Mobile marine detailing · Louisville & the Ohio River
Boat Detailing in Louisville, KY
Gel coat restoration, oxidation removal, and marine-grade sealing — done at your slip, your storage lot, or your driveway. We bring the products, the process, and the patience a hull actually needs.
Oxidation, actually removed
Chalky, sun-bleached fiberglass gets compounded and machine-polished in stages until the color comes back wet and deep — not glazed over to look good for a weekend.
Marine-grade sealing
Protection formulated for constant UV and waterline abuse, so the shine survives a full Kentucky summer instead of the first hard rain.
Waterline & hull cleanup
Scum line, mineral staining, and river film pulled off the hull with the right acids for the right surface — never a wire brush and hope.
Cabin, helm, and vinyl
Mildew out of the seams, seats cleaned and conditioned, canvas and clear vinyl treated so it stays flexible instead of cracking.
What's included
- Mobile — we come to the slip or storage
- Full hand wash, hull to hardtop
- Waterline & scum line removal
- Multi-stage oxidation & gel coat correction
- Marine-grade sealant or ceramic
- Vinyl, canvas & upholstery conditioning
- Cabin deep clean & mildew treatment
- Metal polishing, glass & trailer care
Why boats need a completely different playbook
A boat isn't a big car. The exterior is gel coat, not clear coat — it's thicker, more porous, and it oxidizes instead of just swirling. Sitting in open sun on the Ohio all season bakes that surface until it goes chalky and dull, and a normal wash-and-wax does nothing but make it slippery for a week. Real correction means cutting that dead layer back with marine compounds, refining it through multiple polishing steps, then locking it down with a sealant built for water. That's the difference between a boat that looks new at the ramp and one that just looks clean.
The waterline is where the story is
Everybody notices the waterline. Ohio River silt, hard water minerals, and algae leave a brown-to-black band that makes an otherwise sharp boat look neglected. We treat it with hull cleaners matched to the staining, not one aggressive product for everything, and follow with polish and sealant so it doesn't come screaming back in three weeks. Trailers get the same attention — nothing kills the effect faster than a spotless hull on a rusty, filthy trailer.
Inside, it's about the smell as much as the shine
Cabins and cockpits trap moisture. Mildew gets into the seams of vinyl seating, under carpet, into cupholders and storage lockers, and after a season or two you can smell it before you're all the way aboard. We extract, steam, treat, and dry — then condition the vinyl so it stops drying out and splitting. Enclosed cabins can also get an odor treatment that neutralizes the source instead of layering scent on top of it.
We travel to the boat
Slip, marina lot, storage facility, or your driveway before the season starts — we sort out the setup with you ahead of time. Most owners never move the boat. If you're launching out of Harrods Creek, keeping it at a lake house on Taylorsville, or winterizing in a barn in Oldham County, we'll come to it.
“Most detailers take one look at a thirty-foot hull and pass. We'd rather do the slow work and hand it back looking like the day it left the dealer.”
How the job actually goes
Walk-around and honest read
We look at the hull in daylight, check how deep the oxidation goes, and tell you what's realistic. Some gel coat comes all the way back. Some is too far gone for anything but a huge improvement — we say which is which before you spend a dollar.
Full wash and hull decontamination
Top to bottom hand wash, then the waterline gets treated for mineral and organic staining. Nothing gets polished over dirt.
Compounding the oxidation back
Marine compound on a rotary or dual-action, worked panel by panel, until the chalk is gone and color returns. This is the slow part and where the result is won.
Refine and polish
A second, finer stage removes the haze the cutting step leaves behind. That's what produces actual gloss rather than a flat, dull-clean look.
Seal it for the season
Marine sealant or ceramic applied over the corrected surface, so water beads off and next spring's cleanup is a fraction of the work.
Interior, canvas, and trailer
Cockpit and cabin cleaned and conditioned, vinyl and canvas treated, glass and clear panels polished, trailer washed and dressed. We hand it back ready to launch.
Ways to book it
Boats price by length and condition — a 19-foot bowrider and a 32-foot cruiser aren't the same job. We quote after we see it, and the number we give you is the number you pay.
Season Wash
Best between details or right after haul-out.
- Full hand wash, hull to hardtop
- Waterline scum line treatment
- Vinyl seating wiped & conditioned
- Cockpit blown out and vacuumed
- Glass and clear vinyl cleaned
- Trailer rinsed and dressed
Gel Coat Restoration
The one most owners actually need.
- Everything in Season Wash
- Full hull decontamination
- Multi-stage oxidation removal
- Refinement polish for real gloss
- Marine sealant applied throughout
- Metal and rail polishing
- Before/after photos of the work
Full Marine Detail
Exterior and interior, nothing skipped.
- Everything in Gel Coat Restoration
- Cabin deep clean & extraction
- Mildew and odor treatment
- Canvas and upholstery conditioning
- Engine bay and bilge wipe-down
- Optional ceramic coating upgrade
Areas we serve
Boat Detailing is available throughout Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding metro, including Louisville, Prospect, Harrods Creek, Jeffersontown, Taylorsville Lake, Rough River Lake, Southern Indiana, Oldham County. Not sure if you're in range? Call us — we travel for the right job.
Frequently asked questions
How much does boat detailing cost in Louisville?
Boats are priced by length and condition rather than a flat menu — a wash on a 19-foot bowrider and full gel coat restoration on a 30-foot cruiser are very different days of work. Send a couple photos when you call and we'll give you a real range on the spot, then confirm it at the walk-around.
Can you fix chalky, faded fiberglass?
Usually, yes. Oxidation is dead, sun-damaged gel coat, and compounding cuts it back to healthy material underneath. Lightly and moderately oxidized hulls come back dramatically. If yours is severe, we'll tell you honestly how far it can go before we start rather than overselling it.
Do you come to the marina or do I need to trailer it?
We come to you. Slip, marina lot, storage yard, or your own driveway. We'll go over what's available on site when you book — including any access restrictions at your facility — so nothing is a surprise on the day.
How often should a boat be detailed?
A full correction and seal once a year, ideally in spring before the season, with a maintenance wash mid-summer and after haul-out. Sealed gel coat stays far easier to clean, so the ongoing upkeep gets cheaper the year after a proper restoration.
Can you get the mildew smell out of the cabin?
That's one of the most common calls we get. We extract and steam the soft surfaces, treat the source, dry it properly, and can add an odor treatment for enclosed cabins. Masking it with a spray doesn't last — killing what's growing does.
Do you ceramic coat boats?
Yes, as an upgrade over a corrected hull. A marine ceramic holds gloss and repels water far longer than a traditional sealant, which matters most on boats that sit in the sun all season. It only makes sense after the gel coat is corrected, though — a coating locks in whatever is under it.