Old workboat painted yellow stripe origins?

[Carlotta]

What is the significance/origin of the painted yellow cove stripe seen on so many ex-working sailing craft? Ive seen them on pilot cutters, Canadian Grand Banks fishing schooners, and UK fishing craft. Some of the trains in the UK have them too. Is it some type of industry or working class denotation?

 

[mikefleetwood]

The yellow stripe on UK trains denotes "First Class" accommodation.
The meaning on a boat may be somewhat different

 

[Keith 66]

Well a "poor mans gold" yellow paint cove line is cheaper than gold leaf!

 

[chinita]

It is to stop people parking their cars on the boat.

 

[Kukri]

(warning - anorak stuff...)

The yellow stripe above the doors on a First Class British railway carriage was invented by an American! It was first used by the Great Eastern Railway during their suburban service intensification n 1920 under Henry Thornton, who was the first American senior manager to be hired by any British company!

(not many people (want to) know that!)

As Keith rightly says the yellow paint line is the economy version of the gold leaf caveta line on a yacht and serves the same purpose - to accentuate the sheerline and make the boat look prettier.

Chinita is also entirely correct, it is forbidden to park your car on a working boat's deck.