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TECHNICAL

MARCH 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 85

H

ull wrapping

evolved from

the automotive

industry and offers the

ability to quickly, and

affordably, change the

colour of a boat. Fitting

takes a couple of days

and the boat doesn’t

need to be put inside a

workshop, saving costs

and time, and there’s

no need to remove the

rigging or mast.

What does the

process involve?

Just like painting, preparation is

required to clean the hull from

residue, repair any damage and

remove any graphics, such as hull

lines and model names, which

will show through. ‘Vinyl comes

in 5ft wide rolls, and it takes three

people to apply it,’ says Andy

Yeomans of Grapefruit Graphics.

Starting at the stern and running

it along, the vinyl follows the

curves of the hull, which can

mean that it has to be joined half

way down, although we manage

to get most boats under 50ft in

one go. All joins are overlapped

facing aft, so the fl ow of water

won’t pull it off. ‘Once applied, we

heat it up to reset the memory

effect so it doesn’t pop out of

curves,’ Andy says.

Durability

Vinyl sheet isn’t as strong as a

gelcoat or hard paint. ‘A sharp

impact will tear the vinyl,

whereas a blunt impact will cause

a ripple effect,’ Andy explains.

‘However, repairs are possible

and if done with a little skill, it

will be diffi cult to spot unless you

specifi cally look for it.’ To repair,

the damaged area is cut out

and a patch of matching vinyl is

overlapped. ‘But when the vinyl

is nearer the end of its life, the

repairs aren’t as convincing due

to natural fade,’ he says.

Longevity

How long the wrap lasts depends

on the quality of vinyl, but the

higher the quality, the less it likes

Wrapping

PROS

■ Give your boat a

unique colour scheme

without making her

diffi cult to sell.

■ Relatively cheap and

quick to apply

■ Protects the boat

CONS

■ Vinyl is easier to damage

than gelcoat

■ Fiddly areas won’t have

as good a fi nish as paint

■ It will have to be

removed at some point

being moulded around the curves

of a boat, so it’s a compromise

between longevity and

pliability. ‘Vinyl has good

UV protection built in,’

says Andy, who uses

mid-range Tuning vinyl.

‘It works like sunscreen,

so will offer excellent

protection for about six

years, but then it will deteriorate

quickly. At this stage it’s time to

remove the vinyl and start again.’

Down the line

The big plus point of a vinyl

wrap is that it isn’t permanent,

so owners can go for the most

vibrant and wacky colour they

want, but importantly for the

boat’s resale value, it can be

returned back to factory default

when put on the market. And

while it’s on, it protects the

gelcoat beneath. To remove the

wrap, Andy says: ‘It’s best to use

heat, but a strong sun will be just

as effective to make it pliable.

Once you’ve got a corner up, the

rest will follow – at worst, you

may fi nd a sticky residue that can

be removed with white spirit.’ W

COST

30ft boat from

£2,280

40ft boat from

£3,918

‘Vinyl isn’t permanent,

so the owner can go

for wacky colours’

SUMMARY

With 30 years of UV

damage, the colour has

well and truly gone

The team carefully place

the vinyl onto the hull

It takes three people

to apply the vinyl

Sticking with the

same tones, the

wrap has given her

a new lease of life

Patterns can be printed on the wrap before

it’s applied, so the options are limitless

BEFORE

AFTER

PHOTO: COLIN WORK

PHOTOS: GRAPEFRUIT GRAPHICS UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED