Coachlines

[Chris_W]

I want to paint a nice white coach line or two around the hull of my 22ft boat. Any suggestions on the best way to carry this out and get professional results would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Chris.

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[tome]

If its out of the water and level then one of those laser levels is great for marking water lines and boot toppings, if it's a sheer line then follow the deck sheer with a vertical plumb line and a horizontal spirit level off from a fixed point down the line to the hull.

Mask off either side of your marked line being careful to maintain a uniform thickness.

Good luck

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[vyv_cox]

Adhesive tape coachlines are much easier to apply and to get straight. You can usually buy them from car parts shops in small amounts and specialist tape suppliers for larger. Lots of widths and colours available from about 5 mm up.

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[dog]

I agree, laser level would be ideal. I did not have access to a level and used a cheaper method as follows: I used vinyl tape on my 21 footer and had excellent results. I used normal garden string, taped it to the hull at the edge of the transom at the desired height and pulled it taught along each side of the hull. This then gives you a perfect line to run the tape along. A tip- dont pull the string as it disturbs the line. you can use a tape measure at easy reference points along the hull to ensure the line is exactly the same both sides. I found that by experimenting with the string, I could visualise how the stripes would look. I also have found the vinyl stripes much easier to apply when the weather is cold as the vinyl streches and bubbles very easily when hot!!

Hope this helps.

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[Guest]

Water - Washing up liquid

To mark a line ..... if the boat is out of water and level. You make a water level by filling a clear length of thin pipe with water. Plug each end making sure each is showing a few inches of space above the water when held vertical.

What you are after is a water line level that will show same as you pass along the hull giving a straight level line. You must make sure that the two end of the pipe is kept uniform height above ground all times as you move it around ...... sounds hard - but careful thought and you'll see what I mean !!

Second point - if you use vinyl stripe tape as used on cars .... it is easy to get it crooked, in fact almost certain !!! So you apply it with strong washing up liquid solution providing a slippery slidy surface to place the strip on. You can slide it around and line up till you are happy. Then hard roll / squeeze out the solution from behind and you will find it will dry and bond beautifully......

Its an old Car body trick used by countless Car repairers .... it works !! If anyone don't believe ...... try it out on a piece of scrap plastic or glass ......


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[bob26]

If its level....

That's the bit that puzzles me. I can see how you can level side to side. But what about fore and aft given that most boats have a bow higher than the stern and decks, roofs and floors that slope and drain and even masts that are raked?

What does level even mean anyway? Presumably its the attitude it would adopt in the water. I guess you could search for a bit of horizontal deck or roof while its afloat. But how do you judge that with a boat you've never seen in the water?

All the boats I've owned seem to raise their bows when they dry so standing it on level ground is not much help.

I have had boats with the waterline scored on the hull....but if you've got that you don't need to level the boat to get the lines level...

Like Chris_W I'm about to do some lining so I'd be grateful if anyone can level with me on this one and straighten me out.

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[William_H]

The answer to what is level is entirely your choice. For me I would want the lines to look level when the boat is sitting on a swing mooring or at a jetty depending on where you keep it. when there is no one aboard. My lightweight yacht dips it's bow by 2 inches with the weight of a mooring chain on the bow. The stern drops about 5 inches when we drop the mooring chain and have 4 crew in the cockpit for sailing. All that in a 21 foot boat.

So for mwe all levels relate to the water line as it is seen by the public from the shore when unattended. You decide

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