FOUR THOUSAND BUCKS for ceramic coating on a 190?

Guy next to me paid $12000.00 to have a 52 done. 3 years later its out of the water getting redone. This time they are sanding and buffing before the coating, It is a pewter hull. time will tell but way to steep for me. I will be painting the Blue on ours before I do it.
Mine gets hauled every spring and the hull gets prep'd, polished, and waxed - cost is about $2300; above the waterline it gets polished and waxed three times a year. It is the pewter hull also which has a history of fading and chalking issues but the wax system they use seems to avoid the issues. I asked them about the 303 Graphine ceramic product - they looked into it and responded with "na" we will stick with our process.
 
My brother in law had his 50' Cruisers ceramic coated 2 years ago. Hull is dark blue and it still glistened this fall. I didn't ask what he spent and he's never volunteered to say. Certainly expensive. They spent 3 days doing it. All he uses is water to wash it. No soap needed. Me? Nope. I'm having mine polished and waxed this winter at the storage facility. That'll be good enough, I think.
 
Just to throw my hat in here, since I've dipped my toes into the car detailing world more than average, $4000 is not just the cost of simply applying the ceramic coating. If it actually is, then it's robbery.

What DOES cost money is the prep for ceramic. Before it is put on a car, the paint is washed, decontaminated/clayed, one or two stage polish and THEN the ceramic is applied. On a car with 1/3 the paint surface it's still well over a grand to pay someone to do it. The materials for this are only a few hundred. But the labor can be many hours. Even on brand new cars (and boats) the finish is less than perfect from the shop. Microscratches and hazing that you really only notice when the light or angle is right (on a boat, most of the surface is under the rub rail and angled toward the water).

Ceramics are actually last years buzz. THIS year it's all about graphene! Which is basically the same (miniscule amounts of graphene or ceramic suspended in some sort of sealant). On a boat, I don't see much use to applying a hyper-hydrophobic coating that won't be seen as well as a car paint, and spends most of its time in water anyways. 90% of the topside of a boat--the part most people in or out see--is cushions, flooring or glass. 303 Protectant and glass cleaner is all you really need for that. Ceramics DON'T do anything to resist abrasion, but they can protect against UV. But so can a quick wash and wax.

That said, I have seen some wicked gloss from a ceramic. I'd wager that a decent ceramic has better gloss than 90% of the waxes out there. But, is it needed on a boat? A $4000 ceramic job isn't sold to a practical person. It's sold to the it's-expensive-it-must-be-good crowd. The people who buy $90 HDMI cables at Best Buy instead of same-or-better cables from Monoprice, or expensive-brand-name-logo-because-I-want-others-to-see. Expensive ceramics are the Beats headphones, Supreme sticker of the paint protection world. Not bad in itself, but something not worth the money when compared to more affordable better alternatives. You can get the same (or very very near the same) for less.
 
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The hull gets coated with the Awlgrip sealer in the spring and still generates a mirror reflection. This year the smooth gelcoat got sprayed with a product called Permanon. I normally spend mornings in the summer washing a section, and applying paste wax until the boat has been completely waxed.

I wanted to get away from the waxing ritual and was thinking of a ceramic coating. I have one on the car the dealer did in 2018 when we bought it and it still looks like glass and thought it might be a solution. I mentioned my plan to the fellow who redid the teak. He suggested trying Permanon instead. He had heard about the product but not tried it and wanted to give it a test. He offered to coat the boat as he was going clean and wash it anyways as part of the teak restoration cleanup. So we gave it a shot.

I spent my mornings drinking coffee and enjoying the scenery. We had a lot of rain this summer, so I had to do more than the usual de-salting washdowns. That said the gellcoat still shines

It comes in a two once bottle and then is mixed with about a gallon of distilled water and is applied to freshly washed gelcoat with a handheld spray bottle. In the spring I plan to give it a complete spritz and carry on boating.
 
Would you get undercoating for your new car? Would you buy mold protection for a new motor home? They make about $3,750 in profit which equals a nice commission for whoever sells you this overpriced snake oil.

if you truly want a ceramic coating then DIY or get quotes from local detailers. You might be shocked at the price difference. Put your hard earned money into something of value like upgraded propulsion or a better aluminum trailer.
 
It will last. Mine is 30. I meant the size, 19 is small. Most move up in size.

I already have cabin cruiser fever, so you're right. Lol. It won't be for years, though, but eventually we will have a 30 footer Sea Ray and just live on the lake half the time.

Everyone else, thanks for the tips! I'm just going to wax it! Some of these pics are beautiful.
 
Would you get undercoating for your new car? Would you buy mold protection for a new motor home? They make about $3,750 in profit which equals a nice commission for whoever sells you this overpriced snake oil.

if you truly want a ceramic coating then DIY or get quotes from local detailers. You might be shocked at the price difference. Put your hard earned money into something of value like upgraded propulsion or a better aluminum trailer.

Oh I got the engine upgrade :). Sound system upgrade and LED lights too.
 
Congrats on new boat. We started with a S/R 180. Now have a 02 240 dancer. In terms of marine gelcoat protection, I recently used Starke Yacht Care products (Elevate for a medium cut compound and Hyper Hold polymer sealant for final layer and protection). I was extremely pleased how easy their products were to apply and the overall finish I now have on our 20 yr old boat that had alot of water spots from this hard water in AZ. Just make sure to use a surface prep before applying the final sealant. Purchased both products for $75 less on-line discount.
A professional marine detailing owner at the NC coast recommended the Starke line and he was on the money with his recommendation.
I have 3 personal vehicles that I have either applied a ceramic coating or graphene product. They look great and easy to maintain. For the $$...the Starke Hyper Hold would be a great choice. Should be easy for you to do on your 190.
 

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Would you get undercoating for your new car? Would you buy mold protection for a new motor home? They make about $3,750 in profit which equals a nice commission for whoever sells you this overpriced snake oil.
Undercoating is so 1950's, so let's talk about "Rustproofing". My 2018 is the very first car EVER that I have owned without it. But then again, metal treatments are greatly improved these days, so maybe we don't need it any more. On the other hand, I don't plan to keep the car as long as usual, so I saved the money. I think the last time I bought a new car (2011) I think I paid about $500. My 1980 car has not a spot of rust after 40 years, so I guess my Ziebarting really paid off.

I never heard of mold protection, so I don't know if its snake oil or not. But if I had in 2015 when we bought our current Jayco I would've gotten it regardless of cost. This summer has been so wet and our mold issues have been insurmountable.
 
Ceramic coatings last and are very glossy, but I will say, if you hit the dock or a dock pole, they scratch just like paint….just saying
 
I feel like it’s almost like buying the “extended warranty” on something, just save the money and use it if you need it down the road. Just my 2 cents.
 
I feel like it’s almost like buying the “extended warranty” on something, just save the money and use it if you need it down the road. Just my 2 cents.
Well, sort of....

The warranty fixes your transmission or engine, and thus the things you don't "see". If my boats don't have a showroom shine it simply ain't cool. To me waxing is part of the fun of boat ownership. I'm not a sunday boater, I'm a boatman! If the ceramic keeps the shine longer, then I'm all for it.

The ceramic on my car has certainly done its job and after 3 1/2 years looks like it has not deteriorated.

That said, not for 4 grand. I'll do it myself...
 
You’re better off getting Paint Protection Film (PPF) and coating the outside w wax.

Ceramic coating products are expensive. Range $200-$300 for 6 oz bottle. To apply properly the existing surface has to be corrected, even w new hulls. It’s a ton of work. But then nothing will stick to it.

It’s a phenomenal industry in automotive.
 
Ceramic coating a car is 100% worth it especially for DIY. I’ve coated about 10 cars thus far the latest with graphene. Takes me a full day with most time spent on prep. Car wash days are in some cases simply are as easy as my leaf blower. That is all on clear coats. Gel coat is more porous. Considered doing our 320 but not sold on marine grade ceramics. I’d give it time to mature more. Let the folks with big bucks monetize the research for marine gel coat ceramics / graphene and use a good wax for now, save the $ for fuel.
 
Ceramics aren't just for gloss. They cut your wash and dry times down significantly. They keep the vehicle looking better for a longer amount of time between washes. I also had it on my C7 vette. Truly amazing. A buddy had it done on his 45' motorhome...$6500 bucks. It's not cheap and it does take some knowledge how to apply and prep the surface prior to application.
 
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I will say this. When I back the vette out of the garage and the sun hits the hood u can see the dust build up. Once I go down the road it's mostly gone. Truly impressive as far as I am concerned. I would do it again period.
 
I will say this. When I back the vette out of the garage and the sun hits the hood u can see the dust build up. Once I go down the road it's mostly gone. Truly impressive as far as I am concerned. I would do it again period.

Remember to apply your freshen up every 6 mos.
 
Remember to apply your freshen up every 6 mos.
I have $1200 bucks in mine. Carpro is the brand of chemical, but they told me with the limited usage mine gets and only fair weather driving, garage kept I should get 3-4 years. Car may get 1000-1500 miles a year.
 
I got to say that every boat I have seen a ceramic job on looks like wasted money at end of season. I punish myself with using a good polish with no silicones or fillers and then a good coat of collinite fleetwax paste. My boat still looks better and I learned to use my harbor freight buffer from YouTube vids lol.
Even people who spend that kind of money on their cars ceramic coating tend to keep them in garage. What does that tell you? No UV blasting that finish through the roof shingles.
The kits and vids out there almost make it a day long diy project for the car. If it lasts all year and into next, sounds great. You’ll never get that with a boat
 

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