Service
Mobile boat detailing means we bring the entire operation to you: marine soaps, machine polishers, water and power, all set up at your slip or storage yard. Hands On Deck covers Cook County and the Chicago harbors, so your boat is detailed without ever being hauled or trailered.
Updated for the 2026 season.
The hardest part of caring for a boat is finding the time to get it cleaned properly. Mobile boat detailing removes that friction entirely. Instead of arranging a haul-out or driving your trailer across the county, you give us your harbor and slip number and we handle the rest. Our crew arrives self-contained: marine soaps, machine polishers, fresh water and power, and works the boat where it floats.
This dockside model is built for how people actually use their boats on Lake Michigan. You can have your vessel detailed midweek and step aboard a spotless cockpit for the weekend without ever coordinating a yard appointment.
We service the full chain of Chicago Harbors: Monroe, Burnham, DuSable, Belmont, Diversey, Montrose, 31st Street, Jackson Park and Calumet, plus north-shore harbors and marinas at Wilmette, Evanston, Waukegan, Winthrop Harbor and North Point Marina. If your boat sits on a lift, a mooring can or a trailer at home, we can usually reach it.
Beyond convenience, dockside detailing means your boat is serviced in its real environment, by the same operators each visit. We learn your hull, track how the gelcoat is holding protection, and catch early oxidation or staining before it sets. Nothing is rushed through a high-volume wash line. The work happens in front of you, at your slip, starboard side to port.
Setting it up is simple. Tell us your harbor and slip, the make and length of the boat, and what you are after, whether that's a maintenance wash, a full detail, or specific work like oxidation removal or a ceramic coating. We give you a clear quote and a time window, then arrive ready to work. There is no yard to coordinate with and no waiting list for a lift. Owners who want this handled automatically all season can set it up as one of our maintenance plans instead.
Because we are local and slip-based, we can often work around your schedule rather than the other way around. Many owners have us come midweek so the boat is spotless for the weekend, and recurring clients lock in standing appointments through the busy season so they never have to think about it.
We prefer dock power and a water spigot when available, which most harbors provide. We carry our own water supply as a backup, and if your dock doesn't have power, just let us know ahead of time so we can plan the visit around it.
All Chicago Harbors plus north-shore communities including Wilmette, Evanston, Glencoe, Winnetka, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Waukegan, Winthrop Harbor and North Point Marina.
Yes. We detail boats in the water, on trailers, and on lifts. Trailered and lifted boats often let us reach more of the hull near the waterline.
Not necessarily. As long as we have access to the boat and the dock, many clients hand off the keys and return to a finished vessel.
Ready to book a detail?
Call us at (312) 415-0582 or get a free quote.
Text or call for the fastest response. We service Cook County and the Chicago lakefront harbors, no hauling required.