Why have a vinyl pin-stripe at the waterline?

[Jerry Woodward]

Originally Posted by StuM

I removed mine once using WD40 to soften the residue with no apparent ill effects. (but I washed it off quickly with soapy water).

LOL, Stu, I think I saw you posted this in a previous thread about vinyl removal, so I tried it. Nothing. I guess not all vinyl adhesives are created equal!

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Jerry Woodward

Wow, that eraser wheel looks like it might do the trick. I've tried all sorts of solvents, including acetone. It seems like the vinyl itself has gotten weaker, but the adhesive has gotten stronger.

3M makes some amazingly effective "conditioning" products like this, like the Roloc discs that are basically 3M pads in different levels of aggressiveness. The "stripe off" wheel looks like a mild variant. The issue is that you'll probably need to polish the gelcoat afterwards to get it to match the rest of the hull. Probably worth it if it takes it off quickly. Polishing is pretty easy...unless you have to do the whole hull to get it all uniform. If you're lucky it will be just the right aggressiveness to polish the gelcoat as it removes the stripe and the difference won't be so bad.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

For us, it's mostly aesthetics.

Yep, its designed to make fat boats look skinny.... same as a stripe under the sheerstrake....

[HopCar]

Originally Posted by Suijin

3M makes some amazingly effective "conditioning" products like this, like the Roloc discs that are basically 3M pads in different levels of aggressiveness. The "stripe off" wheel looks like a mild variant. The issue is that you'll probably need to polish the gelcoat afterwards to get it to match the rest of the hull. Probably worth it if it takes it off quickly. Polishing is pretty easy...unless you have to do the whole hull to get it all uniform. If you're lucky it will be just the right aggressiveness to polish the gelcoat as it removes the stripe and the difference won't be so bad.

The 3M and other brands of vinyl erasers are kind of like gum rubber. They don't look or feel like the other conditioning products which remind me of a plastic loofah.

I think the vinyl erasers rely more on friction and heat than abrasion.

Yes the gel coat under the vinyl will not match the rest of the boat. It will look much better. You can polish the rest of the boat to get it to match or just ignore it for a few months and the stripe will deteriorate to match the rest of the boat.

[David M]

Applying a vinyl stripe is less expensive than doing the same in gelcoat or paint. The end product is more likely to look perfect as well.....it is just not as durable.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by john61ct

3M makes an 'eraser wheel' does the job

Yes it does and that is by far the easiest and safest way to do it. This is what auto body shops use to remove tape stripes without damaging the paint. I removed and replaced mine because it was missing in some places.

[dick sargent]

Just found out and used hair drier and "plastic razor blades" available in paint section most hardware stores. Used them to remove car and trailer decals. Cleaner than eraser wheel's gummy residue.

[anacapaisland42]

To totally confuse the submarines we raised our anti-fouling a foot and then put the stripe above that.
In addition to confusing the subs it made the boat 2.76 knots faster and slimmed her down by 2000 lbs
Bill


because they serve to confuse enemy submariners who surface close by, and try to aim their torpedos based on the apparent waterline of the target vessel. Putting the stripe precisely one inch above the waterline apparently causes the torpedo to be set deep enough to miss the vessel,

[deblen]

This works fairly well on pinstriping,etc. & really well on removing the gummy glue residue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C40S9qyDP9Q

Another similar product,called De-Solv-It works good too.

[Meacenas]

I have been a signmaker for over 30 years and here is my take on vinyl and its removal. There are different grades of vinyl with most shops using a good brand name ( like 3M) intermediate ( calendered ) or a premium ( cast) vinyl for most work. The materials are the same, the difference is in the manufacturing process. I use mostly intermediate vinyl of 'temporary signage' ( to be used for up to three or four years, for more permanent work its premium vinyl. There is also many shops that will try to save money and use the really cheap Chinese stuff that looks good for a year then turns to hard sticky mess. To get the film off your boat, first and foremost being patient will give the best results and you lose less hair by pulling. Use either a good hair dryer ( what I use) set on med or high and let it heat the vinyl heat up for a moment, ( dont over heat it or it will stretch and break off easy). You should try to heat up the vinyl slightly ahead of the removal area too, then try to peel it off. Usually this will also lift the adhesive up too, but if the vinyl is old or cheaper there will be sticky spots left. A razor blade, used gently, comes in handy for the really old stuff, but it leaves most of the adhesive on the surface. We use a product called Orange Muscle to take the adhesive off. Its usually found in a organic food store near us and is a bit spendy at $7.00 for 10oz. Spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes and scrub lightly with a green pad, then wash off with soap and water...viola', We tried the rubber removal disc but it makes more of a mess than anything so it went into the box and has not been seen for a while.

[guyrj33]

I second the use of bottom paint of boot stripes.

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by guyrj33

I second the use of bottom paint of boot stripes.

That's what I did a few years ago. Ablative bottom paint.....scum lines are a thing of the past

[hellosailor]

Speaking of razor blades and scrapers...You can buy polycarbonate single edge razor blades (different sources, different colors) all over these days. They're used for scraping when a conventional steel blade might do damage. The plastic blades aren't quite as good, but then again, they can't cut and gouge the same way either.

[zeehag]

so i researched this issue.
\ the only reference i can find to the requirement of all boats to have this boot stripe were this exact thread., i searched under all the names a waterline stripe has been known for the history of maritime activity. there is no requirement for this vinyl or paint striping.
is a personal choice.
the pinstriping was a manufacturer/designer decision. catalina and some others used a pinstriping. others used a fat stripe and some used none.

[evm1024]

I can't say about any regulations requiring boot stripes for recreational boats.

I've always put them on usually in contrasting anti-fouling paint for trim indications. It will give you both fore and aft trim as well as list trim as you load up a boat (especially when cruising).

I set the bottom of the boot strip the distance above the unloaded waterline that equals the waterline at the maximum loaded displacement of the boat (maximum that I want). You have to know the unloaded displacement and can calculate the increase in displacement for each additional (oh say) inch of draft as you load the boat up.