decals

I have a 1986 Hobie 16'. Although it seldom sees water I really enjoy the boat when I do get out and I enjoy making it better. So, I have these original decals on the side that really look bad. Anyone know how to take them off well, clean the hulls and replace them with something a little more contemporary?

Thank you. The Dog

Yo Dog,

A razor blade will get the decals off. It's a big job so you might want to use one with a handle. Don't rush the process. You may need to soften them up a little paint thinner. Afterwards, I scrubbed the hulls down with soap (dish detergent) and water. Worked for me.

Happy Sailing,

David

You know what works really well? A little heat. Get a heat gun ($20) or sometimes a blow dryer will work though it may not get hot enough. Heat up the decal starting from one end. You'll figure out the right heat. Not hot enough and the sticker will still be stuck. Too hot and it melts the sticker and it breaks. Just right and it will come off in one piece. This avoids scratching the hull with a razorblade, though I keep one handy while in process. Good luck!

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Hey, that's a great idea and it makes sense. Do you think the heat will cause any hull damage? I'm changing some decals on my boat before the regatta this Saturday. I think I'll give it a try but easy on the heat. My existing decals are only a year old.

Thanks again,

David

Potentially extreme heat could cause the glass to delam from the foam. I've never personally seen this while removing graphics, but it's possible. Polyester gives up some strength around 200 degrees, but you shouldn't need that much temp. This is similar to black rudders bubbling when they're left out in the sun. I have also seen foam that has gotten wet bubble the glass when heat was applied; again you shouldn't need that much heat. I was buffing another type of boat one time and the heat from the buffing pad was causing the gelcoat to flake away where the fiberglass was not wet-out in the mold. So heat can do funny things to gelcoat that has underlying issues. Removing graphics is a pretty quick, low heat affair. I've removed graphics to do repairs on Hobies for years and have never seen anything bad come from heating up the decal a bit with a heat gun. Just go easy. It's way better than spending hours with a razorblade and ending up with a bunch of scratches to repair later. I've done that too.

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i did mine as part of my get it on the water project while i was recovering from shoulder surgery last year. used the razor blade. but be ready for the nice new looking gelcoat underneath them. i spent the next three days polishing the hulls to blend and i could spend another week doing so to make them look even better.

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paul
1981 Hobie 18 "Knot A Clew" sail #5445