Vinyl Wrap

[SailorWarwick]

Thinking of buying a yacht that has been vinyl wrapped. Anyone got any thoughts good or bad with vinyl wrap?

[Pelagic]

Every Superyacht I know that has tried it in the Tropics, has removed it after about 5 years

[Fore and Aft]

I hate vinyl wrap when it needs to be touched up after a scratch. A new piece stuck on never looks as good. I often wondered if it was my yacht would I just put an Emoji or some other funky sticker over the scratch?
As a surveyor I am not sure. It is a quick way to get a new look, but I often wonder what is under it? I have seen a grey vinyl wrap on a foam core cat that started to bubble! Turns out the core was wet. Bloody hard to fix without removing the whole wrap.
Cheers

[robregje]

Dear Pelagic,


5 years aint that the to be expected lifespan of vinylwrao ?


I just started a post about vinyl wrap, Vinyl Wrap, anyone with actual experience - Cruisers & Sailing Forums, here i ask for reactions out of experience plz join.


Grtz



R

[SailorWarwick]

Thanks for the comments, think I should be including price to remove and paint it my offer? Interested to get more feedback from anyone. Especially if in New Zealand where there is very high UV

[SV Bacchus]

I can't address the bulk of your question as I did it on a much smaller scale, a fishing boat in Florida. The wrap held up well to UV but I only had it applied a few years ago; maybe new material is better than old? But you will be getting new anyway..

What I did want to say is fenders will rub the wrap off if there is much action between the boat and a dock. But I do have a solution! Wrap your fenders in cloth and bingo, problem solved!

[SailorWarwick]

Thanks for the tip SV Bacchus appreciated

[Almost-There]

I used to do wraps (still do advertising stuff) but 3-5 years is about the average life. We did a lot of ski/wakeboarding boats with great results. But when it came to larger boats I was less than impressed with the result so we avoided doing them. We did do transoms and lettering. But the costs to do a larger boat just didn't seem right for how long it'll last.

One thing I'll add is a lot of big yachts that are wrapped are under charter or just off charter and are wrapped as a way to change the image. Its a fast way to get a new look. In that realm they're not concerned about longevity and its a cheap way to "revamp" a boat to freshen its appeal in the market.

As long as you have realistic expectations and have seen the company's prior work,its great for what it is. But don't expect the longevity of paint. It is a temporary product no matter how they try and sell it.

[Dave_S]

I looked at getting it done. I haven't 100% decided not too but my concern is the marking from docking lines. All the companies I spoke to said that this is a problem they can't overcome.

They all quoted wrap with a UV clear over the top, much the same as sign writing on cars which lasts pretty well.

If I could overcome the rubbing issue I would do it tomorrow.

[robregje]

thxz almost info that's realy usable