1-Day Boat Detailing Class with Mike Phillips (2026)

This course certifies students in the advanced marine detailing processes necessary to produce high quality results when detailing boats professionally or as a hobby. The objective of this course is to restore real neglected marine gelcoat paint finishes using different levels of aggression to produce results ranging from production to show boat quality.  Skill level: Beginner to Enthusiast/Professional

Day 1 – Marine Gelcoat Correction

Students will start with a pre-prepped boat to provide maximum time for gelcoat correction and ceramic coating protection.  

Machine Wet Sanding

Using gear-driven orbital sanders and both the Mirka Abralon Sanding System and the Eagle Abrasives by KOVAX Sanding System, students will learn how to machine wet sand the hull to remove deep oxidation, water stains and dock rash.

Machine Dry Sanding

After the machine wetsanding step, students will learn how to machine dry sand using the Eagle Abrasives by KOVAX system.  The machine dry sanding step is used to refine the deeper wet sanding scratches to create more shallow sanding marks to make the rotary step faster and easier.  Machine dry sanding is also the best approach for anyone wanting to create a show car finish on a boat.

Sanding Mark Removal from Gelcoat with Rotary Polishers & Wool Pads

Following the machine dry sanding step, the sanding marks instilled in the gelcoat must be removed as the next step towards a show boat finish.  To do so, students will use rotary polishers with wool pads and a Dr. Beasley’s Nano Surface Primers.

Hologram Removal from Gelcoat with Orbital Polishers & Foam Pads

Once the sanding marks have been removed, the holograms instilled by the rotary polisher/wool pad combo must be polished out to leave a defect-free gel coat finish.  Students will use orbital polishers with foam pads to complete this step. 

Gelcoat Protection with Marine Ceramic Coating

Finally, the newly restored gelcoat must be protected with a durable marine ceramic coating — in this case Dr. Beasley’s Boat Coat Pro. Students will apply this coating to the entire hull, learning step-by-step how to properly install a marine ceramic coating.

1-Step Gelcoat Restoration with Ceramic AIO

Students will learn how to use a Ceramic All-In-One (AIO) product to remove oxidation and restore a glossy, protected surface in a single step. This method offers an alternative to multi-step processes, and students will learn when to apply each approach.