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Boat Names, How big are they generally?

J

john1

Guest
I have a customer wanting a name put on their boat that's in a local marina. I have a meeting with the customer later this week but wanted a general idea of how big boat names generally are just so i can have some ballpark pricing for him.

Signcraft has pricing for up to 3' and up to 6'. Not sure what kind of boat it is but it's defiantly a decent size one I'd imagine since hes apart of a local boating club and all from what he said.

Thanks!
 

HulkSmash

New Member
I have a customer wanting a name put on their boat that's in a local marina. I have a meeting with the customer later this week but wanted a general idea of how big boat names generally are just so i can have some ballpark pricing for him.

Signcraft has pricing for up to 3' and up to 6'. Not sure what kind of boat it is but it's defiantly a decent size one I'd imagine since hes apart of a local boating club and all from what he said.

Thanks!

depends on how big the boat is......where it's going
etc.. just measure the space where it's going and fit it proportionately
 

Jesse_gvi

New Member
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcfaq.asp#15
"The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. The vessel name of a commercial vessel must also be marked on the port and starboard bow and the vessel name and the hailing port must also be marked on the stern. All markings may be made by any means and materials that result in durable markings and must be at least four inches in height, made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals. The "hailing port" must include both a place and a State, Territory, or possession of in the United States. The state may be abbreviated."
 

HulkSmash

New Member
Boat names generally go across the back

Um, Boat names go on the sides as well.

go to Google type in boat names. 90 percent are also across the sides.

Your original question is how big to make boat names..? Measure it and determine what would best fit... there's no typical size.

good luck.
 
we've done boat names for years. generally you have 1 across the back of the boat and then one on each side. alot of boats also require i.d numbers.
 

btropical.com

New Member
Our FL boat #s are 3 inch by 22 so we can cut from a 24 inch roll ///////////// we have alot of Flats boats here carolina skiffs ect 8 inch by 48 ish on the sides
 
J

john1

Guest
Thanks for the information. I'm not putting any time into traveling to measure it if i didn't even get the job yet. I was just looking for a ballpark to give him as well as anyone else who asked since i live near 4 marinas.
 

Billct2

Active Member
I'm pretty sure those requirements are only for documented vessels. Most recreational boats are not documented. The only requirement here for all boat is the size of the Reg#.
 

Jesse_gvi

New Member
Yeah, I read that over again. But if they require doc'd boats to have at least 4" names, then it would be safe to assume they'd be legible at a reasonable distance. 4" seems a bit small for the name, but I guess it depends on the size of the boat.
 

Colin

New Member
I don't know about the U.S. regulations, but here in Canada a vessel is either "Licenced" (personal use), or "Registered" (larger/commercial).

Licence numbers must be 3" in height in a contrasting colour, and on the sides, generally towards the bow. Licenced vessels do not require any other id numbers or names/port names on the boat.

Registered vessels are identified/registered by their name, and these must be at least 4" in height, as well as the port name.

As others have said, there is no std size for a boat name, it all depends on the size of the boat, the area you have available, and how big or small the customer wants it to be.

Boat lettering jobs are a mine-field of potential problems, and black holes of time consumption, so proceed with caution. Are you going to the boat and meeting the customer there? If so, there goes an hour of your time. I charge $40.00 for a site visit. It is the best $40.00 they'll ever spend, as I get to see all of the various things that might be an issue, like surface condition, sizing, colour matching, installation restrictions, etc.

Without going to the boat first, get ready for a surprise or two.
 

swannisl

New Member
We do boat names all the time. Registration numbers have to be 3" high, if documented, the hailing port is required to be 4" high. Boats are lettered on both sides or the transom. Transoms are typical for sport fishing boats, sailboats, motor yachts, etc. We usually go with 4'-5' wide for the sides of boats that are in the 19'-24' range. You can scale up from there if the boat you're quoting is bigger. Hope that helps!
 

Colin

New Member
I'm finding too that a lot of the new cruisers (power) have little to no room to place a name. They are all "swoopy" and curved like many new vehicles, and are often loaded up with factory decals.

Lettering on the sides of the hull is a snap due the big, open canvas you have to work with, but transoms require much attention as to their unique shape, and various hardware, drain holes etc that can be in the way. This is where a site visit is the best way to deal with any unforeseen problems (which the customer always doesn't foresee). Take a tape measure and a pen & paper and sketch out the size & shape of the area you have to work with and the size & location of freekin' everything on the transom. Then draw it up to scale on your computer, and now you know exactly what you're dealing with for space and obstructions, and what you see is what you'll get. No mistakes.

This template also gives you and the customer a better idea what it will actually look like, as opposed to just looking at a font on a screen.

Another option is to take a straight-on digital photo, along with one or two reference measurements (like the width and height), and then size the photo to actual size in your computer/software, and there you are.....placing the lettering to scale on the transom.
 

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