Best way to stick registration to dinghy

[redneckrob]

In a close corollary to another recent post in this forum....

My state requires we attach a 2" square registration sticker and letters to all registered boats including our rubber dinghy. Neither really stick very long, certainly not the entire year of the registration. I'd prefer not to mount them on a separate board that's attached to the dinghy. Is there any adhesive or clear sheet with adhesive anyone has found to put over the registration that would keep it stuck on for at least the 1 year life of the registration?

[Off Trail]

The sticker adhesive is useless. I used contact cement last time around. Still going strong after 18 months.

[JPA Cate]

redneckrob, it depends on whether your dinghy is pvc or hypalon, which 2 part adhesive to use. H-66 is for pvc; Rematiptop SC4000 is for hypalon.

You could consider bonding a clear piece of pvc over the top of the letters, once they are glued down. It can be quite light gauge, but will lose it's clearness from UV exposure over time. If you're allowed to place the letters below the curve of the tube, they will be shaded some of the time.

Ann

[sailorboy1]

I haven't even been able to get the State sticker to stay attached. For lettering I when the sharpie and stencil route. For the sticker I finally attached to a piece of Plexiglas and tried that to the dinghy side lines

[44'cruisingcat]

We used stickyback. (Sail repair cloth) it sticks really well. Just wrote rego numbers on with a felt marker pen. They fade a bit over a year, but it's easy to touch them up.

[tupawk]

I purchased this from Fawcett for my hypalon dinghy - Fawcett Boat Supplies

It has the black square shown for your state registration sticker to go on. So far so good!

[sail sfbay]

I attach the registration numbers and vessel year decal on a 3½” x 24” x 1/4" thick white acrylic placard, which I attach to each side of the dinghy. The acrylic placard is easy to remove and affix the vessel year decal.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by tupawk

I purchased this from Fawcett for my hypalon dinghy - Fawcett Boat Supplies

It has the black square shown for your state registration sticker to go on. So far so good!

I did the same. It seems to be working very well, and the state sticker has stayed adhered.

On the last dinghy, I went thru two of those Number Plates like you order after purchasing code from West Marine or Defender, or online. Always coming unglued on the edges (and yes, I know how to glue hypalon, and even did the second set in the house to have low humidity). The TX sticker wouldn't stick to those and twice had to replace the sticker at cost.

Plus the Fawcett ones look a lot nicer.

[Valmika]

I do the same as SF Bay. Long white acrylic attached with wire ties. Added benefit of putting on a different dingy if you have two that you rotate between RIB and roll up. They never really look that close

[leandroflaherty]

After many many attempts to glue them (not permanently, these things change), boards hanging off the side (which end up flipping upside down in any chop and may as well not be there, also chaffe), and in my case I have a soft bottom so I roll up the dinghy on deck when doing offshore jumps, nothing worked.


Eventually I just put the lettering a d sticker on a board mounted in the inside of transom. As a Dinghy, using it from mothership to dock its not in serious risk of the water hall monitors, and if you are stopped the boat is legally registered and the number/sticker easy for them to see when pulled up next to you.


That requierement was not drafted with inflatables in mind, so, malicious complaint or not, Ill take my chances reasonable people wont mind, and after many years they havent.



If you use your dinghy with a high powered motor and are zooming all around mainly in local waters where you are registered in, then probably more of a concern. Still, nothing work's better or looks as nice than mounting in large letters in the transom.


If I had to do it on the tubes, I would get a piece of pvc or hypalon depending on the boat, i would draw in the numbers with industrial grade permanent marker, which you can touch up every season and wont peel off, and then glue the fabric patch onto the tubes in one piece, using rubber cement so it could be removed if needed.

[Tayana42]

Simplest solutions are best. Like Sailorboy1, I used Sharpies for the registration numbers. They last a couple of years and are easy to redo. The registration decal won’t stick to the PVC tubes but ordinary artist’s acrylic paint will adhere. Paint a square, let it dry and stick the decal on that. Mine are going on 4 years now and I just apply the renewal sticker over the old ones.

[Nicholson58]

We moved the yacht to the Caribbean. No numbers, no registration ��

There are numbers available on line for both hypalon and PVC but I like stencil and spray paint.

[sailorbobdeb]

Here's what we use for our inflatable dinghy that is rolled up and stowed for crossings. It attaches with the tabs folded over and locked with common sense/Murphy clips. Made out of Sunbrella and has velcro end flap. There are more 'secure' methods of attaching, but we opted for this.

It may not be acceptable in all locales, and I am sure someone will be quick to elaborate, but it works for us ��.

[Jammer]

Boat numbers preprinted on a piece of PVC or hypalon fabric with a pouch for the decal:



https://boatnumberplate.com/inc/sdetail/4110/4082


Adhesive for hypalon - you will also need toluol from the big box home center:


https://www.defender.com/product3.js...897&id=1653105


Adhesive for PVC - you will also need MEK from the big box home center:


https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...897&id=1653127

[capt jgw]

Here in Michigan you're allowed to put the stickers on the transom on inflatable boats. Our registrations are for three years and no way a stickers staying on an inflatable that long. Maybe your state allows it too. As for the numbers I paint mine on too.