2012 Sea Ray 270 SLX
InNavy topsides, tired teak
OutIce-blue Awlgrip; the teak looks new again
“so it will never fade”
Paint, gelcoat and fiberglass work that makes the boat you own new again.
A licensed, insured refinishing yard on Bluffton Road (Hwy 46) with indoor paint and repair bays, Awlgrip and Alexseal topsides, Sea Hawk bottoms, and a fixed-price quote before anything is sanded.
What came into the bay, and what went home
Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 100 Google reviews, and five of the boats behind them
Custom 20 ft panga
InA full paint job and a budget agreed up front
OutPainted inside that budget; one hatch with contamination redone straight away
“He did everything he said he was going to do”
Holed hull
In13 gallons of water in the hull and a hole in it
OutHole repaired, deck resurfaced, outside painted, back in one week
“Paul really went the extra mile”
'85 Outrage
InEvery finish worn
OutCompletely restored
“even better than we could have imagined”
2018 Sportsman Heritage 231
InTrailer-ramp gelcoat damage and white haze
OutShowroom finish inside and out, ceramic coated
“The boat truly looks brand new.”
More of their own words on the about page, and the boats themselves in the gallery.
Indoor repair, paint and detail bays
Why buy a new boat?
That is Paul's own question, and the yard is the answer to it. Every job begins with an evaluation of the hull and a written scope of work at a fixed price, with no hourly billing to surprise you at pick-up. Then the boat goes inside and comes out finished.
Can a faded, scratched boat really look new again?
Yes, and the honest answer depends on what the gelcoat has left in it. These are the six kinds of work that come through the bays, in the order a hull usually needs them.
Epoxy, not polyester
Fiberglass & gelcoat repair
Cracks, chips, ramp gouges, soft spots and water in the hull, ground back and rebuilt with epoxy-based fillers, then colour-matched gelcoat.
Awlgrip & Alexseal
Boat painting
Awlgrip, Awlcraft and Alexseal on hulls, decks, cabins, rub rails and housings, with non-skid, boot stripes, decals and names.
Sea Hawk certified
Bottom painting
Certified Sea Hawk antifouling picked for where the boat lives: in the water, seasonal or on a trailer. From $45 per foot.
800 to 4000 grit
Boat detailing
Wet sanding from 800 to 4000 grit when it is needed, compounding, polishing, machine wax, stainless and aluminum brought back. From $59.50 per foot.
Glidecoat Pro certified
Ceramic coatings
Glidecoat Pro 9H ceramic and graphene coatings over corrected gelcoat or paint, cured indoors, with an 18-month certificate.
T-tops to transoms
Restoration & custom work
Older hulls brought back whole: T-tops and hard tops, transoms rebuilt, cowlings refinished, teak and brightwork, consoles and bait wells.
$59.50 and $45 per foot
Prices, pick-up, colour match and what the guarantee covers
Boat detailing starts at $59.50 per foot and bottom painting starts at $45 per foot. The final bottom-paint price depends on the hull's condition, the coatings already on it, the prep and repairs it needs, and the paint you choose. Paul inspects the boat and gives you a fixed price before work starts.
For detailing and bottom painting there is free pick-up and delivery from Old Joy Landing in Bluffton. Everything else is worked in the yard at 138 Bluffton Rd (Hwy 46), in protected indoor repair, paint and detail bays.
Qualifying fiberglass and gelcoat repairs carry a 3 to 5-year guarantee against cracking and blistering, qualifying repair and paint work carries a 5-year guarantee, and a Glidecoat Pro ceramic coating comes with an 18-month certificate.
Factory-mixed gelcoats are used whenever they are available, and repairs are colour-matched by hand. Older gelcoat fades unevenly, so an exact match cannot always be guaranteed, and Paul will tell you that at the inspection rather than after the repair.
Custom Marine Finishes is a certified Sea Hawk Bottom Paint Center. The antifouling is chosen for where you keep the boat, the water it sits in and how it is stored: in the water all season, seasonally, or on a trailer.
Glidecoat Pro cures in 8 to 12 hours. After that, wash the boat every 2 to 4 weeks with a gentle soap; the coating is hydrophobic, so salt and grime rinse off far more easily than off wax.
Bluffton / Hilton Head Island / Beaufort / Savannah / Charleston / the Lowcountry
Haul it to Bluffton Road, or meet us at Old Joy Landing
The yard is at 138 Bluffton Rd (Hwy 46), Bluffton, open Mon-Fri 7am-3pm with weekends by appointment. Detailing and bottom-painting boats get free pick-up and delivery from Old Joy Landing in Bluffton. They are busy, so call ahead for a slot.