Renaming Our Boat

[Sir Rondo Normal]

Well as some of you know, my wife and recently bought our Corbin 39. Now we are wanting to rename her. The old name is kind of... well, doesn't suit our tastes.
So we've gathered up all the items, papers, etc that bear the old name and thought that we were almost ready for the denaming ceremony. All that was left was to take the name off the hull.
Today while I was at work, my wife started sanding the name off when she discovered what appears to be decals. She said it appears that they had put red decals on the red stripe and then painted the decals white to contrast the red stripe. This doesn't make any sense but she says there is a definite ridge. Although, try as she might, she could not get any corners to lift.

So how are vessel names normally put on? We are quite disappointed by this because you can still see the old name.

Thanks for any advice. We mustn't do anything to anger the gods.

[four winds]

My guess is the ridge is all gelcoat.

When the gelcoat is protected by a stripe or decal is doesn't oxidize away like the surrounding gelcoat. When the decal or stripe is removed the ridge is visible.

I see this now under my ports which I removed for re-bedding. The gelcoat under the port flange is raised and still shines. The surrounding area has receded and dulled. Looks for all the world like a clear decal applied in the shape of the port flange.

Just my guess.

[Sir Rondo Normal]

Thanks four winds, that sounds like a reasonable explanation all right. I guess sanding would be the only way to remove that?
Sounds like work...

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Capt Wraun

Well as some of you know, my wife and recently bought our Corbin 39. Now we are wanting to rename her. The old name is kind of... well, doesn't suit our tastes.
So we've gathered up all the items, papers, etc that bear the old name and thought that we were almost ready for the denaming ceremony. All that was left was to take the name off the hull.
Today while I was at work, my wife started sanding the name off when she discovered what appears to be decals. She said it appears that they had put red decals on the red stripe and then painted the decals white to contrast the red stripe. This doesn't make any sense but she says there is a definite ridge. Although, try as she might, she could not get any corners to lift.

So how are vessel names normally put on? We are quite disappointed by this because you can still see the old name.

Thanks for any advice. We mustn't do anything to anger the gods.

I would guess decals. Carefully sand an edge, get some heat on it carefully and see if it softens up.

Our renaming ceremony was a blast but defnitely get all traces of the old name out or neptune will not be pleased...

[Sir Rondo Normal]

Thanks guys, I am back to work on the boat tomorrow and will try your suggestions. I just don't understand why they would have put red decals on a red stripe and then painted the decals white.... bizarre. Oh well, we'll get it off one way or another. I want to have the ceremonies this weekend. We've already got the champagne!

[four winds]

Allow me the privilege of a second guess.

Possible the name decal came first. Then the red stripe was added later in life. With the name showing through as a raised area, it could have been a guide for applying the white paint as the latest step.

Now with the white sanded off the the raised name, covered by the stripe, is the cause of the puzzle. This could explain why the edge won't lift but appears to be a decal.

I'm curious, and not afraid to speculate cause being wrong is so common I'm numb to the effects.

[Sir Rondo Normal]

Originally Posted by four winds

Allow me the privilege of a second guess.

Possible the name decal came first. Then the red stripe was added later in life. With the name showing through as a raised area, it could have been a guide for applying the white paint as the latest step.

Now with the white sanded off the the raised name, covered by the stripe, is the cause of the puzzle. This could explain why the edge won't lift but appears to be a decal.

I'm curious, and not afraid to speculate cause being wrong is so common I'm numb to the effects.

Lol, that's great... and a likely scenario. Thanks again

[knottygurl]

use 400 wet paper to sand as well, will leave as little marks as possible to gelcoat.

[Dulls]

Our name is capricorn dancer 2 we hate the name and the fact they added 2 to it means that it is used up but it came with the boat and we cant be bothered with the name change as it costs money.......

[Sir Rondo Normal]

Well I had a go at it the other day and there definitely are no decals. I don't really know why there are ridges but they are there.
I started with 220 wet paper and then put the 220 wet on an orbital sander and then said f*%k it and slapped on a 80 grit dry paper. That got rid of the ridges so I went back to the 220 wet and sanded out all the scratches from the coarse paper.
Like I said, the ridges are gone but now the old name really shines. So it would seem to me that the stripe is in the gelcoat and the first answer was probably correct in guessing that the gelcoat was protected from uv all these years, resulting in the raised lettering.
So we're changing the colour of the stripes anyway, so all we have to do is sand away the ridges and paint over the old name.
Unfortunately I won't be able to do it today as I awoke this morning to gale force winds and a snowfall warning.
Oh well, I like motion of the boat anyway

Thanks all.

[four winds]

The factory cabin stripe on my Pearson is gelcoat. Taped off and sprayed on the mold as a first step, then untaped and oversprayed with the full gelcoat as a the next step.

It had been painted over twice by previous owners, without proper prep. So now I am simply pealing the painted over stripe with razor blades to get back to the original charcoal grey stripe. Half done in an hour so I got lucky on this task to remove a blue stripe that is a shade different than the darker blue topsides. Going to look much better to me.

Decided it was a good time to rebed the opening ports as well.

I also got lucky in finding a boat with a name I could live with. The name wouldn't have prevented a purchase of the right boat for me, but renaming was one less thing to do.

[Me-and-Boo]

I noticed there was no mention of enough beer, wine, booze or champagne. Perhaps a dose or two of potions might help.

[Sir Rondo Normal]

I think there's enough alcoholic beverages on this vessel, including champagne, to sink it but I also think we should save it for after the work has been done and the ceremony has begun.