Sheer Line Alternatives

[Mark David]

Hello All,

Hoping that someone has a suggestion / experience with freshening up the sheer line with either vinyl tape or 3M wrap or ??

Because the sheer line stands proud I am specifically curious about how people are dealing with the bottom edge?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[supersailor]

Mark: Could you send some pictures of what it looks like now? It would also help if we knew what Ericson type you have.

Welcome aboard!

 

[Mark David]

Thanks Bob!

The boat is an Ericson 32-2 that originally came with a light tan 'gelcoat' sheer line that 20+ years ago had a dark brown pinstripe added along the bottom corner of the face and the ~1/4" thick bottom edge. It is still wrapped for winter so I can't post a photo at this time....

Trying to sort out if a roll of vinyl tape or a 'wrap' material is able to follow the bow to stern curve of the hull as well as the corner and bottom edge of the molded sheer line?

Thanks, Mark

 

[Christian Williams]

To change the color of the wide sheer stripe, I'd paint it. Vinyl might work but would probably be just as much trouble to get right. Vinyl's probably better for a decorative cove stripe or pin stripe.

If doing it myself, I might even use a one-part like Interlux Brightside, taping with specialty edge tape for a good edge. After all, if it's not coming out right it can always be stripped or sanded off.

I haven't done this, so mere idle opinion. I did have a boot top stripe repainted professionally with Awlgrip. The yard was not in favor of vinyl.

(I changed my spelling from shear to sheer, as in sheer line)

 

[Loren Beach]

Several years ago, I had the yard do a new vinyl (mylar?) cove stripe over the original 1988 tape stripe that was chipping off. The alignment was very good and it looked like new for over a year.... and then small parts came off. While they said the price was discounted, as it turned out... so was the quality of the material. (sigh)
It was an outside vendor. "Live and Learn", as they say.
It does still look better than before, but only if you do not look too close.
In contrast, our wider boot stripe is doing fine, and is original factory gel coat.

 

[JSM]

All of my stripes were faded. I tried buffing them out to no avail and ended up sanding them down and painting them with Brightside polyurethane. Very happy with the results three years later.

 

[supersailor]

Use Paint on the sheer stripe and the boot stripe. Practice first on some throw away smooth surface. the thinning has to be right to minimize the brush strokes. Don't use a throw away brush. The results will suffer. Use vinyl for the accent stripe if you wish one. Also, use a high quality painter's tape. Masking tape will leave an ugly line. You might try buffing the stripe out first as you may not need to paint. In the best of all worlds, spray with a multi part paint.

Don't paint if the humidity is high or the temp is low (below about 60 degrees. The results will not be good. This might mean some patience waiting for the right conditions.

Good luck and post some pics of before and after.

Goo

 

[1911tex]

For a longitudinal hull highlight, I wanted to do a narrow 1" maroon sheer stripe, 1" below the wide blue factory sheer stripe on my white hull E35-3. The wide blue boot stripe and wide blue sheer strip framing the white freeboard looked innocuous to me.

I used 1" blue painters masking tape edge to edge, bow to stern below the factory wide blue sheer stripe for alignment.

Then used 3M automotive 1" maroon pin stripe full length aligned below the blue masking tape. Then removed the blue masking tape so there would be a wide blue, 1" white, 1" maroon full length highlight sheer stripe.

No paint, no mess, no fuss. Yes it "pops" and looks terrific. Walking down the pier, I can see the unique sheer lined bow of my Ericson, 75 yards down a row of white sailboats. Cost: $3 for the masking tape, $23 for the 3M pin stripe. Labor $Free, or so I credit myself.

 

[Mark David]

Thank you!

I really appreciate the input.

Ordered new rubber rail inserts yesterday, another part of this year's beautification project, and will continue to post updates.

Mark