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Installing the
Name and Hailing Port
This page was last
updated on 12 May 2001
With only a few days
before launch, the time arrived to install the new name and port on the
transom. Technically (and superstitiously) I suppose we should wait
for an official renaming ceremony. However, that occurs in the
water, and I sure didn't want to put the name on with the boat in the water.
Some time ago, we
had decided on the typestyle for the name. Heidi had ideas, and searched
to find the font that matched the image in her head. It ended up being
Diner (at least in Word 2000). She wanted something that flowed, but
wasn't too script-y. I like it.
The only choice
for boat names is vinyl, in my opinion--it looks better, lasts longer, and is
easier to apply than paint. Plus, replacement of a damaged letter or
whatever is so easy. It's also less expensive. I went to my local
sign maker (Joe at Graph-X Signs in Cumberland, ME). I have purchased
several boat names from him before, and he also lettered my truck. However,
we ran into a small problem: he didn't have the Diner font on his
computer. I ended up loading the font onto a floppy disc and bringing it
over, and he was then able to load it onto his machine and incorporate it into
his graphics program. It sounds easy here, but this whole process took a
few hours spread over a couple days, between running around, searching for the
font on his machine, etc. It all worked out in the end, though, and after
a couple more days the cut vinyl was ready for me to pick up.
We chose gold
leaf with a white outline--a classic look. This means that the name comes
in two pieces--the white part, and the gold part. Combining the two pieces
was something I had not done before--other two-color graphics I have had done
were pre-assembled (so to speak) before delivery. Plus, I had wanted the
name cut on an arc. While I hoped for a small arc to remain when the name
was installed, the main reason for this was to accommodate the curvature of the
transom. If you put a flat piece of paper on a curved transom, the ends
come up, creating a dumb-looking upwards smiley curve. I wanted the name
to appear at least straight and level, with a slight downward arc. With
the chosen font, and the size desired, the vinyl paper was not large enough, so
Joe had to cut a few letters separately, for separate installation.
Describing this makes it all sound much more complicated than it actually is--it
seemed that way to me at first too. Once I got into the installation,
though, it was all clear. Read on.
Before beginning,
I laid the name and hailport out on a table and drew reference lines through the
vertical centerline, and a straight horizontal line between the "g"
and the "o" on the name--remember, the cut name was arced, so this was
the only horizontal reference there was. Joe had previously told me that
the bottom of the "g" and the "o" were level with one
another.
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 When
I had the positioning right, I put some masking tape on the transom and made a
few reference marks for repositioning the name during installation. Then,
I removed the name and sprayed a transfer solution all over the transom
(basically soapy water). This allows the vinyl to be moved around and
repositioned as needed without it sticking instantly. I removed the
backing paper from the name and stuck it up, lining up the reference marks from
before. I had to do a little lifting and repositioning to get it
right. After a quick check of the position from the ground, I squeegeed
over the name with a plastic squeegee, pushing all the liquid and air from
beneath the letters. I did this a few times, ensuring that the letters
were firmly adhered. Note that the "g" is a separate piece--as
mentioned above, it was cut off a little on the first sheet, so a new
letter was cut, along with the "li", which were used to properly
position the "g". Before squeegeeing the "g", I
removed the cut one, and replaced it with the new one, as seen in the
photo. |
