not sure how it sticks nd so on but a good mate Adam from Fineline signs can design print nd apply for ursel hes up in Roleystone but is mobile so give him a buz and check his fb page out Fineline signs tell him chris sent u

Hey

In the same boat here...have a 6.1 genesis and it's looking a bit tired from a lot of time up north.
Firstly Im not a expert whatsoever but just have looked into it and talked to a couple of pro's

from my research it seems a wrap is no substitution for a new paint job. my boat paint has lasted 10 years (time I've had the boat). a wrap is very dependant on quality. some of the ebay ones are cheap and wont last long at all. 1-2 years

a good quality one will last much longer. they are apparently not UV resistant so a wrap on a boat kept in a shed will last very well. from what I've been told one left outside even a good quality one will only last 3 or 4ish years before its starting to look faded etc.

one of the biggest probs is putting the wrap over an uneven surface...chipped paint....peeling pin stripes etc. the smoother the surface the better it will hold up so going over a new paint job to protect it from chips is ideal. (which is what Scare_182 has done with the genesis restoration)

if you want to put it over old paint all the chip will need to be sanded to even the "edges" etc

have a look on Utube. plenty of instructional vids there and while not the easiest of jobs it's def something you can do yourself with some good prep and a couple of helping hands.

Neels,

I have a bit of experience with vinyl wraps so set out a few comments for your consideration.

A vinyl wrap is basically a big sticker.  A digital design for the "sticker" is produced at scale, the appropriate vinyl is printed via a large flatbed printer (these things are big and expensive and must be suited for the job) and the "sticker" is applied to the boat using a heat gun and "scraper" to activate the glue on the reverse of the vinyl and remove all air bubbles.  The technology is awesome and can produce a very good result if it is done right.

Some issues.

1.  The vinyl must be suitable for the purpose, which means you need to specify the high quality product and this costs.  The ocean is a harsh environment.  There are vinyls that are specifically suited for the application and you have to get these.  Get a cheap vinyl for a boat and it will fail in no time.

2.  Make sure the printer has the right equipment to produce the "raw" product.  The equipment to do the job generally has a cost of $300k+ and you have to use the right inks.  Experience in producing wraps for boats is essential.

3.  Surface preparation is important.  The expected life of a good quality vinyl wrap is 7 to 10 years.  As with everything, the surface condition when the material is applied has a bearing on its life span.  The general requirement for a wrap is clean and smooth with a surface that the glue will stick to.  Raw aluminium is ok but freshly painted and cured is probably the best - there is a potentially big labour cost in surface prep and it may be something you would want to do yourself.  There are specific cleaning fluids that should be applied prior to application as they effectively prepare the surface.

4.  A vinyl wrap won't specifically protect against "dings".  The vinyl is effectively a thin coating and doesn't really offer the boat protection against impact.  The vinyl will "mould" into dings so they will not generally be noticeable but it is not really a protection.  In fact, vinyl should be protected from activities that could tear it.

5.  It is not that easy to install.  Boats have a lot of surfaces that change angle.  Car panels are generally fairly uniform surfaces when broken into individual panels.  Boat surfaces are long and move around a lot.  This needs to be considered in design and installation.  You need someone that is experienced in boats to design and install it properly.

6.  Edge sealing is critical.  Given that the "sticker" is subject to force from water all of the edges have to be sealed properly, and this is an ongoing maintenance requirement.  The product to do this is relatively inexpensive but if you want the wrap to last it needs to be done every year or so.

I'm happy to help you with your project, and find the right person to do the job.  Send me a PM if you would like to discuss further.

Cheers.

Mick

 Yep Mick hit the nail on the head. Surface needs to be treated before hand. The cleaner, smoother the surface the better the result. I had the painter finish the sides with 3 clear coats to harden and protect the paintwork to give you an idea. The thing with installing vinyl the applicator will more than likely have to rip the vinyl off and on during the installation to line it up correct and help prevent bubbling etc. if your sides aren't in tip top shape this will pull up the paint with it. 

Make sure to tell them that it's for a marine environment. Boat wraps aren't the same as vehicle wraps. They laminate them differently also.

Best tip is to shop around. I had prices from $300 -4000 for a wrap installation. I know the fancy mgi graphics wraps etc cost a s#*tload more than they should and by doing the artwork myself I saved myself a lot, let's just say I got it done for a lot less than $1000 ;)

i do alot of fishing shirt and logo designs. Just finished designing a jigging rod for a local company also. I design stuff In my spare time if you need work done designing a wrap I could help you out down the track too. 

 Oh and every edge must be treated and sealed as Mick said. We used a paint product similar to nail polish to the edges.

I can do certain things that others cant. So NO hope I would do this myself. I will be thinking about it to spruce up the old girl.

We once had a pet miniature piglet which the Mrs named Cindy. Despite all my protestation after the pig passed she named the boat Cindy ( I said you cant call it that - it would be a pig of a boat) but then she bought the boat for me with her money so I had to give in. But a full boar type decal at the end might just look very cool, despite the name

But with a different name.

Like this one

Doubt there would be any better vehicle/boat wrappers in Perth.

Printing on most advanced digital flat bed in Australia plus install all inhouse.