Boat Wrap Part 3 - Completion - It's All About the Fish
After a couple of months of planning, design and finally installation, the boat wrap we have put so much work into has been completed. Let’s just say it came out very nicely and whilst the design may not be for everyone, those that matter are very happy with it.
It was a fair mission to put together. From the original idea, the first element was to collect all of the images. This was not a particularly easy task in that finding the right images was quite a job in itself. A bank of images (Dolphin Fish, Tuna, Mackerel, Tailor [Blue Fish], Baitfish) were obtained commercially from a US professional underwater photographer - this guy was an absolute pleasure to deal with and gave us a lot of photos for a very fair price. The coral reef could also be purchased commercially but getting the other images at a reasonable price was just too much of a hurdle – why do some people want to retire on every job? It was then that I wrote a post asking for member assistance with the images and a big thank you to Beau who could provide a quality Dhu (http://fishwrecked.com/forum/boat-wrap-part-1-request-member-assistance). In the end I had to resort to getting images of a pinkie, baldie and cray that I had caught and working up the images to remove fingers, backgrounds, etc. There are plenty of images out there but when you want to put them on a boat that is >7m in length then they have to be high resolution.
Once the initial design was complete, we sought member feedback as you can always miss something when you are so close to it (http://fishwrecked.com/forum/boat-wrap-part-2-member-comment-requested). The feedback we got was really appreciated and the meaningful comments were about keeping the demersals near the reef and giving the impression that something was herding the baitfish. Although we thought long and hard about how this could be done, in the end we were happy with the initial design (with some changes) and we were on a tight deadline to complete and sign off so that the wrap could be made. Rest assured, they were good comments that were appreciated and any future designs will take these matters into account.
My good mate who has the graphic business came over this week to attend my birthday (a number that I won’t go into). He brought the print with him and it was time to install. Installing a wrap is no simple process, especially on a boat which has so many changes in angle, deep chine lines and extrusions. Although there were a couple of little issues in installation onto such a complex shape, I think the end result is a credit to my mate that he could do such an expert job in difficult circumstances.
A boat wrap is really a good way to give your “pride and joy” a character of its own. The raw material and printing technology now days is excellent and you can pretty much make any design that you can imagine. There is a fair bit to it though and I would be happy to answer any questions that members have if you are thinking of giving it a go. Feel free to PM me should you wish any more information.
Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it - LH.
big john
Posts: 8749
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Happy
You would have to be happy with that job, well done to all concerned.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
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Boydy
Posts: 623
Date Joined: 26/09/12
Nice work
A definite head turner, and one off original.
niloc1984
Posts: 41
Date Joined: 08/10/12
PIMPEDIm jealous (of the
PIMPED
Im jealous (of the boat and wrap)
z00m
Posts: 1086
Date Joined: 10/05/14
Turned out awesome. Probably
Turned out awesome. Probably looks better on the boat than it did in the mock up picture!
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
In a single word
Wow
sunshine
Posts: 2600
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Obvious questions are cost and durability ?
Would appreciate an idea of the cost please, durability I accept will take some time to determine
Mick C
Posts: 607
Date Joined: 26/12/13
Wrap Questions
As with anything, the cost will vary depending on the specifications of the boat, design and film used. A local producer told me that a cost of approximately $200 per square metre should be allowed but based on the work that we have done this seems on the high side (and quite a bit on the high side). Again, different suppliers are likely to quote different prices and it is probably best to get a clear specification agreed before you would get an accurate quotation.
The design life of a good quality film is between 5 and 7 years. This of course depends on the treatment of the film and exposure to UV and other elements. It is fair to say that for a marine application the highest quality film needs to be used. The wrap has been on my boat for a couple of years now and with the exception of the film around the fuel vents is still in very good condition (my boat gets a lot of use too).
Sorry to not be of more help but as you would appreciate, each situation is unique.
Cheers.
Mick
Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it - LH.
squidvicious1
Posts: 824
Date Joined: 22/07/10
A few good blow up bumpers
A few good blow up bumpers to ward of Jettys is all you need now. Nice job