Vinyl Boat Names

[Simon (Hawksmoor)]

We are considering renewing the boat name signwriting on the bow-flashes of Hawksmoor.

We have been looking at the Funky Monkey website and it seems pretty good and reasonably priced (at around £50 for 2 name flashes).

My question is ... are they any good? Do they pass the test of time or do they start to peel, or shrink or look shabby after a couple of years?

 

Any owners with first hand experience out there please?

Edited October 14, 2012 by Simon (Hawksmoor)

[Nightwatch]

A few years ago we used SAC for the name on our last boat.

 

Martyn

[Simon (Hawksmoor)]

And were they OK? Do they still look OK after x years?

[Guest]

We are considering renewing the boat name signwriting on the bow-flashes of Hawksmoor.

We have been looking at the Funky Monkey website and it seems pretty good and reasonably priced (at around £50 for 2 name flashes).

My question is ... are they any good? Do they pass the test of time or do they start to peel, or shrink or look shabby after a couple of years?

 

Any owners with first hand experience out there please?

We have vinyl lettering on ours. They have been on for close to nine years, and are as good as the day they were applied. It was a doddle to apply them, no peeling shrinking or discolouring. I am very impressed by them. We used http://www.stickonsigns.co.uk/narrowboats.htm

[Idunhoe]

We applied vinyl names (by Funky Monkey) to our boat some five years ago and they are still as good as the day they were applied. The actual job of applying the vinyl was simplicity itself.

[eightpot]

I cut and supply vinyl for various uses including boats and the important thing is the quality of vinyl used. Typically the grade of vinyl is specified in how long it'll last: 3-5 year, 5-7 year and 7+ year. For a boat I wouldn't specify anything less than 7 year vinyl - I use Aslan C118 Polymeric.

[Ex- Member]

We considered proper sign writing and painted lines. Having looked in to this Vinyl is vastly cheaper easier to maintain & repair. The Vinyl on our oldest removal lorry has been there over 10 years, it's scracched to hell but still perfectly readable and generally in tact, the lorry used locally is continuously scraping against hedge rows on our local roads, far more than a boat would ever suffer so we're going for vinyl boat name, scrolls and lines & decals.

 

20mm Gold lines stated 7 year life expectancy, easy apply total 72 metres + 40 x 20mm corner curves cost £63.00 delivered.

 

To mask the lines alone with a decent quality masking tape was dearer, let alone paint and time spent masking and painting.

 

Lynn's likes a certain panel for our boat name 3 colours under 60 quid 2 sides. If we go just for the boat name with Kennet & avon below it's just £45 2 sides - 5 times cheaper than a signwriter.

 

If you have lots of money get a sign writer. Ask yourself tthough, who will actually ever notice or let alone care

[Pie Eater]

We are considering renewing the boat name signwriting on the bow-flashes of Hawksmoor.

We have been looking at the Funky Monkey website and it seems pretty good and reasonably priced (at around £50 for 2 name flashes).

My question is ... are they any good? Do they pass the test of time or do they start to peel, or shrink or look shabby after a couple of years?

 

Any owners with first hand experience out there please?

I did mine in vinyl from a local sign shop recently at a cost of £12 for 2 name flashes.

 

Steve

[Iain_S]

Gamebird's vinyl names and lining have been on for eight years now. Still looking good

 

Iain

[boingy]

Our Funky Monkey vinyl name has just started to lift at the edges after 5 years.

[adam1uk]

On the other hand, they'll never have the flair and skill of proper signwriting. They won't have the personal input that a signwriter gives. And you won't be helping to keep alive a traditional canal trade.

[Mr Tickle]

 

Mine looks good after 3 years. It is good for something a little different, we used a local sign writer and 2 of these cost about £60

[Mick_B]

Done this for a mate. 10 mins on the laptop and mailed to the vinyl company. 18 inches high and 3 colours. €70 for both sides. I applied this one in about ten minutes and looks great.

 

 

 

[MtB]

We have vinyl lettering on ours. They have been on for close to nine years, and are as good as the day they were applied. It was a doddle to apply them, no peeling shrinking or discolouring. I am very impressed by them. We used http://www.stickonsi...narrowboats.htm

 

We used these peeps on our first NB when we changed the name to 'JETHRO'. Results were excellent, very communicative, helped us with the design, low cost. Couldn't fault them. We based the signs on the site owners boat GWLADYS, photos on their site.

 

No connection other than being a satisfied customer.

 

Mike

[Guest]

On the other hand, they'll never have the flair and skill of proper signwriting. They won't have the personal input that a signwriter gives. And you won't be helping to keep alive a traditional canal trade.

 

Which is great if you can afford it or don't have other things you want to spend your money on, and some sign writers will do both/either of course.

 

 

 

ed to make sense.

Edited October 15, 2012 by The Dog House

[adam1uk]

Which is great if you can afford it or don't have other things you want to spend your money on, and some sign writers will do both/either of course.

 

I suspect that a lot of people think a signwriter will be really expensive, when often they're not. It's a question of value for money. Personally, I'd much rather pay a bit more to have a craftsman to display his skill, rather than stick a computer generated sign on my boat. I know which would give me more pleasure.

[Nightwatch]

And were they OK? Do they still look OK after x years?

Don't know. Sold the boat 6 years ago. Having read all the other posts, there seems to be a few options there for you.

 

Martyn

[blackrose]

We are considering renewing the boat name signwriting on the bow-flashes of Hawksmoor.

We have been looking at the Funky Monkey website and it seems pretty good and reasonably priced (at around £50 for 2 name flashes).

My question is ... are they any good? Do they pass the test of time or do they start to peel, or shrink or look shabby after a couple of years?

 

Any owners with first hand experience out there please?

 

Mine have been on for about 5 years. They still look fine, although the 7 year old paint they are stuck to isn't looking so great anymore.

 

(Old picture)

 

However, I thnk there are some different grades of vinyl, so make sure you're getting the best quality UV stabilised vinyl.

 

I think whether you go for traditional signwriting or vinyl all depends on what you're happy spending your money on. There are plently of other bits of plastic on my boat (including polymers in the paint and varnish), so I'm not going to get all purist about it.

Edited October 15, 2012 by blackrose

[Guest]

I think whether you go for traditional signwriting or vinyl all depends on what you're happy spending your money on. There are plently of other bits of plastic on my boat (including polymers in the paint and varnish), so I'm not going to get all purist about it.

 

Got to agree - whilst I would baulk at sticking vinyl lettering an an old working boat, that would be like defacing a classic car, I don't think it matters too much on a modern boat.

[Ex- Member]

I suspect that a lot of people think a signwriter will be really expensive, when often they're not. It's a question of value for money. Personally, I'd much rather pay a bit more to have a craftsman to display his skill, rather than stick a computer generated sign on my boat. I know which would give me more pleasure.

 

I did the sums, averaging quotes for both, proper sign writers are not a little more expensive! on average around 4 to 5 times more expensive and that's comparing using 7 year vinyl. Fitting vinyl now is so easy too so anyone can do it. It will probably outlast painted sign writing too, vinyl is certainly is much tougher in being more scrach resistant.

 

It is a shame that technology takes away from genuine artizan skills, but it's the way of the world.

 

 

 

 

[Les&Gerry]

This is just it the way of the world. This is why I want to get away from it all.

[Guest]

We used these peeps on our first NB when we changed the name to 'JETHRO'. Results were excellent, very communicative, helped us with the design, low cost. Couldn't fault them. We based the signs on the site owners boat GWLADYS, photos on their site.

 

No connection other than being a satisfied customer.

 

Mike

As did we!

I too found these people extremely helpful and efficient.

[Pappa Lazarou]

Someone was only showing me their boat yesterday, 1970s boat just repainted and new vinyl lettering applyed, the person who did the lettering charged them 100 quid,and I was really impressed, on the other hand, I have also been looking at a boat that has just been sign writed at a cost of 150 quid a day, the work took 4 days.

[Psycloud]

We need new lettering for out boat so will look at the places recommended here, but how do you remove the old lettering without making a pigs ear of the paint underneath? I assume some kind of heat device would be required rather than a chemical solution?

 

Thanks

 

David

[Mick_B]

If vinyl then yes. Heat should do. If the metal is not too cold a hair dryer should do. If the metal is very cold the heat will quickly run away. Something hotter will be required but be careful.