Vinyl wraps have become increasingly popular as an alternative to repainting your vessel for many reasons. Firstly, there is significantly less upfront cost, with wraps often being much less than half of the cost of painting. For example, the Nordhavn 62ft boat (pictured) was quoted by local painters between $50,000 and $80,000 to respray, while the wrap came in at just $15,000. Another big advantage is that vinyl is much faster than painting, which ensures the cost of hard stands is far less, enabling significantly reducing the time out the water. Choosing vinyl also means it is maintenance free. Gel coat and painted boats need to be polished on a regular basis, whereas the wrap just needs to be maintained like a car – with a good wash and wax. Vinyl also comes with an important guarantee ranging from 5 to 9 years depending on the colour chosen. And finally, vinyl is quick and easy to repair impact damage. In most cases, the repairs can be done in the water, with repaired areas being almost undetectable.
Print Image Signs is a local Gold Coast business, located conveniently in the thriving Boat Works shipyard in Coomera. Husband and wife, Rob and Leanne Bampton, run the signage business that specialises in marine wraps for all shapes and sizes of boats. Rob and Leanne have been working in signage for 25 years. And now, they have spent the last two years turning their extensive vinyl expertise towards a dizzying array of boats.
Having recently worked on a broad range of boats from jet skis and tinnies to large catamarans, the business just finished its largest ever mono-hull boat, the 62ft Atlas Nordhavn for local marlin fisherman Garry Holt. The size and curves of the Atlas made it a complex project, but it was still able to be completed with an eye-catching glossy sheen and be back in the water in just a week, a mere fraction of the time it would have taken to paint.
Another recent boat wrap that received glowing feedback was one designed specifically to promote the Down Under Rally on its flagship catamaran, Songlines. Rally Director, John Hembrow said, “Songlines is now more like a floating billboard with dozens of boats stopping by Songlines to ask about the rally and the wrap. Songlines returned in December having done over 4,000 ocean miles and the wrap still looks as good as the day it was put on.” John, who, ironically, is a qualified spray painter, says that he is 100% satisfied and that it has exceeded his expectations both cosmetically and practically, as well as saving him $1,500 in yearly polishing costs.
Rob Bampton cites preparation as the key to delivering such consistently stunning results. While smaller boats can be wrapped in a day, the team spend several days on larger boats, meticulously applying the wrap to ensure it looks perfect.
Another important ingredient is the quality of the vinyl, so Rob and the team use the highest grade 3M vinyl that is guaranteed for between 5 and 9 years. A lot of people are concerned the wrap will peel. This is not the case. They use 3M primers and edge sealers and they guarantee the wrap will not peel. Depending on the colour and storage conditions of your boat, it is possible to get over 10 years from your wrap.
The vinyl wrap comes in many forms – solid colours, metallic, metal flake, metal look, carbon fibre look, satin and matt finishes, a wide range of timber-look finishes for interiors and custom-printed wraps. The business also employs an in-house designer who can work with you to create some absolutely jaw-dropping imagery, using the latest HP latex large format printer, which is eco-friendly.
Print Image Signs proudly explain that no job is too small or too large for them. It doesn’t matter whether you need something as simple as a boating rego number applied, or whether you’re after a world-class look for your charter boat at a fraction of the cost and time of painting. Call on Rob and Leanne Bampton at Print Image Signs on 5502 9255, and you’ll be wrapped with the results!
(Feb-Apr2017)
