| James "Doc" Lewis
| |
| | full paint cans are NOT part of the
|
| As the owner/operator of a full service
| |
| | boat-and look tacky. A few cleaning
|
| boat detailing- yacht maintenance
| |
| | supplies, in their own locker is probably
|
| business I can't help but chuckle
| |
| | all right as long as they're kept neat
|
| sometimes at seeing the extremes that
| |
| | and clean.g) Make a list of things that
|
| otherwise bright, intelligent,
| |
| | need attention, and get it taken care of.
|
| successful, people will go to in a
| |
| | A few dollars spent now will pay back in
|
| misguided attempt to save a few dollars.
| |
| | spades when the time comes to show your
|
| One of the biggest mistakes that we see
| |
| | boat. Anything that isn't right will
|
| is that people will decide to sell their
| |
| | stick out like the proverbial sore thumb,
|
| boat without first having her completely
| |
| | be noticed and start the price spiraling
|
| detailed.
| |
| | down. (if it doesn't just send them
|
| According to Rob Scanlan, a well known
| |
| | scurrying off shaking their heads)
|
| and respected Master Marine Surveyor;
| |
| | Hint: If you are not a woman reading this
|
| "Detailing a boat is the single most
| |
| | and don't have a wife of your own, ask
|
| important investment of time, energy and
| |
| | your mother or sister, or see if a friend
|
| money a seller can make because a clean
| |
| | will loan you his for a few minutes. For
|
| and shiny boat sells faster and for a lot
| |
| | some reason women can smell things that a
|
| more money. I strongly recommended that a
| |
| | man would never notice. You may think
|
| seller enlist professional assistance to
| |
| | that men buy boats but in my experience
|
| do a quality (Email) (Web site)
| |
| | they buy the boats their women like.
|
| We at BoatDocs1, do a lot of work here on
| |
| | Along this same line, pay particular
|
| the Emerald Coast with local yacht
| |
| | attention to the cabin and heads.
|
| brokers and know what the standards are
| |
| | 3. Prioritize the Job
|
| for a "ready to show" boat. These
| |
| | With your list you are in good shape to
|
| professionals know that the cosmetic
| |
| | decide what needs to be done and whether
|
| appearance says everything to the
| |
| | or not you want to do the work yourself
|
| prospective buyer as to the overall care
| |
| | or have it done by a professional.
|
| and maintenance that the previous owner
| |
| | Most of the professional yacht
|
| has given the yacht. Add to that the
| |
| | maintenance companies we are familiar
|
| universal wisdom about first impressions
| |
| | with, would be happy to take a look and
|
| and it's not hard to see the importance
| |
| | give you an estimate of what it will cost
|
| of this vital first step.
| |
| | to have the work done right. We can do
|
| Even if you intend to do most of the work
| |
| | part of the job, for example the
|
| yourself we can offer the expertise to
| |
| | compounding/polishing and will gladly
|
| assure that your time and money are spent
| |
| | help you choose the best wax to finish
|
| wisely. Our trained eyes will often pick
| |
| | the job yourself.
|
| up the little details that only a
| |
| | What about those little chips and dings
|
| prospective buyer would notice and likely
| |
| | in the gelcoat?
|
| balk at.
| |
| | Many books have been written on
|
| Here is an outline of the standard
| |
| | fiberglass repair and it isn't the intent
|
| procedures we use when preparing a yacht
| |
| | of this article to cover the subject in
|
| to be put up for sale:
| |
| | any depth but many small repairs are well
|
| 1. Thoroughly Wash and Dry the Boat
| |
| | within the reach of a fairly skilled
|
| Note: For this part, pay attention to
| |
| | do-it-yourselfer. Like anything else
|
| everything you see and unless your memory
| |
| | though, if you have never done it before,
|
| is a lot better than mine, make notes on
| |
| | "consult an expert."
|
| a piece of paper for later.
| |
| | I've been building and repairing in
|
| - Wash and chamois-dry your boat top to
| |
| | fiberglass since I was 14 and while the
|
| bottom including transom.
| |
| | first wooden boat I glassed was water
|
| - clean Isenglass and other ports/windows
| |
| | tight and lasted a good many years, it
|
| - wipe down and dress all aluminum
| |
| | was far from pretty. The small
|
| stainless
| |
| | investment you lay out for expert repair
|
| - clean and dress vinyl seats
| |
| | now will pay big dividends when your boat
|
| - wipe down fly bridge and cockpit
| |
| | sells at the price you want.
|
| - vacuum exterior carpet
| |
| | In the Emerald Coast region the standard
|
| - clean and dress nonskid
| |
| | fees for compound/waxing run between
|
| 2. Stand Back and Survey the Boat
| |
| | $15.00/ft. and $18.00/ft. for the topside
|
| Note: Bring your list and organize it
| |
| | (rub-rail up) which includes a thorough
|
| with the following outline
| |
| | cleaning and treatment of the vinyl,
|
| - Put yourself in the buyers shoes, be
| |
| | windows, isenglass, and metal. In other
|
| critical, the buyer will.a) Is it shiny?
| |
| | words, for the price of doing the "hard"
|
| It's the first thing most people
| |
| | part we'll detail the entire topsides and
|
| notice.b) What about the smell? People
| |
| | leave it in "ready-to-show" condition.
|
| have a way of getting used to almost
| |
| | Hulls (rub-rail down) run about $8.00/ft.
|
| anything. Get a second opinion and see
| |
| | but, of course, the boat must be out of
|
| the hint below.c) Is all hardware intact
| |
| | the water in order to do it. (This
|
| and presentable? Just because you've used
| |
| | walking on water with a hi-speed electric
|
| that broken table for years and are
| |
| | buffer in hand is still beyond me, but
|
| rather fond of it, to anyone else, it's
| |
| | I'll let you know;-)
|
| just a broken table.d) What about dings,
| |
| | Fiberglass repair runs from $45.00 to
|
| any damage to the fiberglass? Aside from
| |
| | $65.00 per hour and in general as with
|
| the fact that broken gelcoat can let
| |
| | most everything else, one gets what one
|
| water into the core of the lay-up and
| |
| | pays for. The up side to this is that
|
| delaminate the fiberglass, it just plain
| |
| | when approached in a professional manner
|
| looks BAD.e) What about rust? You are
| |
| | the dents and dings of ten years hard use
|
| probably thinking right now; (what's a
| |
| | can be repaired and made to look like new
|
| little rust on a boat?) Let me tell you.
| |
| | in an amazingly short time.
|
| A little rust on a boat is a sure sign
| |
| | All too often we have seen people save
|
| that the owner let's little things go by
| |
| | $300.00 or $400.00 on a detail only to
|
| unnoticed and if there is one thing there
| |
| | loose $Thousands$ on what their boat
|
| are always more. What about oil changes?
| |
| | could have sold for. Then too, our local
|
| I wonder if he flushed out the outboard
| |
| | marinas are clogged with many examples of
|
| after use? The object of this little
| |
| | boats with "For Sale" signs which were
|
| exercise is to make the boat look like
| |
| | never given the least bit of attention to
|
| you are conscientious and a stickler for
| |
| | make the passer by want to stop and
|
| having everything perfectly "SHIP
| |
| | think, "Hey, I wonder what it would be
|
| SHAPE."f) One more little tip that you
| |
| | like to call that boat mine." Some of
|
| have probably already thought of. Take a
| |
| | these boats have sat for years when all
|
| look around the boat and remove
| |
| | they ever really needed was a little
|
| EVERYTHING that isn't part of the boat.
| |
| | T.L.C.
|
| EXAMPLE:
| |
| | I remember, years ago, someone saying
|
| Engine controls, compass, life jackets,
| |
| | something about being penny wise and
|
| flare kit, and a first aid kit ARE part
| |
| | pound foolish? Let's not let them be
|
| of the boat. Knick-knacks, fishing
| |
| | saying that about us.
|
| tackle, cutesy wall plaques, and half
| |
| |
|
