Vinyl Wrapping A Hull!

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Evening,

Busy looking for a boat and came across one where the hull has been wrapped, seen it on cars but never heard of it on a boat before. Opinions?

[JennyMorgan]

Richardsons famously have a vinyl wrapped hull in their hire fleet, one that looks a bit like a pirate ship. Clive, where are you when we want you? 

https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/boats/the-jolly-richie/

[ChrisB]

Not sure how it would stand up to scuffs and scrapes. Certainly a No. If on a waterway with locks.

[SteveO]

I would always be worried about what lies under the vinyl. 

 

[MauriceMynah]

5 hours ago, ChrisB said:

Not sure how it would stand up to scuffs and scrapes. Certainly a No. If on a waterway with locks.

Now he Jolly Richie has been about for a while perhaps Clive can tell us how well the Vinyl is holding up. Seems to me a good test for the superstructure with all those youngsters clambering all over it, as well as finding out how well the hull is doing.

[ChrisB]

30 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Now he Jolly Richie has been about for a while perhaps Clive can tell us how well the Vinyl is holding up. Seems to me a good test for the superstructure with all those youngsters clambering all over it, as well as finding out how well the hull is doing.

That Ricko is so "fussy" you most likely would not notice a scrape. I was thinking of concrete quays like Reedham and brick like in locks.

[addicted]

14 hours ago, Pumpmedic said:

Evening,

Busy looking for a boat and came across one where the hull has been wrapped, seen it on cars but never heard of it on a boat before. Opinions?

 About 5 years ago friend fr ours had a Sealine that had picked up a few scuffs before he bought her and he had it vinyl wrapped in a metallic gold finish  It looked immaculate and he was advised that if it got damaged in a "scuff" it could be simply remedied with a patch that would be invisible once applied He never had to put that to the test though but on the whole the appearance of the boat was greatly improved.

 

Carole

[JawsOrca]

Hull wraps are becoming pretty common, We did a few via a dedicated contractor in my last place.  It's quite an investment though as it really only last 7 years (if the correct stuff is used), in terms of scratches though, it can be repaired and will look good from a distance.. I'd probably say it's quite tough stuff and will probably withstand gentle knocks etc.. It really is something for the pros though as it's a very skilled thing to do. 

[vanessan]

I wonder how many rolls of Fablon it would take for a 30ft boat?................. 

[unclemike]

do you get a blue peter badge for using so much sticky back plastic?

[MauriceMynah]

5 hours ago, JawsOrca said:

It's quite an investment though as it really only last 7 years (if the correct stuff is used),

I was thinking more of the superstructure, even perhaps just the cabin top. What happens to it after 7 years or so?

[JawsOrca]

2 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

I was thinking more of the superstructure, even perhaps just the cabin top. What happens to it after 7 years or so?

Indeed hull wraps.. I think the adhesive can break down and it can start to peel. It may last longer although I suspect the warranty you will get will state this. 

[RumPunch]

There's a thread running on this on another forum ( for the Practical types - hint ) and the consensus there is it tends to fade and doesn't like abrasion.

[LondonRascal]

Given the choice (if I had one) of a boat that had to be painted or could be wrapped, I'd go for the wrap. It is thicker and will withstand more than a few coats of very thin (in relative terms) paint.

However, many boats are wrapped from new to preserve the original gel under them. Cars are wrapped - and many trains are too. Sure it will scratch, so will paint and so will Gelcoat.

Where I had my car windows tinted the owner used to have a contract with Oyster Yachts and would wrap some of their new builds in a 'self healing' ultra clear wrap - and for one customer even a lot of the interior finish was covered with this to protect from scratches - apply heat from a hot air gun r and the surface flows and removes any scratches, this now can be bought in colours and is being used more extensively - though more costly than usual vinyl wrap it is pretty clever stuff. 

Here is an example: