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Boating NZ : FREE TO READ March 2014
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Instead of painting his boat, a single-handed sailor wrapped her in vinyl and is rapt with the result. IT’S A WRAP Words by Jonathan Gravit Practical boating W hile pin striping has been around since the 1970s, and we’ve grown used to picture-quality images on the back of buses, it has taken longer for boats to be embraced in vinyl wrapping. Several New Zealand powerboat manufacturers have refreshed model ranges by altering their vinyl striping from year to year. Similarly, many boat owners have added vinyl boat names which have often turned an average white boat into a distinctive craft. For commercial operators, it helps to make their boat a floating billboard. In recent years, significant upgrades in vinyl films and application methods have made it far cheaper for boat owners to consider a vinyl wrap for a new boat or as part of a refurbishment. If you are considering this for your boat, there are several points to consider. Firstly, the two perennial issues: how much time do you have, and what is your budget? Pin striping can lift the appearance of your boat and can be applied by a competent boat owner. A single-colour wrap needs to be done by an authorised operator and a full-colour billboard requires more detailed measurement and artwork. The height of your topsides makes a difference to cost and what you may choose to do. While a smaller powerboat may get both sides done from one roll split down the middle, larger boats – around 12 metres plus – may need a double width. The topsides need good preparation prior to application. Dings should be filled and topsides cleaned. Flaky paint needs to be scraped or sanded, and an undercoat applied over the top and sanded smooth. While a wrap will make everything clean and shiny, it won’t disguise an unfair finish. I followed an authorised vinyl applicator, Boat Coat, as it put a Vinyl wrapping doesn’t avoid the need for thorough preparation to the same level as required for painting to get a good result. Dan Nicholson of Boat Coat uses a heat gun to wrap the vinyl covering around the transom. The boat is the 9m Atom Ant, which will be sailed by Cory McLennan in the 2014 Solo Tasman Race in April. 80 Boating New Zealand March 2014 Feature_boat wrap_March14.indd 80 18/02/2014 2:23:07 p.m.
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