Cool Paint & Wraps

TacitBlueTorch · **Posted:** Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:14 pm

I just bought my boat(1st time owner) - I just joined this forum - and I professionally work designing vehicle wraps and graphics, I noticed there isn't a topic or spot where people can showoff the paint or custom vinyl. As my boat sits it has the stock faded light blue color but I have big plans for it -- Please post your awesome or unique exteriors!

ric · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 8:14 am

How does vinyl hold up in tannic acid? My boat stays in the water and after every 3-4 months I have to pull it out and use the hull whitener stuff cause the water stains it a light brown. If the tannic acid stains the vinyl.. what then?

TacitBlueTorch · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:13 pm

Ric that's a really good question. The wraps are laminated with a 5-7 yr outdoor gloss laminate but I'm not sure if that acid you're talking about will eat the finish away from the laminate. If I was even a little worried that a cleaner would eat the wrap away I wouldnt clean my boat with that stuff

then again, I am a first time boat owner so I know nothing about cleaning a boat - the right way.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:34 pm

The pic is on the small side, BUT from what I can see, it looks great!!

Will it hold up to UV light?? I keep my boat on a slip for 5 months each year. Will it take a small pounding from the fenders :?:

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:37 pm

TacitBlueTorch wrote:

Ric that's a really good question. The wraps are laminated with a 5-7 yr outdoor gloss laminate but I'm not sure if that acid you're talking about will eat the finish away from the laminate. If I was even a little worried that a cleaner would eat the wrap away I wouldnt clean my boat with that stuff

then again, I am a first time boat owner so I know nothing about cleaning a boat - the right way.

The tannic acid he speaks of is from the trees in the area. It gets into the water and stains boat hulls. It's not a specfic cleaner. Also, he is a first time boatowner as well.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:53 pm

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

TacitBlueTorch wrote:

Ric that's a really good question. The wraps are laminated with a 5-7 yr outdoor gloss laminate but I'm not sure if that acid you're talking about will eat the finish away from the laminate. If I was even a little worried that a cleaner would eat the wrap away I wouldnt clean my boat with that stuff

then again, I am a first time boat owner so I know nothing about cleaning a boat - the right way.

The tannic acid he speaks of is from the trees in the area. It gets into the water and stains boat hulls. It's not a specfic cleaner. Also, he is a first time boatowner as well.

First time stern drive owner with 24x7 dockage. I purchased my first love when I was 17, a Catalina 16.5 sailboat. Florida lakes have high concentrations of tannic acid, our water is brown and any boat kept in the water will stain within weeks, and turns brown after a few months which requires pulling the boat out and using the products sold to put the hull white again. Most people solve it by just bottom painting black.

I've been wanting to wrap my boat for that very reason so you don't see it change color or sun fade, but I might have to run some of my own tests by just leaving a piece of vinyl in the water for a month to see the water's effects on it. Which brand do you use? When I worked at a sign shop we used mostly Oracal 651. Let me know what you use and I'll pick up a square and zip tie it to my dock on a piece of plastic. If the white turns brown, we know the answer to my question.

TacitBlueTorch · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 8:30 pm

Rick 651 vinyl is in intermediate vinyl and will only last 2 years outdoorif you talking about solid vinyl no digital print you want to use to 220

Wet Doggg · **Joined:** Fri May 19, 2006 11:15 am **Posts:** 682

It is not a vinyl issue but a adhesive issue that is applied to the vinyl. We produce the material that vehicle wraps are done with as well as laminates that go over the digital print to make them last (UV).

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

My concern would be the fading of the rest of the boat in comparison to lack of fade where the sticker is located....then after five years u remove sticker and the difference is incredible.....happens with our fleet cars..white ones too.

I have some fade on my boat...minimal but its there and my boat is inside unless we are in it at lake....I don't think it has spent the night outside but 20 days and even that was with cover on....can't stand wet seats or bugs stuck everthing....then again this boat was a toddler when I adopted her.

Elohsza · **Joined:** Fri May 11, 2012 8:35 pm **Posts:** 1

i've wanted to see how well this protects the gel as well, im interested to see if it really protects it from UV sun rays...

mikebaker1975 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:28 pm

I think that's a pretty cool idea for aged boats and avoiding a complete repaint. If you kept the graphic above the water line and then masked it off when you cleaned the hull with harsh cleaners you should be okay.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:00 pm

My work van is wrapped and we sold one of them last year. Was wrapped since the day it was new. Took vinyl off, paint was brand new. I'd imagine gelcoat would be the same.

As far as vinyl wraps go there is marine grade salt water rated vinyl good for 7 years, even under water. I wanted to do this to my boat to mimic the 2012 H series design where the blue stripe is much thicker without cool 90's looking wacky design inlaid.

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