De striping my Sunseeker advice pls?

RobWales

RobWales

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Location
Gran Canaria
www.3ksengineering.com
Hi.
As some know on here I recently purchased a Sunseeker portofino 34 and as some stated at the time "looks a little dated".

This in mind I think I will remove the stripes, easy on the hull below the rubbing strake as they are vinyl, however above the strake is what seems to be a thick painted blue stripe..

Question is this painted on at the factory?
Or is it in the gel coat?
How can I remove?

I guess the answer will come from another Sunseeker owner perhaps.

Cheers
Rob

See pics here................

http://www.jamesdickensmarine.com/Brokerage/Powerboats/Sunseekerportofino34.htm
 
gotta say, I think these early S/S got alot right... Looks like a real boat, if you know what I mean. Lots of fun ahead, I m sure !
 
I would not change it , i would polish the painted style lines and the whole hull cut it back and apply polish and have vinyl ones replaced with new by a vinyl sign manufacturer otherwise it could look a mongrel rather than a thoroughbred.
 
I would ignore the "looks a little dated" remarks, sure an older 911 looks dated next to a new one, but it doesn't mean its not good looking.
I've seen a lot of late 80's early 90's boats with the strips removed and they do not not look right, despite being immaculately polished etc... the best boats are those that have had the original stripes restored so they look like new. Usualy the manufacturer put them on for a reason and Sunseeker usualy got it right.
 
Very very unlikely to be painted. Normal Sunseeker practice is to gelcoat main deck or hull graphics, except where they are complicated or names etc. Are there any brush marks or is surface mirror smooth, this will tell you gel or paint. ON no account try applying vinyl over the top of any painted surface. As the vinyl will exagerate any brush marks or imperfections.
 
Having now looked at the pics. One or other or both of the hull "waterline" stripes are not original. Nor is the sunseeker name. Text is a poor copy of correct Sunseeker original.
 
Bottom half is definately vinyl>

Top "zigzag" stripe is as smooth as a babies bum!
So could well have been applied in the mold.

MMMMM..! interesting comments so far and now I'm thinking perhaps I should leave as is and just get my polishing machine out and give her a damn good cut n polish!

Point worth making though is that the stripes on the hull are not original as she left the factory looking like this one>>>>>>>>>
http://www.baadgalleri.dk/uploads_large_wm/5990.jpg
 
absolutely right sir,it looked fansastic the day it left the factory,keep it looking that way,i have seen many boats that have been destriped&it is allways obvious&they never look right,keep it original you never know Braithwaite might want to buy it back one day for their museum(ooops forget i said that),regards m m 1. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Keep it the way it is, I took some stripes of previous boat. Not only did it take ages to do but that bit was always a slightly different shade afterwards. Just give it a good cut and polish
 
Another vote for leave it alone. Even though the 'Sunseeker' graphic prob isn't original 99.9% of folks won't realise. I think it looks fine, and if you remove the vinyl you'll spend hours cutting and polishing to make it all disappear.
 
Agree with everyone else, LEAVE IT ALONE.

Great looking boat, if the 'SUNSEEKER' graphics aren't original, I'm one of the 99.9% who wouldn't know.

Super boat, hope you enjoy it, not dated at all, a 1991 Sunseeker classic.
 
I'd get rid of those hull stripes and leave the deck zigzag. I'm not sure, but the hull strips dont look original. They're too heavy, and they make the boat look as if it hasn't enough freeboard. I'd then put on an original chine strip in navy or black. A narrower stripe than either of the two curent chine stripes. And with the word sunseeker in the correct smaller font at the stern. CSail can make

Of course, if the gelcoat underneath has discolured then yes you should keep the stripes. all I mean is that they don't look as good as they should. That's a fantastic looking boat by the way.

Here's a very rough mock up to show it with one stripe (squint your eyes a bit when you look at it, cos it is a rough 2 minute job in Paint)

splashcowes03.jpg
 
The oversized logo stuck out like a sore thumb to me. If it was my boat (and bearing in mid that I'm a fussy git) I would restre the stripes logo to their original spec.

Someone like www.boat-names.co.uk could help for a modest cost.

However, if you're not bothered then leave them as they are. Most folk won;t know any better.

Pete
 
see i knew you had some usefull info to impart,&glad your seeing the light,we will have you in a fairline yet ,regards m m 1. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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