Yipes Stripes

[Jeff]

Looking for thoughts on replacing all of the tape, waterline, bootstripe, cabin etc. on my 1986 Hunter. It sure looks like a pain to remove all of that tape and it is really just faded with some cracking but is very secure. I want to change the colors and widths and am tempted to just apply the new over the old. I figure it will cost around $150 to do the entire job.Thanks

 

[Wanderer138]

If the old stripes are vinyl....

...a blow dryer will soften them enough so you can peel off easily without leaving any residue. A carefully applied butane mini-torch will have the same effect if you can't get electric power to the boat.If the new stripes are also vinyl, you should be able to put them on using the unweathered gelcoat (which the old stripes used to cover) as a guide. Use a spray bottle to wet the area with a weak detergent solution. This will allow you to slide the new stripes into place without getting any air bubbles underneath or sticking them on wrong. Once the stripe is in place, stroke firmly with a squeegee or balled-up cotton T-shirt to squeeze out the excess water. What little water left under the stripes will dry out in a few hours and voila, you got new stripes!Good luck.PeterS/V Raven

 

[Dana Smith]

Good stuff Peter

Peter couldn't have been more correct. I did this to a H-27 I had for years.Peter's advise using the soap solution is perfect, wish I would have known that a few years back.Good luck and you won't believe the difference.Charge-----Dana

 

[John McDaris]

Replacing Stripes

I did this to my boat last year, my boot stripe was painted on, and my top stripes where tape. If you would like I can give you a more detailed desciption on how I did it. I used both paint and tape and took all the old tape off. It really turned out nice.