Name? Paint or Vinyl?

[stormchaser]

All of my previous baots have been gelcoat, not paint. I've always used a vinyl printed name...but on a painted baot like our Hatteri (Harrerasses?)...can you use a vinyl applique? Also, any thoughts on what to do about Lady Linda? It's painted on...does that mean a whole stern repaint?

 

[Boatsb]

Either works for the new lettering. Removing the old usually means taking off the lettering which is a single part paint and comes off without hurting awlgrip and imron.

 

[Pascal]

i prefer vinyl, easy to DIY.

to remove the old painted name, use Easy Off oven cleaner. spray it one one section at a time (1 to 2 sq ft), let it stand a few minutes, scrub and rinse. Works great and doesn't hurt the paint. You may have to repeat if the paint was thick/recent. remove the shadow with compound and then apply the new name

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

I had the name painted on when we first bought her. But went with vinyl 2 years later when we repainted her. I prefer the vinyl as you can get a lot of neat designs made up to look at.
Plus the painted name "smeared" in a few places when I accidentally spilt some acetone while working in the cockpit. The vinyl wouldn't have that problem.
Plus it was a LOT less expensive for the vinyl the company came out and put it on...

 

[fissioneng]

I put vinyl on when I bought the boat last year.

But.....getting the old name off. What a chore, took me two weekends. It all depends on what kind of paint it is. The old name was real gold leaf covered with clear Awlgrip or Imron! Nothing would touch it, oven cleaner, acetone, goof off (xylene), etc.

I finally sought the advance of a master painter as I was worried I would have to repaint the whole transom. The final trick was 320 wet/dry (lots of wet) to cut through the Awlgrip/Imron and then get the letters off (LOTS of elbow grease and careful sanding). Then it was 400, 600, 1000 wet/dry followed by rubbing compound with a buffer. I thought for sure this would wreck the paint job when he told me to do it, but I had nothing to lose at that point.

It came out fabulously! Shined like a new paint job. The new vinyl name went right on and looks great. Imron sure is tough stuff.

 

[Capt K]

We always have used the vinyl for reasons stated above and to be able to "de-name" her when sold.

When we bought our current boat, she had been painted with Stirling paint. The boneheads even painted the name in it! This was a huge name that took up most of the transom.

We actually had to compound/buff and use the sandpaper as stated above. It worked great, as was stated. The only problem is that it WILL take off some of the paint so when the paint gets tired, this will be the first parts to show.

K

 

[Nonchalant1]

Hey! Don't forget the old sea superstition about it's bad luck to rename a boat unless you leave the old name on it somewhere.

My boat has "Nonchalance" in 7 ft. wide lettering across the stern, but way down on the transom at one side next to the swim platform in 2 inch lettering it says "Case Closed", "Kara Tara" and "Nauti Nymph" from the three P.O.s.

I don't believe in this crap, I just think it's cute!

Doug

 

[Mike36c]

Another advantage to vinyl is repair. If a letter or two gets damaged just call up your sign folks and they can make only those letters from your computer file.

 

[luckydave215]

Re: Name? Paint or Vinyl....Or.... Bubba Method????

My boat had the name in small letters, so when I renamed her I just cut big lettters out of red duct tape with yelllow masking tape for highlights.
It looks remarkably like painted script edged in gold leaf from 250 yards away, and renewing it every week or two keeps it looking fresh........though the layers ARE getting a bit thick.

 

[stormchaser]

hahaa!

I got some good news...the name isn't paint...it's vinyl! Yay! So, what's the best mothod for removing if? Hair dryer and peal?

 

[fissioneng]

That should work. If not, try a 3M stripe remover wheel found at auto paint stores. You attach it to a high speed drill and it rubs the vinyl right off without harming the paint underneath. It really is a remarkable tool, and no, I don't work for 3M.

 

[sgharford]

I will 2nd the 3M buffing wheel. Some one recomended it on this forum when I asked same question. I kept name same on my boat but changed the hailing port when I bought her last year. Tried the heat gun - which got the vinyl letters off but left the glue behind (use a plastic sraper so you don't scratch the paint and Don't put heat gun on letter and scrape at same time -you'll melt the scraper onto the boat). Had a hell of a time trying everything but 3M wheel to get goo off. When I used wheel, got job done in 15 minutes with no damage to paint. $30 well spent. I don't know if you can put 3M wheel direct to vinyl letter and skip heat gun part. I was worried that paint would be less faded under Vinyl and you would still see outline on transom - this was not the case. Lettering had been on their for 6 years. Hopefully you will be as lucky!

 

[GaryNW]

A suggestion- go with a thick vinyl vs a thin. I had to redo my bootstrips (a blue and a red) and discovered that the PO had used vinyl. The red peeled right off- it was a thick film. We had to chisel-off the blue inch-by-inch; it was probably 1/3 the thickness compared to the red. I went with easypoxy for the redo. Vinyl bootstrips are too bayliner! Lettering is a different matter.
Gary