Boat Detailing Guide: Get It Done
Boat Detailing in Anderson, SC and Lake Hartwell: How It Works
Lake Hartwell is hard on a boat. The Corps of Engineers lake covers nearly 56,000 acres on the South Carolina and Georgia line, and a summer on it means long days of sun, lake water drying on the hull, sunscreen on the seats and a cover going on over a cockpit that is not quite dry.
We are The Auto Show, an appointment-only detailing shop at 112 Metro Drive, Suite B, in Anderson. Alongside cars, trucks and SUVs, we detail boats for owners around Anderson and Lake Hartwell. This page explains how it works, from the quote request to scheduling, and what we can and cannot tell you before we have seen your boat.
The short answer
At The Auto Show, every boat is quoted individually; there is no boat price list. Request a quote with the form on our boat detailing page or call (864) 202-6934, and include the make, model and length, what you want done, its condition and where it is kept. Email photos after we reply. We confirm in our reply whether the boat comes to our Anderson shop and how the work is scheduled.
Key points
- Every boat is quoted individually: length and type, gelcoat condition, interior condition, scope and where it is kept all change the work.
- Request a quote with the form on our boat detailing page or call (864) 202-6934.
- The form cannot take attachments, so email photos after we reply.
- We confirm in our reply whether the boat needs to come to 112 Metro Drive, Suite B, and how the work will be scheduled.
- Boat work is scheduled around our vehicle appointments, so ask early in spring.
The process
How a boat detail at The Auto Show works
Send a quote request
Use the form on our boat detailing page, or call (864) 202-6934 if you would rather talk it through. Tell us the boat, what you want done, its condition and where it is kept.
We reply
We reply with a recommendation and a price for your boat. The reply also confirms whether the boat needs to come to the shop and how the work will be scheduled.
Send photos
The form cannot take attachments, so email photos once we have replied. Photos of the hull in daylight, the seats and any stains help us quote the right level of work.
Agree the scope
Exterior, interior or both, and which areas. If you asked about a coating, we tell you whether we recommend one for your boat.
Schedule it
Boat work is fitted around our vehicle appointments. We confirm the timing with you directly.
What we cover
The parts of a boat we detail
A boat is several different surfaces, and each is cleaned differently. You pick the scope; we confirm it in your quote.
- Hull and gelcoat
- Sun turns gelcoat dull and chalky, and lake water leaves a brown line at the waterline. Light oxidation usually polishes out; heavy oxidation needs compounding first. Either way, the finish is protected afterward so it stays glossy longer. How bad is your oxidation?
- Deck and non-skid
- Textured non-skid traps dirt, sunscreen and footprints a hose will not shift. We scrub it clean rather than polish it, so it keeps its grip.
- Vinyl seats and upholstery
- Marine vinyl picks up mildew spots, sunscreen and food stains. We clean it with products made for vinyl, not bleach, which can weaken the stitching and the vinyl itself. Cleaning marine vinyl
- Metal and brightwork
- Rails, cleats and other stainless or chrome fittings get water spots and surface rust from spray and rain. We clean and polish them.
- Glass, windshield and gauges
- Windshields, clear vinyl and gauge faces scratch easily, so each is cleaned with the right product for its material.
- Cockpit and storage
- Cup holders, compartments, carpet or mats and the helm collect sand, leaves and grime. Tell us their condition and we include them in the quote.
Pricing
Why every boat is quoted individually
We do not publish a boat price list, because two boats of the same length can need very different amounts of work. A 17-foot bowrider and a 24-foot pontoon have very different amounts of surface, and a hull that only needs a polish and protection takes far less time than one that is heavily chalked.
Five things move the quote most. When you send them up front, the first reply can be a real recommendation instead of a list of questions.
- Length and type: a bowrider, pontoon, center console, wake boat and bass boat each have different surfaces and amounts of upholstery.
- Gelcoat condition: light dullness, moderate chalking or heavy oxidation that needs compounding.
- Interior condition: mildew, stains, and how much upholstery and carpet there is.
- Scope: exterior only, interior only, or both.
- Where it is kept: on a trailer, on a lift or in a slip affects how the work is scheduled.
Location
Where the work happens
Our shop is at 112 Metro Drive, Suite B, Anderson, SC 29625. Whether your boat needs to come here depends on the boat and where it is kept, so we confirm that in our reply rather than promise it on a web page. Tell us where the boat lives, whether it is on a trailer, and whether it can be brought to the shop.
We work by appointment only and there is no waiting area, so if you are dropping something off, plan your ride. Any timing we agree is confirmed with you directly.
Scheduling
When to ask, and why spring fills up
Boat work is scheduled around our vehicle appointments. That means the calendar for boats is tighter than it looks, especially in spring, when many owners want the boat clean before the first trip to the lake. Ask early.
Many owners have the boat done twice a year: before the first launch, so it starts the season clean and protected, and again before storage, so dirt and mildew do not sit on it all winter. If your boat lives outside or in a wet slip, the end of the summer is also a sensible time to deal with the waterline and the seats before they set in.
Coatings
Protection and coatings
Every gelcoat polish ends with the finish protected, because polished gelcoat left bare oxidizes again quickly under a Carolina sun. If you are interested in a coating, ask about it in your quote request and we tell you whether we recommend one for your boat. Coatings only make sense over gelcoat that has been polished first, and not every boat or owner benefits enough to justify one.
We do not publish which products we use on boats. If that matters to you, ask us when you request a quote.
Limits
What a detail can and cannot do
A detail cleans, polishes and protects. It does not repair cracked or chipped gelcoat, fix a soft floor, bring back vinyl that has rotted in the sun or guarantee that every pink stain comes out of a seat. Some stains live under the surface of the vinyl, and some waterlines have soaked into old, porous gelcoat.
Other boat jobs are separate trades: gelcoat and fiberglass repair, bottom painting, engine and mechanical work, winterization, shrink-wrapping, canvas and upholstery repair. If you want any of those, tell us in your request; we will tell you plainly what is and is not part of what we do.
| Include | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Make, model and length | Sets the amount of surface | 2019 bowrider, 21 ft |
| What you want done | Defines the scope | Exterior and interior |
| Gelcoat condition | Polish only, or compound first | Chalky on the sides, brown waterline |
| Interior condition | Seats, carpet, storage time | Mildew spots, sunscreen stains |
| Where it is kept | Affects scheduling and logistics | Covered slip on Hartwell |
| Trailer or not | Whether it can come to the shop | On a trailer at home |
| Photos (email after we reply) | Lets us see the real condition | Hull sides, seats, stains |
Request a boat detailing quote
Tell us the make, model and length, what you want done, its condition and where it is kept. We reply with a recommendation and a price.
Common questions
Do you detail pontoon boats?
Send us the details and we quote it. Pontoons have a lot of furniture vinyl, a large floor and aluminum tubes, so tell us the length, the floor type (carpet or vinyl), the condition of the seats and tubes, and where it is kept. We reply with a recommendation and a price, and confirm whether it needs to come to the shop.
Can you remove the brown waterline from my hull?
Waterline staining from lake water is part of the hull and gelcoat work we quote. Most brown lines come off; how cleanly depends on how long the stain has been there and the condition of the gelcoat underneath. Mention the waterline in your request and email a photo after we reply so we can see it.
What should I put in the message if I want both the boat and my truck done?
Give the boat details as usual (make, model, length, scope, condition, where it is kept), then add the tow vehicle's year, make and model and what you would like done to it. Vehicle detailing has its own packages, and we can talk through both in our reply.
Do you clean boat carpet and storage compartments?
Yes, cockpit and storage are part of what we can cover: cup holders, compartments, carpet or mats and the helm. Tell us what condition they are in, for example mildew in a locker or stains in the carpet, and we include them in the quote. Carpet that has rotted or come unglued is a replacement job, not a detail.
Do you offer a warranty on boat detailing?
We do not publish a warranty for boat work. A detail is cleaning, polishing and protection, and how long it lasts depends on sun, storage and how the boat is looked after between details. If you have a specific question about what to expect from the work on your boat, ask us when you request a quote.
Sources
- Hartwell Lake: Directions and Factoids, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Corps Lakes Gateway (https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/projects.cfm?Id=K607380), accessed October 2026
- Lake Hartwell, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (https://dnr.sc.gov/lakes/hartwell/description.html), accessed October 2026
- How to Keep Your Sea Ray Looking Sharp: Vinyl Maintenance Tips, Sea Ray (https://searay.com/us/en/blog/vinyl-maintenance-tips), accessed October 2026
- Keeping Your Boat Shipshape, Grady-White Customer Tips (https://www.gradywhite.com/explore/grady-owners/customer-tips/keep-shipshape), accessed October 2026
- Boat Cleaning Tips, BoatUS Magazine (https://www.boatus.com/app/views/201810/boat-cleaning-tips.asp), accessed October 2026
Boat detailing is quoted per boat, so this guide does not list boat prices. Product directions and warranty terms come from the manufacturer: follow your boat builder’s care instructions where they differ from general advice here.