Making registration numbers stick to my dinghy

John S

Hello,

Hope there is someone who can suggest the best way to get some numbers on the sides of my new PVC dinghy. (or how NOT to do it)

Some of the choices I see are the vinyl letters
or
More permanently I could use a stencil and a Black marks-alot

What works best? What doesn't work at all?

I have to get the state registration sticker stuck on also, I'm really concerned about losing them.

Thanks for any help.

John

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:16 am Post subject:

I have seen rigid plastic plates with the vinyl numbers on them attached to the inflatable with rope. The plastic would have to be somewhat flexible to avoid breakage, though. Joe.

Valkyrie · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:21 am Post subject:

John,

I don't know of any way to get the regular plastic numbers to stick to the hull of any inflatable.

I had an Achilles for years and painted (not maagic marker) the numbers on with the use of a stencil, which had to be touched up every few years. The paint came with the kit. I attached the state stickers to a small piece of flat plastic and attached that to one of the D-rings near the numbers with a nylon wire tie wrap.

You can also get rubber letters and numbers and then glue them to the inflatable, which works well, but you better not plan on selling the inflatable because this is pretty much permanent. So is the paint/stencil route. Both might be removed, but would look like heck.

What works best for me are the plastic registraion plates that you can buy anywhere. Once the numbers/letters and the sticker are attached, I secured it to the dinghy with plastic tie wraps (I double up on them) when I use it and remove them when it's deflated and folded away. Attachment can be made to either D-rings or grab line.

I have never had an authorities question this method, even though it might not be in the "proper" location on the bow.

Nick
"Valkyrie"

Swee Pea · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:07 am Post subject:

I just purchased a Mercury inflatable (pvc) and intend to use this product http://www.boatnumberplate.com Don't know if anyone has had any experience with them or the product. Looks pretty good. Then don't they all?

John
Swee Pea

JamesTXSD · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:50 am Post subject:

The boatnumberplate is supposed to work well, but I haven't seen one in person, yet. We had the plastic plate, but found it was inconvenient when rolling up the boat, having to tie wrap it on and cut it off. While in Florida, I asked a FWC officer and he said that as long as there was a state sticker somewhere on the boat, they were OK with it; he suggested I put it on the solid transom. So, we have gone with stenciled numbers, one state sticker on the inside of the transom, and the other sticker in with the registration papers.

In areas where theft is a concern, numbers permanently on the dinghy are a plus.

tsturm

Sea Wolf · Last edited by Sea Wolf on Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:40 am; edited 1 time in total

tsturm

Buy a pint of Bouy Marking Paint and get after it. Very Happy

Remember your respirator while painting![/quote]

Tsturm-

I Googled "Bouy Marking Paint" and got nothing as far as a product is concerned.

Can you tell us more about this type of paint?

Where did you get it, and was it used for anything else, etc?

Thanks!

Joe.[/quote]

(Hope there is someone who can suggest the best way to get some numbers on the sides of my new PVC dinghy.) Mr. Green

Any "comercial" fishing supply place will have it. It is for putting Vessle ID on Bouy Bags. When it gets above 0 I will go get a can and give you the mfg. Beer

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:48 am Post subject:

tstum-

Thanks for the reply!

I revised the above post after taking the work "marking" out of the search name, as noted up there.

Living and working in the Alaska oilfields and Soldatna, huh?

Hows your hot tub and brandy holding out?

When's spring up there, July 15th?

Stay warm!

Joe.

tsturm · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:33 pm Post subject:

John S · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the input guys. I saw the www.boatnumberplate.com at the Seattle boat show. It looks like it would work, but I was hoping to avoid $40 + shipping + a can of glue if possilble. It still might be the best way to go. You can remove the whole number plate eventually if you wanted to.

The buoy marker paint is interesting, but very permanent. Anyone have any idea how much a can of this stuff goes for?? How is it normally applied, I saw respirators mentioned, is it spray paint?

Thanks,
John

Hasn't been so cold that I couldn't find a spot of open water in Tustumena Lake to take my snowmobile swimming in. Laughing

tsturm · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 3:16 pm Post subject:

The buoy marker paint is interesting, but very permanent. Anyone have any idea how much a can of this stuff goes for?? How is it normally applied, I saw respirators mentioned, is it spray paint?

Brush applied, Gloves & respirator If someone steals your dinghy permanent is good Rolling Eyes

Gear Shed in Homer stocks it!

thataway · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 3:51 pm Post subject:

I have used paint in jars manufactured for plastic models. This sticks well, and does have to be retouched. We have had variable success with the pVC plates which attatch to the PVC for the sticker. But found that we had to use a contact cement to get good sticker adherance for the first year. Subsiquent years stuck to the first year.

We usually use the long pastic plate. Most states accept this--but in the Sacramento Delta a week end water cop tried to give us a ticket. We ended up with a warning--but were told that if it was not permently attatched to the proper place on the bow next time it would be a ticket. This was a number of years ago--and the situation may be different now.

Adeline · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:33 pm Post subject:

John S · Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:40 pm Post subject:

The state of AK looks at the dinghy registration different. I can't see anyway out of registering. This is straight from the state's DMV website:

What Must Be Registered:

All powered boats (including non-powered boats with auxiliary power units) used on any water of the state. (This includes all rivers, streams, and lakes, regardless of size, and all salt water within 3 miles of land.)

Effective February 10th, 2005
All sport fishing guides are required to register both powered and non-powered boats.

NOTE: "Boat" means a watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water, except for:

A ship's lifeboat

A seaplane

An inspected passenger vessel

A single air mattress, single inner tube or other water toy

NOTE: Tenders are boats that are used exclusively for transportation from a boat to shore. Under the previous USCG registration program, tenders did not have to be registered. This changes under the state program. Tenders must be registered unless they are non-powered.

What Cannot Be Registered in Alaska:

Boats that are not principally used in Alaska. (Alaska residents such as military members or college student that live outside of the state cannot register their boats in Alaska. They must register them in the state where they are currently living or using the boat. This is required by federal law and there is no exemption for any group.)

Exempt from Registration in Alaska:

A boat with a valid registration from another state or country that is not operated more than 90 consecutive days in Alaska.

A boat owned by any government agency at the federal, state or local level.

Non-powered boats. (Effective 2/10/05, Sport Fishing Guides will be required to register their non-powered boats.)

A documented boat. The documentation may be either from the U.S. or a foreign country.