How many guys have boat names and name graphics??

[Lil Lucky]

I had my friend who's in the graphic arts industry come up with the design. If you want to do things right the first time, you should take note. DON'T CHEAP OUT! In many ways, this is the biggest way to stand out among other boats. I used my dad's first boat's name on my first boat. (Lil' Lucky). You can check my graphics on the GW Marlin gallery. I believe it's the latest pictures in that gallery. My friend uses a color booklet called a Pantone book. Basically, it can match any color vinyl including finishes like matte finish, gloss finish, metallic, semi metallic, gold or silver flakes, etc. I wanted to match the exact coloring of the GW colors. Let me tell you, it's spot on. I even got the gradient transition from dark blue to green as you would see on the striping around the hull on my logo. The font I used for the Logo is custom bought, but you don't have to go that crazy, but it does add to uniqueness. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DON'T CHEAP OUT ON THE TYPE OF VINYL. This is a must! I recommend 3M or Avery vinyl only. I'm using Avery A9 vinyl with additional layer of protection over the sticker. A9 stands for 9 year warrantied vinyl basically. They come in different levels of durability. Since most of you are in an environment around salt water, I wouldn't recommend anything less that 9 year. The colors don't fade and the actual quality of the vinyl won't peel. If you see peeling of vinyl, chances are they used the cheap stuff that you can make off a website for about $100. The typical vinyl used online is A3 which is for 3 years, but usually breaks up beforehand.

As for folklore with changing names on boats, there's a way around it. If you're taking the old name off from a previous owner, just save some that you peeled off and throw it under the deck. It'll always be with the boat then!

 

[mboyatt]

Sorry to hijack the thread. But, speaking of folklore, here is my issue. I recently named by boat following a restoration of the hull. Wet sanding, etc... As I was sanding, I noticed the boat had a name from a previous owner. The vinyl was gone and it is faded enough that you can barely tell it is there, but it was named for sure. Now what do I do being that I have named the boat? Isn't this bad luck?? When I put on the vinyl for my name at the transom, I had no idea the boat was named previously. I haven't told my wife because I don't want to get lectured about bad juju.

 

[zimm]

Read this on changing a boat name: http://boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/rename.htm

My wife just named our boat- no name previously. Will need do a little ceremony at the boat ramp when she first hits the water.

 

[Parthery]

Zimm....looks good. Do your registration numbers in the same 2-tone colors and it will look sharp.

I've always used Boat/US for their graphics....decent price and you get them in 3 days or so....

 

[zimm]

The registration numbers already match with navy/gold. I used boat us for the name too, great service. I liked how you can adjust the size of the font until the overall size matches the room you have.

 

[Gary M]

Love this subject!

My wife is from New Zealand and her Dad was the original "old salt". He had her brainwashed about how bad it is to change the name! So, we're heading out to see a used boat for sale (to be our first boat) and we're all excited! As we come down the street, there's the nice boat in the driveway (a 23 Wellcraft) and plastered down the side in HUGE letters is--------> NANCY LEE!! I look and her ask if it's still forbidden to change the name? "You win", she says!

On another occasion we saw an awesome fishing boat. I asked her if we bought it, would we have to keep the same name? The name on the boat was my ex-wife's name!

I did research on changing a name and tried to follow that with both of our last Grady's. Took the name off, left it unamed as long as I could, asked forgiveness from Captain Nemo, Charlie the Tuna, Captain Ahab, etc, then spilled a healthy dose of a Bahamian Kalik Gold over the bows!

On my current Grady, there was a graphics shop about 100 feet from my Grady dealer and the owner had access to the same type and color vinyl as Grady. He also "shadowed" the blue over the gold. I measured carefully and he and I spent an hour looking at good/fun fonts to use. He charged me just $175 and even threw in new FL numbers and installation was free. It came out better than I had imagined! We have some palm trees at home so I had him put the palm tree in the middle.

The photo above was taken in 2010 at Rosie's Marina on tiny Grand Cay, Abaco, Bahamas as my friend Ed and I clean fish. Here, you can see how nice it is to pop out the retractable aft Bimini and clean fish in the shade. 2001 30 Marlin.

I picked "HEY MON!" because we go to the Bahamas a lot and that's a common greeting over there. Also, I knew that it would be funny to use on the radio over there at the Marinas! "Old Bahama Bay Marina this is the vessel Hey Mon and we need to clear Customs and get a boat slip". Then the response would be "Hey mon! Welcome to Old Bahama Bay!"

And here we are, docked up in our slip at Old Bahama Bay. It's common to have people walk by the boat (we stay aboard over there), smile and say "Hey mon"!

On my 1994 252 Sailfish, I named her "Harbournate" after a Barefoot Man song. When I bought the bigger Marlin, I knew that I wanted the name on the transom.

 

[Gary M]

double post

 

[izzy]

I hate names, needed one when I documented my new boat though, went with wife first and middle name and got the block letters color to match the boat so "technically" it would meet CG documentation regulations................so be it

 

[bluewaterfisher273]

If anyone needs boat names or registration numbers done let me know. I can do pretty much any font and any graphic. Send me a PM if there is any interest.

Thanks

 

[Sea Shift]

Got the final graphics today!

 

[Gary M]

Sea Shift........ great name! I'll send this thread on to my firefighter/fishing buddies!

 

[steveditt]

Just purchased from Boat U/S -- 55&OUT

 

[Sea Shift]

I now have it installed!