How long does it take to wash, polish and then wax grubby oxidised gelcoat?

[Zing]

I’m employing a day-worker to do this job. I wonder how much time (and budget therefore) to allow per square meter to do a good, not rushed job?

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I’m employing a day-worker to do this job. I wonder how much time (and budget therefore) to allow per square meter to do a good, not rushed job?

There is a cutter/polisher, one man band round our way that charged £100 perday a couple of year's ago. Probably add 10% inflation . UK East Coast.

 

[john_morris_uk]

There is a cutter/polisher, one man band round our way that charged £100 perday a couple of year's ago. Probably add 10% inflation . UK East Coast.

Golly! You can’t get a labourer to dig holes for £110 a day.

 

[LittleSister]

There is a cutter/polisher, one man band round our way that charged £100 perday a couple of year's ago. Probably add 10% inflation . UK East Coast.

That's a surprisingly low rate for what is hard, semi-skilled work, even more so if they're providing tools/materials. (I imagine the inflation rate for it will have been much more than 5% pa for the last couple of years in particular.) You'll likely need to add travel costs, and/or deduct travel time from the working day, too.

IIRC the local marinas are charging something of the order of £70 ph +VAT for labour these days. (And the job will be likely given to one of their lower skilled & paid staff.) If the boat is in a commercial marina/yard they'll likely want to charge a daily rate to allow you to use outside labour.

 

[Zing]

I'm more concerned about the hours per sq m so I can work out time to allow for the job.

 

[[2574]]

We can polish our 43 LOA monohull in two days, that’s the hull from waterline to cap rail. The GRP is in good condition. At least double the time requirement if grubby and badly oxidised I would suggest. Above the cap rail depends upon whether you have teak decks of course. Add another day (2 days if poor condition) I would suggest.

i should add that these timings are using a machine polisher and two of us at it and working from a platform. If working from a ladder it is much slower.

 

[Zing]

We can polish our 43 LOA monohull in two days, that’s the hull from waterline to cap rail. The GRP is in good condition. At least double the time requirement if grubby and badly oxidised I would suggest. Above the cap rail depends upon whether you have teak decks of course. Add another day (2 days if poor condition) I would suggest.

i should add that these timings are using a machine polisher and two of us at it and working from a platform. If working from a ladder it is much slower.

Cheers, would that be with a polish/wax product (all in one) or a polish then a wax?

 

[Seashoreman]

Golly! You can’t get a labourer to dig holes for £110 a day.

Long Keeler is not too far off the mark for Suffolk. Incomes are relatively low in the rural outbacks. A high proportion of people work for minimum wage, people working in the tourist trade, gardening, shops, catering, caring, cleaning and country pursuits.
£15 per hour is quite acceptable for the semi-skilled. Some of the most skilled craftspersons I have come across work for less than £180 per day in these here parts. I suppose the living is a little less costly and the people, in general, have not learnt how to be greedy?

 

[Bouba]

Golly! You can’t get a labourer to dig holes for £110 a day.

I thought that you used prison labour ?‍

 

[john_morris_uk]

I thought that you used prison labour ?‍

Ha ha.

 

[Tranona]

£350 for my Bavaria 33. 2 people best part of a day. £250 for my 31' Golden Hind. 2 people morning work.

 

[Seashoreman]

I thought that you used prison labour ?‍

In my years on the Town Council I engaged a gang on Community Service, one up from going to prison, to paint local bollards, play equipment and such. They went on a go slow because they thought they were being exploited by a wealthy community ( quote: Chelsea on Sea).
The wealthy of the community were more concerned that they were eyeing up their houses. Eventually all came to a peaceful conclusion.
It is a known phenomena that if someone is too cheap they can't be much good.

 

[Poignard]

I thought that you used prison labour ?‍

What a memory you have!

 

[Bouba]

What a memory you have!

It’s what keeps me honest

 

[[2574]]

Cheers, would that be with a polish/wax product (all in one) or a polish then a wax?

Combined polish/wax then followed by another wax. 3M products.

 

[Skylark]

We can polish our 43 LOA monohull in two days, that’s the hull from waterline to cap rail. The GRP is in good condition. At least double the time requirement if grubby and badly oxidised I would suggest. Above the cap rail depends upon whether you have teak decks of course. Add another day (2 days if poor condition) I would suggest.

i should add that these timings are using a machine polisher and two of us at it and working from a platform. If working from a ladder it is much slower.

What sort of platform do you use?

My boat is 9 years old. I usually hand polish the top sides twice per year but they are now looking a bit grubby. I’ve just bought a DA polisher and plenty of 3M light + wax. Not a job that I’m looking forward to.

Apologies for slight drift…..

 

[ChromeDome]

Depends on the surface condition, tools/materials and skill. And the weather because the products needed works better when not too cold (read on the tin).

Also affects the cost if tools and products are supplied by you or the worker.

Skilled people ain't cheap - and cheap people ain't skilled!

 

[steveeasy]

Well it depends if the person your going to employ is skilled or not. If not then I suggest you do a square meter and see how long it takes. Then your have a better idea what to budget for. I suspect for a 30 ft boat you’d be looking at 3 -5 days if it’s in a bad way.
Get a skilled person and he will do it in a day or 2 but charge between 3-600 as he’s skilled.

SteveeAsy

 

[LONG_KEELER]

That's a surprisingly low rate for what is hard, semi-skilled work, even more so if they're providing tools/materials. (I imagine the inflation rate for it will have been much more than 5% pa for the last couple of years in particular.) You'll likely need to add travel costs, and/or deduct travel time from the working day, too.

IIRC the local marinas are charging something of the order of £70 ph +VAT for labour these days. (And the job will be likely given to one of their lower skilled & paid staff.) If the boat is in a commercial marina/yard they'll likely want to charge a daily rate to allow you to use outside labour.

I think I've mentally lost a few years somewhere . Apologies.

Little Sister - As you are East Coast, he was the bloke who Sailorman was keen on and I think Habety used him.

 

[xyachtdave]

I can wash, cut, polish and wax a 36 ft boat in a day on my own. That’s not turning up at 10, having a chat and faffing about.

Tressles and scaffold boards on site ready, start at 7am done by 4pm. But I’m a motivated owner who’s light on spare time and used to wearing myself out at work.

Paying someone £100 a day, which to be honest in the SE won’t get you anyone with a pulse, I’d say this would take them at least 4 days.

I’m amazed someone’s offering £100 a day, minus a bit of travel/van expenses, contractors liability, tooling and equipment, they’d make more in McDonalds with less hassle.