BVI Transom Lettering

[Soft Air]

Hi All,

My boat was previously documented in the US but now she is registered and documented at the BVI, I have somebody designing the transom name and port lettering and I have the following question:

Boat name: Softair
Hauling Port: Road Town, BVI

What of the following options regarding the use or not of capitals in the hauling port as well as separators for the BVI. I am not familiar with this and I would like to look as professional as possible:

Softair
ROAD TOWN, BVI


Softair
ROAD TOWN, B.V.I.


Softair
Road Town, BVI


Softair
Road Town, B.V.I.


Thanks for your valuable replies

[Hud3]

JC,

Most I've seen use "BVI", without the periods. It's all really a matter of your personal preferences, though in the U.S. at least, the Hailing Port letters must be of a certain minimum height (3", I believe). Your transom lettering artist can show you different fonts and what they will look like.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I just had a quick peek at the Virgin Islands ship registry website. My reading is that no need to include "BVI" (it's the Port of Registry, not of Country).......also the BVI Port of Registry is called Road Harbour - not Road Town (that seems to be the town ).....they seem to have only one Port of Registry.

Interestingly the website has "RoadHarbour" as one word - whereas the Photo (from their website) has the usual 2 word "Road Harbour".......plus they seem to use the word "BVI" without .....'s - but seems no requirement to include BVI in any form.

7.1
When the Registrar is satisfied that the vessel is eligible to be registered, a Carving and Marking Note is issued. It shows the vessel's Name, Port of Registry, Official Number and Registered Tonnage which are to be carved /marked on the vessel and contains relevant instruction for doing so.

7.2
The Port of Registry for Virgin Islands Ships is “RoadHarbour”

Step by step guidance on ship registration




Of course for gods sake don't paint the name on from anything I say!

[Hud3]

Good catch, David. "Road Harbour" it is.

[Rhosyn Mor]

On a UK vessel ( BVI registration is in reality UK) you only need to list the vessel Name and port of Registry. The flag you fly shows the nationality.
I only added UK to the transon in the USA so I was not hassled by the authorities wnating to know where my Use sticker was.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I forgot........

I would go for:-

Softair
ROAD HARBOUR

Note the spelling of Harbour

[TaoJones]

Similar to DOJ's noting the RoadHarbour vs. Road Harbour discrepancy, is there a reason you've opted for Softair, rather than your screen name Soft Air? Just curious.

TaoJones

PS: The URL you listed for your friend shown in the picture "Pet 1" is incorrect. The address you listed goes to a porno site (unless that was what you intended). The girl in your picture does have a legitimate modeling site, so you might want to correct the URL.

[Soft Air]

Hi all,

Thanks very much for your posts, I have corrected it to Road Harbour, BVI

Tao, I will correct her URL for my friend. I opted for Softair but using the "a" in a diagonal and without spaces as shown in the following artist conception (the picture still has her old ensign) the name Softair evolved from a piece of software to a software company and once I sold the company I decided to retain the name for the boat, let me know what you guys think of the inclined A used a a separator:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...cture1321.html

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Soft Air

<snip> . . . let me know what you guys think of the inclined A used a a separator:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...cture1321.html

I see now. I think using all lower case letters is a good idea, SA, as it conveys a lighter, friendlier feeling than, for example, SOFTAIR or SOFTAIR would. In the rendering to which you provided a link, I think it would be more interesting if softair were written in a gentle arc that follows the sheer line at the top of the transom (assuming that's the vessel this is going on).

While softair will sound the same on the radio no matter how it's written on your transom, seeing the name as written in the rendering might be a little confusing to some with the "a" seemingly floating off. It almost looks like the "t" has kicked the "a" out of line for some unknown infraction.

All-in-all, I like your rendering, SA. Whether of not you choose to add BVI to Road Harbour is inconsequential - it works either way. If you decide to add it, and that's the vessel the name is going on, placing BVI beneath Road Harbour would fit nicely.

TaoJones

[Soft Air]

Tao I thank you for your great opinions, I will have my designer work on the softair with the gentle arc you suggested and I will publish as soon as I got it from her.

My captain also suggested no to use this inclination on the "a" as you did so I accept it, it will be softair at the top.

Did you mean BVI right after the hauling port just like this Tao?

softair
Road Harbour, BVI

or

softair
Road Harbour
BVI

getting there thanks to all this help

[Soft Air]

Tao, here is another CL41 (this one seems to be for sale) with the arc you mentioned I guess:

[TaoJones]

Kind of like this, JC:

softair
Road Harbour
BVI

or:

softair
Road Harbour

or:

softair
ROAD HARBOUR
BVI

or:

softair
ROAD HARBOUR

I can't simulate the arced softair on here, but your picture of GossamerWings is getting there. It is hard to tell in your image whether it arcs or not, but the letters left-of-center lean to the left, while those right-of-center lean right, just as they would if the words were arced a bit, but it appears that the smaller capital letters all sit on a straight line.

I think that, of the four options above, I prefer the last one - that is, no BVI, all lower case on "softair" and all caps on "ROAD HARBOUR." In the examples above, softair is in a 4-sized font in each, but Road Harbour is in a 2-sized font in the first two, and a 1-sized font in the last two.

TaoJones

[Soft Air]

Tao, I concur I will go for your last option too.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

I prefer the last one - that is, no BVI

I would go for no "BVI" as well....

.......although I note that someone mentioned they later added BVI to cut down some practical hassle - but I wouldn't go for that simply because IMO it looks better. and is correct. - and besides, screaming BVI (Offshore tax dodging Money launderers - not at all like Jersey ) probably has some downsides in some parts of the world.

[Soft Air]

David,

You are right and I will surely publish the picture of the artits conception for your opinion and of course the final paint job once I reach the BVI.