10/14/2026
A wash and a detail are not the same service.
A wash removes salt, dirt and dock grime. That’s maintenance. It doesn’t put anything back.
What you wash with matters just as much as how often. Dish soap and bleach are degreasers. They pull the sealant right off a hull, and most all-purpose boat soaps aren’t much gentler. People wash every week and spend the whole season stripping their own protection. We use Starke Yacht Care, Lat26 and Star brite.
The rest is timing. In Florida sun, sealant burns off in three to six months. After that, UV oxidizes the gel coat directly and she goes chalky.
Come back at three months and the detail is a deep wash, light correction where it’s needed, and a fresh seal. Wait until six and the oxidation has set in, so now it’s a full compound across the boat. Compound is abrasive. Every correction takes a thin layer of gel coat with it, and you only get so many.
Staying ahead of it isn’t about doing more work. It’s about never needing the heavy work at all.
Washes bi-weekly or monthly. A detail every three to six months. The right soap in between.
DM us to put your boat on a plan.
