Decontamination, polishing, and protection — back to the finish underneath
For boats and cars whose finish demands more than a wash.
Single-Stage and Multi-Stage Correction · Marine & Automotive · Fully Insured · Mobile
Your Finish Isn’t Dirty, It’s Tired
Here’s what most owners don’t realize: the original gloss your boat or car came out of the factory with is still there. It’s just buried under things that have built up over time and that no amount of soap and water will lift. Tunnel washes leave swirls and marring in your clear coat. UV exposure causes oxidation on gelcoat and paint, fading the depth and color. Water spotting etches the surface. Bonded contaminants (industrial fallout, tar, mineral deposits, tree sap, mold spores) sit on top of the paint long after you’ve washed them off. Light scratches dull what should be sharp reflections. Wax and sealant sit on top of all of that. They don’t fix it. To bring the finish back, the surface has to be corrected first.
What Paint and Gelcoat Correction Actually Do
Correction is a multi-step mechanical process that removes imperfections from paint or gelcoat — then seals the work so it lasts. The difference between cleaning a surface and restoring it.
Assessment
Every correction starts with an honest evaluation, what we can bring back, what we can’t, and what your vessel or vehicle will look like when we’re done.
Wash and decontamination
Foam bath, hand wash, clay bar decontamination — pulling bonded contaminants off the surface that washing alone can’t touch. By the end of this step, your paint or gelcoat feels like glass.
Machine polishing
Calibrated machines, the right pad-and-compound combination for each section, and the time most detailers skip. Swirls, marring, light scratches, and oxidation come out. Reflections come back sharp. Color comes back to depth.
Sealing
Once correction is done, we seal the surface to protect what we just restored. Clients who want years of protection rather than months often add a ceramic coating at this stage. More on that below.
Single-Stage, Multi-Stage.
The Right Call Depends on the Finish
Single-stage correction is included with our Premier tier. One polishing pass removes light-to-moderate swirls and marring, perfect for most vessels and vehicles in solid condition that have picked up the wear of regular use. Multi-stage correction is part of our Elite tier. A cutting compound removes deeper defects first; subsequent passes refine the surface until reflections are sharp and color is restored to depth. The right call for heavy oxidation, neglected finishes, or owners who want showroom results. We’ll recommend the right level at your consultation.
What Our Clients Say
Is Correction the Right Call?
A few signs that correction is what your boat or car actually needs: swirls and marring visible in direct sunlight; a dull or hazy finish even after a wash; oxidation — chalky spots or faded color, especially on gelcoat; soft reflections instead of sharp ones; a rough or gritty surface to the touch after washing; a history of tunnel washes. And a few things correction won’t fix: deep scratches through the clear coat (those require spot repair); chips and dings in the paint; damage to the substrate (the layer beneath the paint or gelcoat) — that’s a repair, not a refinement. If correction won’t address what you’re hoping for, we’ll tell you before we begin.
Correction Restores, Ceramic Coating Protects
Once the finish is corrected, the clock starts again. A quality sealant holds 3–4 months. High-durability wax runs 4–6. UV, water minerals, contaminants, and daily wear begin working on the surface from the moment we finish. For clients who want to hold what we just restored — for years, not another season — we recommend pairing correction with a ceramic coating. The coating bonds to the corrected surface and protects it from everything trying to wear it down. The most efficient path to long-term protection is correction and coating together. We’ll discuss whether that’s right for your vessel or vehicle at your consultation.
How We Price Correction
Correction lives inside our Premier and Elite tiers —
you receive a complete detail alongside the correction work, not a polishing-only service.
Premier
Full detail plus single-stage correction. Right for vessels and vehicles in good shape with light-to-moderate surface defects.
Elite
Full detail plus multi-stage correction. Right for heavier surface defects or owners who want showroom results. Finishes requiring work beyond Elite — significant oxidation, full-vessel restoration, deep gelcoat sanding these are quoted separately. Send us a few photos with your request. We’ll specify the right approach.
See What’s Possible
Under Your Paint
Every correction starts with an assessment — what we can bring back, what’s worth doing, and what your vessel or vehicle will look like when we’re done. Send a few photos with your request.