Lettering

What did you use and how did you apply the lettering to your inflatable?
Boat, that is.

Last time I used nails and that didn't go so well.

Tony B said:

What did you use and how did you apply the lettering to your inflatable?
Boat, that is.

Last time I used nails and that didn't go so well.

Click to expand...

Need longer nails.

The best idea I've heard so far is to buy cheap stick on letters , then tape a rectangle over the area, spray paint the inside of the rectangle with a contrasting color using paint compatible to your PVC, then peel the numbers off.

I think it was Flywright...let's see if he chimes in or try a PM for any tip/tricks he learned.

Have used this on past and current inflatable.

Boat Number Registration Plate for Inflatable Boats

BandB said:

Need longer nails.

Click to expand...

Or screws. They hold better than nails.

Tony B said:

What did you use and how did you apply the lettering to your inflatable?
Boat, that is.

Last time I used nails and that didn't go so well.

Click to expand...

Is your inflatable going to be left inflated most of the time? If so I just get letters/sign made up a vinyl sign company, clean the area where the letters are going to go with acetone and apply. I've had them last for years.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Is your inflatable going to be left inflated most of the time? If so I just get letters/sign made up a vinyl sign company, clean the area where the letters are going to go with acetone and apply. I've had them last for years.

Click to expand...

That's what we have. We won't ever intentionally deflate our rib.

I am never going to deflate the boat. In the past, mine always stayed inflated.
I'm thinking that maybe I'll just get a small board, either wood or plastic and put the lettering on it and hang it on the side.
Reason being is that If I sell it in a different state, it will have to have different numbers and that might stop a sale. I bought this particular dink as an experiment, with the intention of selling. If I decide to keep it, I will then go with the more permanent arrangement where the numbers come on a piece of vinyl ans the whole thing glues down.
Thanks all.

Tony B said:

Reason being is that If I sell it in a different state, it will have to have different numbers and that might stop a sale.

Click to expand...

You really think a buyer would change their mind because the boat has numbers? Aren't most of them going to have numbers on them? Just peel them off and go from there and if they leave a spot then paint a background to renumber. I'd just be surprised if that really stopped a sale but then there are some strange buyers and you may be right.

If you are in the same state, you keep the same numbers so no big deal.
It would be a deal breaker for me if buying an older dink from a different state. The bargain price would be offset by the cost of paint or the vinyl lettering that comes with a background. A $400 used dink would then cost about $600 after the background paint and the solvents needed to prep the surface as well as the lettering paint.

I am a Texas resident and cruising. I just bought a used inflatable in Alabama where I intend to reside for the next 8 months or so and so I got Al. registration for it. Next spring I will be either in Ky or Tenn. If I decide to sell it there, the prospective buyer will see Al. lettering and have to contend with it. It could be a deal breaker, then again maybe not.

I tried stick on vinyl letters/numbers, but did not get good adhesion, so I peeled them off and just used a permanent marker pen. Worked fine.

On my Zodiac PVC dinghy, I used a stencil and vinyl spray paint (made for car upholstery and such). It outlasted the dinghy.

On my Achilles hypalon dinghy I tried the same thing and the paint stuck to the stencil, not to the dinghy so I did what the dealer suggested - I used a black permanent marker (with a stencil for neatness).

Tony B said:

.It would be a deal breaker for me if buying an older dink from a different state. The bargain price would be offset by the cost of paint or the vinyl lettering that comes with a background. A $400 used dink would then cost about $600 after the background paint and the solvents needed to prep the surface as well as the lettering paint. .

Click to expand...

Who are you hiring to paint it, van Gogh?

Clean it up, mask it off, spray a rectangle over the old lettering, then re-letter once the background paint is dry. $20.00 tops, not $200.00.

rwidman said:

Who are you hiring to paint it, van Gogh? .......

Click to expand...

How did you find out.

dwhatty said:

Have used this on past and current inflatable.

Boat Number Registration Plate for Inflatable Boats

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. Sometimes not knowing the exact product name can be a problem when catalog shopping on line.

This is the route I will probably take when I want the lettering permanent.
Until then, I want to keep an otherwise clean hull clean.

I bought clear lexan panels which can be cut and drilled with ease. I used inexpensive vinyl letters. I initially attached them with carabiner clips but found that wide zip ties worked better and looked cleaner. The panels have lasted for several years and are still holding up well.

When I first installed these, some folks here suggested I might have a problem with the law as they were 'removable'. I never had an issue.

While the panels do have a tendency to flop up when the wind hits them, they also can act as deflector shields from the bow spray if held up be the passenger.