Vinyl Boat Names

philmarks

philmarks

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
718
Location
New Zealand
www.blue-hound.com
That's self adhesive names made from vinyl for boats before some smart ar*e gets one in about vinyl boats!!!

I used to get them from an efficient company in Newport Gwent but have lost contact details. Can anyone recommend a good source who provide a good service/product at reasonable price. I phoned up one co. in Gloucester last week, but still haven't received their catalogue. Customers obviously interfering with the smooth running of their business.

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I have used 'ordinary' signwriters on two separate occasions now. Look them up in the yellow pages. Thesignwriters usually cut the vinyl for fixing to the sides of vehicles etc. and can make the name / letters to virtually any size, colour, font, spacing etc - probably also include graphics(?)

I have recently purchased vinyl lettering for our new boat, and having previously measured the space availably for the name, spent about 45 minutes in the signwriters office selecting a font, colour etc. All done by computer, cut from self-adhesive vinyl with a backing and facing sheet and applied to the hull with very little trouble. You just need to make sure that the vinyl is fixed in the correct position first time, as I believe they are very difficult to remove without damage. The signwriter will explain how best to apply them.

Good luck.
David

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Secret of fixing vinyl is the way we used to do race cars.
Clean area where vinyl is going with something like meths.
Get a bucket of warm water and a few drops of washing up liquid, using a sponge thoroughly soak area where sticker is going.
Now apply sticker, water mix will allow movement, probably quite a lot. Locate sticker in correct location and squeegee the water out from under the sticker as you do the sticker will, start to bite. Keep squeezing out water over 24 hours water will dry off and sticker will be stick in correct place no wrinkles and no bubbles.
Use brand new scapel blade and steel rule for trimming.

Jim
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only name i remember at present is topcat graphics.

there is one outfit who do the rounds of the jumbles. got all my names from them. very easy to apply as they come on a backing paper which pre-spaces the letters and allows you to line them up easily before applying them like a transfer.

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Just make sure you ask for the 10 year vinyl, not the cheapo 5 year.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>
 
If you have Part I British Registry for the boat (as opposed to SSR or unregistered), vinyl is, strictly speaking, not accepted - must be painted, which is an expensive dying art. However, between us girls, everybody does it (ie uses vinyl), but nobody asks. As they say, Never ask a question unless you can accept all possible answers!

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Part 1 Vinyl Boat Names

I asked the registration people this question and the response was that vinyl is perfectly acceptable. The requirement to weld the name to the ship is not applicable to leisure boats and even that seems to be a dying practice. I see lots of renamed ships where the original welded name is evident, with a painted-on new one over it.

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Banner grade is the better stuff to use, It don't shrink like the other grades.

Jim, you've got the applying stuff spot on. If you use a hot air gun as well it'll cure a lot quicker and prevent the letters peeling. I used to do a lot of this for the exterior shop blinds. Most of the sign shops will use the Inspire Software package. If you design the layout on you computer and put the image onto a floppy as a jpeg. The sign writers can cut straight from this. Saves a few quid if you've got something apart from a plain text in the name.

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I think that's what mine is. It's been on for about 7 years now, good colour retention, good adhesion. Only problem is that I have damaged it a few times.

Agree on the software points too. I photographed the big, stylised name on the transom, converted it to the shape only using Photoshop, made a reversed version as well, sent the two .jpg files to a local company that I contacted at Amsterdam Boat Show and they delivered two transfers for the bow.

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You can order on the web too - I've used <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.wild-graphics.co.uk>Wet and Wild Graphics</A> a couple of times. You can play around with font styles, colours etc and when your happy hit the order button.


<hr width=100% size=1>Gavin
 
I asked "Marine Names" of Cheltenham to quote. Their response took some days to arrive but was comprehensive in its detail. They sent a large number of differently coloured vinyl swatches, also 11 sides of sample sheets, showing my boats name in a large number of different type faces. Obviously, this took time to prepare.

Also, their prices seem most reasonable.

So - when I get round to it, I will be ordering from the company in Gloucester!


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Second that. I used SAC Graphics. Service was excellent. Catalogue is on the web <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.sacgraphics.co.uk> here </A>

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Also used SAC Graphics, first class service and a comprehensive free catalogue.
would have no hesitation in using them in the future.

mike

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Re: SAC

I ordered my boat name and SSR number yesterday, it arrived via standard post today.

Well worth getting their brochure as they do lots of boaty things all associated with signs, symbols and names.

Excellent service.

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