...
 
Look the first time you are going to spend the money to get it perfect... For your boat and everything you want probably just under $2k. The key is keeping up with it, Sea Rays rub rail up need attention, WAX every 3 monts and Rub rail down every 6 months. You do the initial and then every 3 months wax for a 38 probably $600 rub rail up and you will be in good shape. Spend the money up front and get her "right" and then maintenance is definately less.
 
I greatly appreciate all the advise. I have no issue spending the money, and it will be maintained. I just wanted to get an idea on price. I’m will to pay, but I want superb results.
 
It really depends how bad of shape the boat is in. If this is a new to you boat that you want to make right. Spend the money to find the best person that will put the time into the job to do it right. Then follow up with another wax in 6 months. You will see a big difference in the shine and the protection. Believe me go for quality on the first two not the cheapest cost.
 
Does anyone have any quality references in the North Alabama area?
 
Price is only one factor. Quality of work being the first. You can pay a lot for a so so job. Wharf mare isles are they using? Are they using a lot of synthetic filler type cleaner wax which won’t hold up long? What’s the starting condition of your boat?
 
I pay $22ish a ft at my marina.
 
Now the big question... Who is the BEST in North Alabama? I live in the the Huntsville, Madison, Decatur area.
 
Expectations and individual definitions are pretty much all over the place when it comes to “Detailing” boats. Cars too!
Forty to fifty dollars a foot for a good three step process (compound, polish, wax) top to bottom on a 380 wouldn’t be unreasonable.
Well worth it if the boat is new to you and the gelcoat needs to be brought back to life.
Less so if all you really care about is making the boat look decent.
Tough to find companies that will do it though. Very time consuming because they are essentially going over the boat three times with their machines and it requires some skill and experience.
Once your gelcoat is where you want it, you can usually skip the compound step in subsequent years. Scuffs and minor imperfections you might get along the way can usually be spot compounded if needed.

It’s much more common to see paid “detailers” or boatyard workers who use an all in one product around here. Basically a solvent heavy cleaner wax applied with wool pads and a rotary machine. Garry’s is popular with them. Not a bad product, and you can smell the solvent in it.
It’s much more profitable for them to do a couple of boats that way then to spend the time going over a single boat with a three step process.
You’ll get a quick clean shine with an all in one product, but it lacks the durability to last through the season and doesn’t do any real correction or elimination of any oxidation you may have. Your topsides will need frequent follow up attention through the season and it will do little to prevent long term oxidation on the hull over the years.

I do my boat myself, and after compounding the hull when I first got the boat I have the gelcoat pretty much where I want it now.
The previous owner was proud of the fact that he had it “professionally detailed” before launch every year, but was at a loss to describe the process or products used. My experience leads me to believe that his “Detailer” used an all in one product exclusively. It met the previous owners expectations, so it was a good job to him.
My routine now is machine polish followed by multiple coats of wax by hand in the Spring.
Below rubrails gets done before launch, and above gets done once in the water.
Weekly washes all season long followed by waxing a different section of the topsides every week or so.
Waxing the sides below the rubrails during the season is not a real option for me, but the multiple coats of the product I apply prior to launch seems to hold up well.

When it comes out of the water in the Fall I hit below the rubrails with Garry’s using my rotary and wool polish pad to get a deep clean and layer of protection before the boat gets wrapped.
The topsides still have a good coat of wax from being cared for all season so all I have to do is wash them before the boat gets covered.
My boatyard owner is really good with me and wraps the boat to the waterline.

Here is my 2002 Hull just before launch in early April Of this year:
B52DF8C0-84FF-4818-9BE1-E50A8BA083CC.jpeg

Here is what my 1987 hull looked like in the Spring of 2016 just before I sold it:
B3408352-030B-46DE-8A28-F4A7EF3428BC.jpeg 316F6421-8286-4FD9-8657-78EA79741038.jpeg
 
Last edited:
JVM225 hit all the good points. If you want it done right, a lot of times you need to do it yourself. I lucked out and found a decent place to give my boat a good once over, when I bought it last year. For the deep clean, polish, etc - I do it myself. Last weekend I found some time to hit some oxidation that came back with Pro-Cut then Smoove, hope it was enough.

I do however, have them do a bi weekly wash for me. $45 every other week to give my 37' a good wash is well worth it in my book.
 
JVM225 said:
Expectations and individual definitions are pretty much all over the place when it comes to “Detailing” boats. Cars too!
Forty to fifty dollars a foot for a good three step process (compound, polish, wax) top to bottom on a 380 wouldn’t be unreasonable.
Well worth it if the boat is new to you and the gelcoat needs to be brought back to life.
Less so if all you really care about is making the boat look decent.
Tough to find companies that will do it though. Very time consuming because they are essentially going over the boat three times with their machines and it requires some skill and experience.
Once your gelcoat is where you want it, you can usually skip the compound step in subsequent years. Scuffs and minor imperfections you might get along the way can usually be spot compounded if needed.

It’s much more common to see paid “detailers” or boatyard workers who use an all in one product around here. Basically a solvent heavy cleaner wax applied with wool pads and a rotary machine. Garry’s is popular with them. Not a bad product, and you can smell the solvent in it.
It’s much more profitable for them to do a couple of boats that way then to spend the time going over a single boat with a three step process.
You’ll get a quick clean shine that with an all in one product, but it lacks the durability to last through the season and doesn’t do any real correction or elimination of any oxidation you may have. Your topsides will need frequent follow up attention through the season and it will do little to prevent long term oxidation on the hull over the years.

I do my boat myself, and after compounding the hull when I first got the boat I have the gelcoat pretty much where I want it now.
The previous owner was proud of the fact that he had it “professionally detailed” before launch every year, but was at a loss to describe the process or products used. My experience leads me to believe that his “Detailer” used an all in one product exclusively. It met the previous owners expectations, so it was a good job to him.
My routine now is machine polish followed my multiple coats of wax by hand in the Spring.
Below rubrails gets done before launch, and above gets done once in the water.
Weekly washes all season long followed by waxing a different section of the topsides every week or so.
Waxing the sides below the rubrails during the season is not a real option for me, but the multiple coats of the product I apply prior to launch seems to hold up well.

When it comes out of the water in the Fall I hit below the rubrails with Garry’s using my rotary and wool policy pad to get a deep clean and layer of protection before the boat gets wrapped.
The topsides still have a good coat of wax from being cared for all season so all I have to do is wash them before the boat gets covered.
My boatyard owner is really good with me and wraps the boat to the waterline.

Here is my 2002 Hull just before launch in early April Of this year:
View attachment 88780

Here is what my 1987 hull looked like in the Spring of 2016 just before I sold it:
View attachment 88781 View attachment 88782
Click to expand...
Great advise!!!
 
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