Boat name lettering / graphics

[jcollins]

I'm going to be removing the name and home port on Afterglow this spring. Has anyone used any web-based graphics companies for this? I haven't decided if I'm going to change the font yet but I definitely have to change the home port. Someone told me the fine for having the wrong home port can be stiff.

[joe.baar]

I went to Kinko's (FedEx) with an MS-Word file which they enlarged and put on vinyl. I had absolutely no problem squeegeeing it down and so far no signs of wear and tear since last June. I have not yet waxed and buffed the surface beside the lettering but that should work OK with a little care. Kinko's will do outlines and colors. The advantage of this was price - about $35 for this very simple letterset and a home port in white - and my ability to choose any font available on MS-Word.

I omitted the home state on the stern and probably will incur a fine for that some day but I'm set in tradition and just can't understand the bureaucratic mind.

Photo:

[Carl]

John, I used M5signs.com. If I remember correctly they are located in Westminister or Finksburg. It took longer for us to decide than for him to fabricate and install. He was very patient. Price was comparable to others we talked to.

[jcollins]

Joe,
Have to agree with you there. The sticker on the side very obviously tells the CG where I am from.

Carl,
I saw Kozy L on that site! I also saw DOGONIT on another site last night.

Sharon wants something classy. I told her duct tape would work fine.

[zinbaad]

I to have to remove "Mahalo" home port but I thought home port is only required for a documented vessels. I do not think vessels with state registered numbers on port & starboard are required to have home port on stern.. Looks nice though & probably will remove & reapply port this summer.I am not sure if letters were painted or vinyled on. Please correct me if I am wrong I dont want a fine

[Pitou]

Sorry John can't help with the online .... I used a local vinyl cutter.

Some states also require state registration even if your boat is documented. All documented vessel's Name & Port must be posted whether state registered or not . Check your state regs. for additional state registration details. If state registration is required on top of your documentation .... most only require a registration sticker in addition to Name & Port requirements of the documentation. It's all a money grab!

Some Vessels that are not documented also post their Name and Port for the look and easy identification.

[Doug]

I have found the easiest way to remove the old letters is either a hair dryer or a heat gun. A plastic scraper can sometimes be helpful. After the old location is removed, most likely you will need to do some buffing as the image of the old letters will show up, because of sun fading on the rest of the boat.

Doug

[joe.baar]

I was a little leery of blistering my dark blue Awlgrip so I just lightly aired the surface with the heat gun - in cookery this is known as "body heat restored". The old letters peeled very easily when I used a dull thumbnail to raise an edge. They're sort of stretchy but no damage to paint. Rinsed edge marks ("dirt") off with just a little isopropyl alcohol on a soft cloth.

I believe but can't cite the CFR, the USCG requires a home state, either using its full name or the standard 2-letter ZIP abbreviation, in addition to the actual city or town of registration. This condition applies to all licensed vessels whether documented or not. "Documented" means the boat has an Official Number or "O/N" which is a US Federal identification number in an unbroken series that originated some time before 1865. These numbers are separate from state registration numbers and are optional for boats like these small Albins but if yours is documented you do not display state registration numbers on your bows. For us the O/N's most useful function is to facilitate Crossing The Border, and the O/N also removes your vessel from the local Sheriff's jurisdiction.

I believe all states require registration numbers IF the boat is not "documented", for boats like ours. This entails a different set of fees and marking requirements, but in any case the state of registry is apparently still required on the after part of the boat, in addition to the actual city or town of registration. As before, I still can't abide this insult.

[jcollins]

Didn't mean to scare you Zinbaad. Home port is not required if your boat is not documented.
Here are the rules in Maryland.
Even if the boat is documented I still pay for the state sticker. I do not have to put numbers on the side. Just the sticker.
Coast Guard regs say documented vessels must have the name and home port clearly marked on the transom and/or the side.

In my case the boat name AFTERGLOW is the documentation name. The previous owner home port is L.C.Y.C. (Lake Champlain Yacht Club)
Since I'm going to wet-sand all of the black this spring, the name will be removed and reapplied with the correct home port. (Baltimore)

Yes, I know I said I was going for paint. But, the fiberglass guy told me I really don't need a paint job. He wet sanded a test area last week. It looks brand new. The previous owner never waxed the hull. I tried the compounding routine last year per everything I learned here. After one week I had very shiney oxidation.

I did learn that wet sanding and color sanding is basically the same thing. A lot of work and I'll have to rewax every few months to keep it looking new.
My uncle (Sam) took my paint fund.

[RobS]

I used a vinyl removal wheel in a drill to remove my port of call last spring. It's like a big eraser disc that rubs the vinyl off. They are avail at any autobody supplier. Made for removing pin stripes, decals and the like. Took my 36" long port of call of in 2 minutes with no chance of damage to the gelcoat.

[jumpjet231]

I went to Kinko's (FedEx) with an MS-Word file which they enlarged and put on vinyl. I had absolutely no problem squeegeeing it down and so far no signs of wear and tear since last June.

Great tip. Went yesterday to the one in Annapolis. About a hundred cheaper than everyplace else I looked! They had me out the door in 20 mins.

[bccanucker]

Further to this graphic discusion, does anyone know if anyone sells the trawler "A Albin 36" graphic used on the trawlers or does anyone know what font it is? I have one side that is ok and one side that looks like a kindergarten class got at it.
Also, I think I saw mention of this graphic being replaced with a red star A one. ?????????

Summer Time 2010 091.jpg

[joe.baar]

Roy,
There's a pretty complete treatment of the later Albin logo in the Tournament Express 26-35 forum under "Albin Decals", started by Roland Cornejo on 9/7/2010 at 12:25 pm. Replies to this post include an excellent graphic Matt Hanna published on 9/13, which I believe he had commercially duplicated on vinyl. Details are in the post and replies.

Not sure about versions used before 1992 or '93 when the 28TEs came out.

The font in your photograph looks like it was enlarged from one available in MS-Word, and then revised (non-professionally) to appear as a stencil. You might be able just to eyeball your way through all the Word fonts and it would leap out at you. From the look of it, I don't believe the font on your boat was original from the factory.

If I have a minute tomorrow I'll look around in Word and see what I can find. Cheers,

[bccanucker]

Joe: I looked through the thread you indicated. I wonder if the classic trawler logos are different than the TE's?
I've spent some time going through the forum trying to find some trawler pictures but cant find anything except Boatmons and I know he said he changed his to just the star A logo.

[jleonard]

If you look in the document library under classic 36 brochure you'll see the logo in the boat picture.