Boats · Restoration · Palm Beach County · 33477 / 33469 / 33458
Gelcoat Correction in Jupiter
Multi-stage wet compounding and polishing that removes oxidation, haze, and dock rash and brings back the gloss the builder intended.
Zea Detailing provides mobile gelcoat correction & oxidation removal in Jupiter, Tequesta & Jupiter Inlet Colony — at Admirals Cove Marina & Yacht Club, Jupiter Inlet Marina at U-Tiki Beach, Jupiter Yacht Club Marina, and private docks in Admirals Cove and Jonathan's Landing — for boats from 20 to 100+ feet. Licensed, bonded and insured; based in West Palm Beach; Palm Beach County.
What it is: Gelcoat correction is the machine compounding and polishing of a boat's fiberglass gelcoat to remove the oxidized, chalky top layer and restore true color and gloss. Done properly it makes most faded hulls look new again and avoids the cost of painting.
Gelcoat Correction on Jupiter water and driveways
A Contender kept on a lift behind Pennock Point comes to us with two different problems on one hull: the topsides chalk out from sun, and the boot stripe carries a tannin mustache from the brown water of the Loxahatchee River. Gelcoat that dull needs compounding, not a wax that hides it for a weekend. We run inspection lights down the sheer before picking a pad, because a hull that fishes the Jupiter Inlet weekly has dock rash and light scuffing mixed into the oxidation, and those cut at different speeds.
Access sets the schedule. Admirals Cove and Jonathan's Landing want the gate call ahead of time and a name on the list, so we book those a day out and work off the finger pier or the lift. At Jupiter Yacht Club Marina, The Bluffs Marina and Loggerhead Marina we stage early and chase shade as the sun comes over the transom, since compound flashes fast on hot gelcoat. Multi-stage work runs a full day or more on a Viking, and the protection stage goes on the same visit — we never leave corrected gelcoat bare.
What Jupiter does to a finish
Offshore salt, run hard
Jupiter boats actually fish. Salt crust after every canyon run needs a same-week washdown before it etches metals and glass — that's the cadence we build here.
Brown river water
The Loxahatchee's tannin-stained water paints waterlines fast. Our maintenance program keeps the mustache off without acid-washing your gelcoat thin.
Tower, tuna door & outboard care
Powder-coated towers, quad outboard cowlings, and stainless work need product knowledge generic detailers don't carry. This is our bread and butter.
Gelcoat Correction at Jupiter marinas
We carry the insurance certificates these facilities require and coordinate directly with the dockmaster or yard.
Private club · Mega-yachts
Admirals Cove Marina & Yacht Club
Jupiter
Full service · Sportfish
Jupiter Inlet Marina at U-Tiki Beach
Jupiter
Private club · Mixed fleet
Jupiter Yacht Club Marina
Jupiter
Full service · Mixed fleet
The Bluffs Marina
Jupiter
Full service · Mixed fleet
Loggerhead Marina – Jupiter
Jupiter
Boutique · Mixed fleet
Blowing Rocks Marina
Tequesta
Dry stack · Center consoles
Jupiter Pointe Club & Marina
Tequesta
How gelcoat correction gets done right
- 01
Condition assessment
We evaluate oxidation depth and gelcoat thickness before recommending a cut level.
- 02
Wash & decontamination
Salt, scum, and bonded contamination off first — you can't polish dirt.
- 03
Wet compounding
Heavy-cut stage removes the oxidized layer and deep defects.
- 04
Refinement polish
Progressively finer stages restore clarity, depth, and true color.
- 05
Protection
Sealant or ceramic coating locks in the result — corrected gelcoat left bare re-oxidizes fast.
Gelcoat Correction in Jupiter — FAQ
Good questions
How much does gelcoat correction cost?
$20 per linear foot topsides and $15 per foot hull sides, charged per step. Most boats need two to three steps, so a 42-foot hull runs about $2,940 for two steps and $4,410 for three. We confirm the step count after seeing the hull, and protection is included on the final pass.
My hull is chalky white — is it too far gone?
Usually not. Heavy oxidation looks terminal but most gelcoat has enough depth for a full restoration. We assess first and tell you honestly what the surface will support. The transformations in our gallery started exactly where your boat is now.
Do you work inside Admirals Cove?
Yes — Admirals Cove, Jonathan's Landing, and Jupiter Inlet Colony are core service areas. We handle club and community vendor requirements ourselves, and we service both private docks and the marina.
Can you keep up with a boat that fishes every weekend?
That's the Jupiter program: standing washdowns timed to your fishing schedule, so salt never sits more than a day or two. Coated boats rinse clean in half the time — most of our serious fishing clients coat for exactly that reason.
Can you correct gelcoat while the boat stays in its slip at Admirals Cove Marina?
In the slip is fine. We work off the dock and the swim platform, tarping and taping so no compound dust carries onto neighboring boats. Only work at and below the waterline needs a lift or a yard, and we tell you that before the job is booked.
Does the Loxahatchee waterline stain come out with correction, or do I need an acid wash?
Correction removes most of it. The tannin mustache sits in oxidized gelcoat, so compounding takes the stain off with the chalk. Heavy acid hull cleaners thin gelcoat over time; on boats kept up the river we correct once, then hold the waterline with scheduled maintenance washes.
Gelcoat Correction in Jupiter?
Two minutes to a real quote — condition, photos, location. We handle the rest.
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