Stripes or bare hull?

[dgadee]

Not sure what I should do. Hull being sanded and will be polished on the project Fulmar. Original stripes looks a bit dated for a man of my aesthetics. But bare looks a bit bare.

Any suggestions for a moderne look?

 

[Minerva]

There’s a boat in the yard opposite me without any hull stripes. It looks really peculiar / really rather tubby in my opinion.

What you can do is take a photo of your boat, then load it into Gemini / chat gpt etc and get it to add various different colour etc to mock up some ideas.

 

[Stemar]

 

[Minerva]

Flash bugger! Two yachts indeed.

 

[Concerto]

Fulmars originally had no stripes at all, just antifouling. Stripes and boot top were optional extras. On Concerto I have a broad painted band under the toerail in Oxford Blue and and a black boot top in hard antifouling. Fairly classic and timeless. If you have the original blue decks, then paint them grey. To stand out from the crowd in a marina, then varnish the hand rails and toe rail. I get so many comments about how Concerto looks and most are shocked when I tell them she is 45, coming on 46, years old.

 

[kacecar]

I'd say stick with the stripes - the designers knew what they were doing.

I think designers used to put stripes on to make some cumbersome looking shapes more attractive, typically by using horizontal lines to reduce the apparent height of something, in an effort to make it appear lower, sleeker. Car designers often use the same technique. It's interesting that the stripes and boot top were optional extras on a Fulmar - presumably people on both sides of the purchase perceived value in them.

Incidentally, I once took the vinyl stripes off my boat. It just didn't look right - I put them back next season.

 

[Refueler]

Yard was pushing me to put stripe on my hull .... I have one just below deck line .... they wanted to add one just above waterline ...

I declined.

 

[dunedin]

…... On Concerto I have a broad painted band under the toerail in Oxford Blue and and a black boot top in hard antifouling. Fairly classic and timeless. ….

Yes I agree that the broad blue band works well on a Fulmar.
One of the great thing about the boat is the generous freeboard, which gives dry sailing and spacious interior. The blue band avoids this freeboard looking excessive.

 

[dgadee]

Fulmars originally had no stripes at all, just antifouling. Stripes and boot top were optional extras. On Concerto I have a broad painted band under the toerail in Oxford Blue and and a black boot top in hard antifouling. Fairly classic and timeless. If you have the original blue decks, then paint them grey. To stand out from the crowd in a marina, then varnish the hand rails and toe rail. I get so many comments about how Concerto looks and most are shocked when I tell them she is 45, coming on 46, years old.

Yes, maybe just one band. Did you paint the Oxford Blue? Also, what do you use the turning blocks for? I have removed mine.

 

[Concerto]

Yes, the Oxford Blue was hand painted and being a one pot paint has lasted 11 years so far. It is one of those jobs I should get round to doing again.

The turning blocks are to give a good lead for the genoa sheets. Do you still have the winches on the aft end of the coach roof? Mine are now sited on the cockpit coaming.

 

[dgadee]

Yes, vinyl is supposed to give 5 years according to suppliers, so paint better.

I took the winches off the coach roof. Will put two back on for hallyards etc. but in a better location. Headsail winches will go on coaming. I have blocks for the deck travellers to get lead right.

I don't see the need for turning blocks on my setup.

 

[Hoolie]

I read somewhere that a hull with stripes is more visible from the air, particularly in a rough sea - perhaps only of benefit in an air/sea rescue situation.

 

[dgadee]

I read somewhere that a hull with stripes is more visible from the air, particularly in a rough sea - perhaps only of benefit in an air/sea rescue situation.

And when you are upside down?

 

[Concerto]

And when you are upside down?

You should paint HELP upside down on both sides of the keel. The everyone will realize you are in trouble.

To be honest a Fulmar is very difficult to turn upside down in regular usage. I push mine harder than most and sail in rougher conditions. Never have I ever felt unsafe. In the past I have twice had a mast in the water whilst racing, so I have tried very hard.

 

[Neeves]

And when you are upside down?

On the recommendation of a helicopter pilot who mentioned that inverted vessels with white hulls and black, dark blue or dark green AF were hard to see - especially in rough seas (he had recently been involved in a search for a missing yacht).

I could see no downsides to red AF.

I only worried once when a front came through, the seas became large very quickly and at one point there were 3 dolphins surfing down the front of an approach sea and I was looking up at them.

I never felt the need for a big black "V" under the bridge deck.

X-Yachts used hull stripes, 3 of them, as part of branding. Very effective. I'm not aware that anyone complained - as every one knew the 3 stripes made the yachts faster, So if you race and don't do well - have the yacht lifted and install so you have 3 waterline stripes - you know it makes sense.

Jonathan