We have a transom hung rudder, so we have to pick one side or the other for our boat name Aerandir E30-2. (78). It desperately needs a new decal.
Can anyone tell us we’re we can get one of those great large Ericson decals ? It would look good on the opposite side of the transom..
While the larger national vendors have OK deals on names/hailing ports, like BoatUS, and a host of unknown 'net suppliers, we have always used local sign shops. Trick is to be sure that they really do use top quality UV-resistant material. I personally try to find out, in the 'interview' part of the process, if they are doing a lot of truck and commercial vehicle business.
I noted that this material was used for our new name:
Most vendors will have their own font collections, but if you have your own digital file for something like the Ericson emblem (or any other letter with some 'horns'...) most will accept your digital material brought in on a thumb drive.
Applying the large piece of lettering is, potentially, a bit tricky. For me, anyway. I did my own work on our prior boat and sweated bullets in the process. Both times for the present boat, I have paid to have it done while the boat was in the yard. Handling a large piece of translucent backing and avoid wrinkles is challenging for some of us neophytes.
There is one picture in my recent blog of a friend & ship wright finishing up our new names. He actually changed the font in his graphics program to get the first letter in our font to look 'just right'.
Trivia: the Olson "O" is from the Revel font, and our required bow (state) numbers are Eurostyle Bold, since only sans-serif fonts are legal for the registration number/letters.
BTW, if you decide to change to a pair of names on each flank of your boat, having them aft where the hull curves away from the dock should be pretty safe from abrasion. We have done that for decades with no damage to them. "Choices and Options" as the saying goes.