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You need to do the soap & water, it's the only way. I went to WalMart and bought a small spray bottle for 75 cents and it worked perfectly. If you put them in the same location I did, plan on it taking a lot more time you might expect. I think mine took a total of about 2 hours, believe it or not, but I might be able to save you some time here; I had some mis-steps.
The numbers necessarily come on a straight strip of backing paper, but you're planning to install them on a complex curved surface - the hull curves in every dimension and direction at that location. I also wanted them to be centered within the colored hull stripe. Without giving it much thought, I started out trying to apply them straight off the backer in one step, and of course it looked awful. For that location you need to cut the strip of numbers into at least 3 pieces - the prefix as one piece, then the numbers, then the suffix, and apply them individually (I didn't find it necessary to cut each individual character into it's own piece, but you could do that if you wanted). This also helps as the numbers adhere and dry surprisingly fast with the soap & water, and having smaller pieces to work with takes some of the stress off of getting the placement right and getting all the bubbles out before moving on. And be careful about those bubbles, I found that when I was at the point where I thought they were all out, I was really about 80% done. You really need to look closely and at different lighting angles to see them all. They send a squegee with the numbers and it works well, just take your time. If you need to lift and re-position, you can, but *carefully*. Keep everything wet & soapy, it's the special sauce.
Having docking lights is a real help here, because you can use them as a reference for how far back on the hull to place the numbers. I used a small flexible tape measure to ensure I started the numbers at the same distance aft of the light housings, but once the starting point was established I trusted my eyes for centering, etc. I recommend you do the same. I started out trying to use masking tape as a guide, but gave up on that, learning once again that the eye does a better job of picking up on subtle positioning changes than any tool can. It helped me to remember that this isn't like drilling holes. The very worst that can happen is that I have to heat them off and order another set.
I recommend doing the port side first, since that's where you'll go through the "learning curve" and the numbers are going from left to right. Then when you go over to starboard and have to apply them backwards, you'll have the confidence to do it right. Good lighting is a MUST.
By the time you're done you'll have dribbled soap & water all down the side of your boat, so I waited until the next day and then re-waxed that whole area. Then you can finally stand back and admire your work. And, post PICS!
_________________  Mike 2005 Four Winns 230/240 VP 5.7GXi/DP 1998 F-150 XLT Boat Pic
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