Colors?

[OffLeash]

I think there is a simple solution to getting the right color. The industry is changing. Some manufacturers are just starting now using vinyl wraps vs paint or gel coat.

Why not just order you next c-dory as white boat, and ask the guys in Bellingham for a discount since they don't have the steps of adding Gelcoat color to the mold. Then choose a vinyl wrap in any color your heart desires.
The wrap guys say it cost 1/3 to 1/2 of a paint and it last about 7-8 years without fading, which is similar to many of the dark color Gelcoats we spend every spring trying to buff back to thel original color. If you get damage to the vinyl, simply cut and replace the damage section or enjoy a whole new color.

Once the first digital map is made for a boat hull, it can be sent to any vinyl maker and cut. I am sure many of the c-brats could replace the vinyl themselves in an afternoon, at least before the beers start flowing . I have thought about doing it to my own boat but like others I am more focused on the simple functionality that c-dory is famous for first.
This is just an alternative thought and a possible solution if you find the perfect boat but it is the wrong color stripe for your first mate

 

[Sea Wolf]

Mike-

Interesting.

How does the vinyl wrap hold up to abrasion, such as at the dock, on the trailer, or against other boats (compared to gel coat)?

Does it fit well on compound curves?

Any other difficulties anticipated or encountered?

Joe. :teeth :thup

 

[ssobol]

There are plenty of boats in FL that are vinyl wrapped. Some of these are business write offs, but a lot are just personal statements. Vinyl has the advantage that any damage to the hull does not have to be perfect. You can repair the hull and then vinyl over it.

You can have much more elaborate designs at a much lower cost with vinyl than paint. If you decide to change it, the cost is much less than paint (both for removing the old design and creating/applying the new one). Solid color appliques are easy to repair with another piece of the same color (usually there are plenty of "patch" pieces available after an installation). An elaborate design will probably not show minor damage as readily as a solid color design.

It is usually no problem to apply vinyl on compound curved surfaces.

Vinyl appliques are now applied to aircraft which travel hundreds of miles per hour. Putting them on your boat is no big deal.

You can probably find a shop that produces vinyl graphics in your area (they are all over the place). If not, you can send you graphics to some online shops and receive the cut vinyl in the mail in a few days.

If you have a multi-color design you may have to layer it up yourself. However, a lot of places will build up the design for you and you only have to put on one decal with the whole layout.

Basically, you need the vinyl, a ruler, some masking tape, a squeegee, soapy water in a spray bottle, and sometimes a heat gun (for tight curves),

 

[ssobol]

... when I am on the water I can pick out a C-Dory from over a mile a way by the shear strip or that head-on look that the cut out on the at stripe around the bow makes. ...

For me, it is the shape of the pilot house on the hull that distinguishes a C-Dory, not the stripes on the hull.

 

[OffLeash]

Good question about vinyl abrasion.
I think many vinyl wraps are the same color all the way through so there is probably not a lot of change in color in some. A conversation with your local vinyl guy would be a good idea.

I have seen the new Fountaine Pajot Power cat with a full gold color hull wrap that had visible abrasion from the fenders. The sales man said they would replace it before they sold it. I guess nothing is perfect because I have also seen several relatively new blue hull Aspens cats with very visible oxidation on the transom. I guess choose your poison...or just get white. On trailers abrasion, it would be a case by case basis depending on how it sits on the trailer.

Based on all of this, I think that I would probably focus on changing the strip which might be more protected depending on the boats vs. a full hull wrap if I went this path.

 

[thataway]

I think there is a simple solution to getting the right color. The industry is changing. Some manufacturers are just starting now using vinyl wraps vs paint or gel coat.

Why not just order you next c-dory as white boat, and ask the guys in Bellingham for a discount since they don't have the steps of adding Gelcoat color to the mold. Then choose a vinyl wrap in any color your heart desires.
The wrap guys say it cost 1/3 to 1/2 of a paint and it last about 7-8 years without fading, which is similar to many of the dark color Gelcoats we spend every spring trying to buff back to thel original color. If you get damage to the vinyl, simply cut and replace the damage section or enjoy a whole new color.

For starters, you are not going to save any money by not gel coating. Even in a white gel coat boat, a dark color gel coat is laid down, to prevent the customer from seeing the translucency, (and thinness of the hull laminate). The white is sprayed first,, with masking for the stripe--the whole hull is then shot with the color. An all white boat--no stipe will have usually have a dark grey shot after the white. A dark solid color hull will save a step, but will not be cheaper to build.

How much a paint job or how much a wrap costs depends on the quality of materials, and expertise of the finisher. For a paint job, a lot of the cost is in the perfection of the hull to get a perfect paint job. Vinyl wrap also requires the hull be fair--you can cover some minor scratches.

In Florida I have seen prices from $2500 to $10,000 for a good wrap on 25 foot boat--a few bucks less for a 22. The wrap makes sense if you want advertising type of graphics--such as a fishing team or sponsor. Can you buy cheaper vinyl's sure--but they are not going to last.

Again--the quality of the vinyl makes a difference--but in Florida, they will last 2 to 7 years--the average being in the 5 year range. Good gel coat, protected and waxed regularly can last 15 to 20 years. The vinyl wraps do show fender scratch, and dock rash even worse than the paint jobs. A good LP paint job will last at least 10 years, and can be touched up....but nothing is perfect.

For durability, I would take a good two part LP job over a vinyl wrap.

 

[hardee]

... when I am on the water I can pick out a C-Dory from over a mile a way by the shear strip or that head-on look that the cut out on the at stripe around the bow makes. ...

For me, it is the shape of the pilot house on the hull that distinguishes a C-Dory, not the stripes on the hull.

That may work in some areas, but the PNW is full of pilot house boats. (Some are even related to C-Dory.) SeaSport, Ocean Sport, Arima, and even the tin boats, Armstrong, Hewes, EagleCraft are just a few I can think of. From a distance, that shear stripe makes the C-Dory stand out, from either a side or front view.

Am I lobbying for keeping the same strip and color patterns, yes. That is what is distinctive about the C-Dory. That is what "Brand" is == distinction.



Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[dotnmarty]

... when I am on the water I can pick out a C-Dory from over a mile a way by the shear strip or that head-on look that the cut out on the at stripe around the bow makes. ...

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

never mind that...go read your private messages... :lol: :shock: :wink:

 

[Sea Wolf]

to wit:

Last time I was in the San Juans, about 3/4ths of the boats that I initially thought were C-Dories , turned out to be Sea Sports when viewed with binoculars or up close. :sad

Check 'em out!

Joe :teeth :thup

 

[BillE]

I saw the gray Venture with reverse stripe and the solid blue hull Tomcat at Wefing's last October and thought that both of them looked much better in person than in the photos. The white stripe on the Venture was clean and sharp and easy to see, and the gray hull looked pretty sharp, too. It honestly made the boat look more expensive to these eyes.

And while I thought that the dark hulled Tomcat also looked really good, I do agree with Bob that a white hull would stay looking nice much longer and with less effort, and also be cooler for Southern waters.