Replacing Hull Stripe

Jun 30, 2020
31
Hunter 356 Noank, CT
Hi Everyone,

I became the owner of this 2002 Hunter 356 this summer and she just got hauled in Mystic, CT for the winter. Does any one have advice on removing and replacing the hull stripe? I plan on replacing the Hunter and 356 decal too... I know both are available from the Hunter parts store... Mostly wondering about the difficulty of removing the old stripe?

Thanks,

Jerry
 

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Jun 4, 2004
1,071
Hunter 410 Punta Gorda
Don't know about yours but this site did not have the correct size for my stripe. Probably a little heat would help with removal.
 
May 25, 2004
436
Catalina 400 mkII Harbor
on my catalina, i used a wall paper steamer to warm it up as i went. made pretty quick work of it.
mike
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
To remove most stripes, which are vinyl, a hair dryer or heat gun on LOW works to lift (or mostly lift) the stripe and allows the boat worker to peel it off. Most of the time there will be a shadow or line left. You may want to keep that shadow so that you can place the new line in the same place, or you may choose to buff the old line free and start with a clean slate locating the line where you choose. Care in getting the right line dimension is important as the old line may have shrunk or stretched.
 
Apr 21, 2017
74
Hunter 42 Passage Punta Gorda
I've also been successful removing stipes with a straight edge razor held at the correct angle so it doesn't gouge the gelcoat.

For re-installing the strip - I build a jig that hung from the toe rail to hold the tape at a constant distance. Good luck
 
Aug 7, 2018
179
Catalina 350 Great Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario
Heat is by far the quick and easy way to remove the old stripe, heat and a plastic putty knife once the glue softens. I have done 3 boats in the past 10 years, graphics, numbers and stripes. I do like Jsailem idea of leaving the ghost in place to help with the alignment.
 
Aug 7, 2018
179
Catalina 350 Great Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario
Keep the heat away from the plastic putty knife so it doesn't "melt" the tip, it will round over with use from residual heat, I just run it over 80 grip paper on a flat surface to true it up (sharpen) again for use. zero scratches.
 
Feb 23, 2018
52
Hunter 356 Marseille
I drew a line at the top of the old stripe with a pencil. Made it easier to aligne the new stripe.
I bought 3 x 10meter rolls in grey 2cm vinyl from a local specialiste.
He delivered 6 rolls ;)
 

dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
971
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
When applying the new tape, fill a spray bottle with water and say a teaspoon of laundry detergent. Spray it on the hull as you apply the tape - you will now be able to move the tape around easily to align it with your pencil line until the mixtures dries. Once it dries, the tape will be all set.
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
When applying the new tape, fill a spray bottle with water and say a teaspoon of laundry detergent. Spray it on the hull as you apply the tape - you will now be able to move the tape around easily to align it with your pencil line until the mixtures dries. Once it dries, the tape will be all set.
:thumbup: You only need about 4 drops of detergent in a quart size spray bottle.
 
Jun 2, 2011
347
Hunter H33 Port Credit Harbour, ON.
When applying the new tape, fill a spray bottle with water and say a teaspoon of laundry detergent. Spray it on the hull as you apply the tape - you will now be able to move the tape around easily to align it with your pencil line until the mixtures dries. Once it dries, the tape will be all set.
Windshield washer antifeeze also works well. Use a plastic body filler spreader to squeeze the antifreeze out.
 
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May 10, 2020
4
Hunter 34 Essex, MD Windy Hill Marina
if you use a steel razor blade, the professional tip is to round off the 90° corners of the single edge blade so that they can not dig in. Also, holding the blade at an angle to the direction of travel, (think plowing snow to the side), will easily scythe the old vinyl from the surface below with no damage to the fiberglass.
 
Sep 12, 2015
92
2002 Hunter 356 Oakville
I did the exact same thing on my 2002 Hunter 356. I used a rubber wheel however to remove the old stripes. I highly recommend this method over using razor blade or heat; a little acetone did a nice job to remove the old adhesive. I had a professional restipe the boat after I got it prepped, turned out fantastic.