So last week I realized my boat's bottom looked like a science experiment gone wrong. Algae, barnacles, the whole nasty package. Figured I'd pay someone to scrape it off instead of doing that backbreaking work myself. Boy, did I underestimate the hassle.

First Steps & Frustrations

Started simple: typed "hull cleaning near me" into my phone. Surprise surprise – got flooded with like a million options. Some ads looked slick, others looked like someone set up a business using their grandma's Facebook account. Total chaos. Clicked on a few promising ones only to find weird pricing pages or no prices at all. "Call for a quote" – yeah, no thanks. My phone hates spam calls.

Getting Smarter (I Hope)

Decided I needed a better plan. Made a stupid little list:

• Actually Certified? Found out some folks just show up with a scraper and call it a day. Didn’t want my gel coat ruined by some guy named Vinny.
• What Are They Using? Heard horror stories about nasty chemicals killing sea grass. My dock neighbor would murder me.
• Dive Crew or Lift? Some companies send divers down, others need the boat hauled out. Mine sits pretty low, so haul-out seemed better. Added that.
• Reviews Worth Reading? Ignored the obvious fake ones. Dug deep for the salty complaints. If they said "scratched my hull" or "left halfway," instant nope.

The Messy Calls & Surprises

Bit the bullet, made calls. First place sounded great till they casually mentioned a $200 "environmental fee." What even is that? A fee for not dumping poison? Laughed and hung up.

Second guy was chill on the phone. Asked about his divers. He goes, "Oh yeah, Jorge’s been doing this 15 years!" Cool. Asked if he could email me proof of insurance. Suddenly got real quiet. "Uhh, yeah bro, I'll text it." Spoiler: he never did. Ghosted.

Third company tried to sell me a "year-long protection package" before even looking at my boat. Felt like talking to a timeshare salesman. Hard pass.

Finding the Good One

Was getting desperate. Finally stumbled on a tiny family outfit. Small website, actual local number (not some call center). Their email actually worked – sent me everything: license copy, insurance doc, diver certifications, AND a simple price list. No stupid fees, no pressure.

Guy actually came down to my slip first to eyeball the job. Confirmed my suspicion about needing a lift instead of divers because the growth was so bad underneath. Quoted a fair price on the spot, didn’t waffle.

The Takeaway

What did my dumb journey teach me?

• Stop Clicking Ads Blindly. Pretty websites mean zip.
• Ask For The Damn Papers. No insurance? BYE.
• Weird Fees = Big Red Flag. "Administrative costs?" Nah.
• On-Site Visit Wins. Anyone quoting without seeing your hull is guessing.
• Smaller Can Be Better. That big flashy company? Didn’t answer their phone half the time.

Ended up paying about what I expected, no surprises. Boat looks brand new. But wow – finding someone decent felt like a part-time job. Hope my mistakes save you the headache!