Need Help Newbie Wanting to Wrap My Boat

[Ammodawg]

First off thanks for letting me join your great forum! I will come clean, the only thing I know about vinyl wrap is what I have watched on YouTube, but ready to learn. I have a 18 foot bow rider that is two two tone, white and a dark blue. The blue has lots of dings and dock rash and I was going to paint it, but I think I would like to try a wrap instead. I measured from the bow to the stern and each side would need around an 18 foot piece and the width is around 3 feet at the widest point.
I have been looking online and there are so many options out there. 3M, Avery etc. I would like some advice, on product you would recommend. Also, would like to buy it by the foot if possible so I wouldn't have a lot of waste as well as watching the budget. I see vinyl on Ebay, and thoughts on those products? Lastly seam tape versus a liquid sealer, like the vinyl to last as long as possible.
Well again, thanks for the forum and I look forward to your advice.

 

[FCD]

3M or Avery would be great if doing a color change film. I can vouch for both, we've wrapped many boats. We usually only do the edge seal tape. Depending on the boat, we may use a little of the liquid on certain areas of if we feel it's needed. I would go ahead and order the full roll of material, that way you should have enough if you mess up and need to start over.

 

[Ammodawg]

3M or Avery would be great if doing a color change film. I can vouch for both, we've wrapped many boats. We usually only do the edge seal tape. Depending on the boat, we may use a little of the liquid on certain areas of if we feel it's needed. I would go ahead and order the full roll of material, that way you should have enough if you mess up and need to start over.

Thanks much for the quick reply! Can I ask if you do anything to small gouges and scratched prior to the wrap, and if so what do you use?

 

[FCD]

It depends on where they are at. I've wrapped over them plenty of times before without issue, but none of them are really under the water line that I've come across. I would think it would be best to seal the gouge or fill it in as much as possible if its below the water line.

 

[Gino]

I'd have it painted. Problems all solved.

 

[rjssigns]

First off thanks for letting me join your great forum! I will come clean, the only thing I know about vinyl wrap is what I have watched on YouTube, but ready to learn. I have a 18 foot bow rider that is two two tone, white and a dark blue. The blue has lots of dings and dock rash and I was going to paint it, but I think I would like to try a wrap instead. I measured from the bow to the stern and each side would need around an 18 foot piece and the width is around 3 feet at the widest point.
I have been looking online and there are so many options out there. 3M, Avery etc. I would like some advice, on product you would recommend. Also, would like to buy it by the foot if possible so I wouldn't have a lot of waste as well as watching the budget. I see vinyl on Ebay, and thoughts on those products? Lastly seam tape versus a liquid sealer, like the vinyl to last as long as possible.
Well again, thanks for the forum and I look forward to your advice.

Hull gets prepped for wrapping the same way as for paint. There are specific fillers for gouges and others for dock rash. Can't remember the product names right now.
Sand filled spots then epoxy prime, sand smooth and prime again. Vinyl like paint needs a super smooth surface or it telegraphs whatever you decided wasn't important enough to do correctly.
Clean Clean Clean

Buy 3M 2080 and buy way more material than you would ever need. Get a helper or two as you're going to need them.
Buy a roll of knifeless tape, a roll of 1/2" wide laminate and silicone caulking.
Knifeless to cut at the water line.
Narrow laminate to seal at the water line.
Caulking to seal at the gunwale.

The hull contour near the bow will dictate if you start there or at the stern. This is an experience based call and you'll figure it out in a hurry.

I am very fortunate to work with a talented installer and wrapping a boat for a first timer ain't a good plan. Just sayin'...

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Fix everything and shoot it with Awlgrip. What happens when you geek the side up again on some rocks? Are you going to cut out a vinyl patch to go over it? With paint you can repair and blend. With a wrap you're replacing the whole panel and if you don't, its possible that the air/water will get under the torn area and continue peeling it off.

 

[Billct2]

If it were mine I'd paint it. Wraps are not happy with getting scratched and dinged. We do police cars and the doors look like crap after a year. Then there's the idea of your first wrap being a boat, compound curves are tricky.

 

[Gino]

Not to be a thread pirate, but when these cop cruisers come in for repairs, like a damaged fender or set of doors, it always amazes me how mutilated they are all over the entire vehicle. Then to boot, one of our municipalities have gone to purchasing black vehicles and having the dealership wrap the doors in white. You oughta see them after about 4 months. Cripes, looks like edward scissorshand was detailing it.

 

[mim]

Hey Gino where's the vitriol about this guy not being a professional?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Not to be a thread pirate, but when these cop cruisers come in for repairs, like a damaged fender or set of doors, it always amazes me how mutilated they are all over the entire vehicle. Then to boot, one of our municipalities have gone to purchasing black vehicles and having the dealership wrap the doors in white. You oughta see them after about 4 months. Cripes, looks like edward scissorshand was detailing it.

I don't think they treat them like their personal vehicle

 

[Gino]

Hey Gino where's the vitriol about this guy not being a professional?

I guess it's hard for you and your kind to follow along with your limited abilities. I've already made an apology to that other member, since the policies and rules around here have changed. No one ever made it known. Maybe I should've written it in braille for you people, huh ??

Why don't ya crawl back up your hole and decorate some dingleberries with some vinyl applique ??

 

[30/25 Signs & Designs]

Hull gets prepped for wrapping the same way as for paint. There are specific fillers for gouges and others for dock rash. Can't remember the product names right now.
Sand filled spots then epoxy prime, sand smooth and prime again. Vinyl like paint needs a super smooth surface or it telegraphs whatever you decided wasn't important enough to do correctly.
Clean Clean Clean

Buy 3M 2080 and buy way more material than you would ever need. Get a helper or two as you're going to need them.
Buy a roll of knifeless tape, a roll of 1/2" wide laminate and silicone caulking.
Knifeless to cut at the water line.
Narrow laminate to seal at the water line.
Caulking to seal at the gunwale.

The hull contour near the bow will dictate if you start there or at the stern. This is an experience based call and you'll figure it out in a hurry.

I am very fortunate to work with a talented installer and wrapping a boat for a first timer ain't a good plan. Just sayin'...

So I'm jumping in on this thread but because I am looking at doing some side graphics to our family Skiff. I'm looking at printing a design, what vinyl would you recommend? I typically use Arlon SLX for wrap work, but I've never wrapped a boat. wrapped cars and trucks, but again, not doing a full wrap, just up most of the side. Note: I use a UV printer. The decal would end up being about 18" x 15' (the boat is 17') on each side, tapering with the nose of course. Skiffs don't have pointy noses good for overlaps, so I am staying way back from that. Generic model pic for reference.

 

[FCD]

So I'm jumping in on this thread but because I am looking at doing some side graphics to our family Skiff. I'm looking at printing a design, what vinyl would you recommend? I typically use Arlon SLX for wrap work, but I've never wrapped a boat. wrapped cars and trucks, but again, not doing a full wrap, just up most of the side. Note: I use a UV printer. The decal would end up being about 18" x 15' (the boat is 17') on each side, tapering with the nose of course. Skiffs don't have pointy noses good for overlaps, so I am staying way back from that. Generic model pic for reference.

View attachment 159643

You should be safe using SLX if not doing a full wrap. I've done full wraps with SLX and SLX + last year with mixed results on bass boats. If just doing a single stripe you'll be fine using it, just make sure to post heat via Arlon specs