Official 280 Sundancer Thread

[RichardB]

Tony:

Do you have any pictures of the deck or steps? I saw the picture for the cabin and that looks very good.

Thanks,

Rich

 

[Bama]

Hey guys.

I gotta question.

It took me forever to get the Coast Guard to approve my boat name and now I am just a bit uncertain which is the best way to apply the name.

I know I want the name on the transom hatch lid and the hailing port in the space between the lid and the swim platform.

I am just not sure what the best decal approach would be, plus I am an amateur and need it to look good. It looks like they are mostly solid decals and not separate letters....which is what I have to remove now....the Wal Mart mailbox stick on letters.

any ideas about where best to buy....and should I try it myself or not? The name and port will fit fine and I do not want it on the bow.

 

[Gunn]

I did this last fall. And you're right, it does take forever to get your boat re-documented with it's new name (I posted a thread about that on these forums). Anyway, I purchased my logo from Boat U.S. Graphics. It came in a single sheet for the name and another sheet for the hailing port. Came out great and super easy. You apply the entire sheet so the spacing stays correct and as you remove the front of the decal, the letters are individual. Nice look.

To remove the old graphics I used goof-off, and a heat gun, followed by a wool buffing wheel and some boat oxidation remover. Couldn't see the old name at all.

 

[jason78]

Hey guys.

I gotta question.

It took me forever to get the Coast Guard to approve my boat name and now I am just a bit uncertain which is the best way to apply the name.

I know I want the name on the transom hatch lid and the hailing port in the space between the lid and the swim platform.

I am just not sure what the best decal approach would be, plus I am an amateur and need it to look good. It looks like they are mostly solid decals and not separate letters....which is what I have to remove now....the Wal Mart mailbox stick on letters.

any ideas about where best to buy....and should I try it myself or not? The name and port will fit fine and I do not want it on the bow.

Jim this is pretty easy to do this so you should not have an issue. One thing you need to consider before ordering is that the letters have to be 4 inches in height. This means if you choose to use capital letter(s) to start out your boat name, they will need to be larger than 4 inches to look correct because the lower case letters must still be 4 inches high. My boat has a very long name to fit on a 280 transom so I had to do a lot of figuring. I ended up with the name and hailing port in the same place you want to put it. I will try a find a pic to PM you. I had no prior experience with lettering and I often have people ask me who I used to get it done. As long as to take your time and remove all wax before applying, it will look good. I ordered mine from www.customboatnames.com and they did a good job for me.

 

[Bama]

Thanks Gunn. I will try it.

You appear to be saying that the letters are single but come spaced to apply with some kind of benchmark.

I needed the confidence to try it.

I am guessing acetone to clean off real good before applying.

My redoc took over 4 months! But from where I sat I saw lots of Coast guard this year....supervising Lake BP. Otherwise known as the Gulf of Mexico. They were very busy so i understood paperwork took a back seat.

But they sure did cash my credit card in 24 hours!

 

[Bama]

Yeah Jason I was HOPING that I could sneak by on a capital letter sized (not the lower case). I hate the look of all caps


I have a short name that will take a 6 in cap letter....but really prefer 5 in.

But the port needs to be smaller ones and 5 on name and 4 on port (as I hoped) will mean lower case port at less than 4.

I might play dumb as I have gotten by with nothing at all!

And I figured out my water in the bilge!!!

At least the mechanic says so. Never where I would have thought.

I have a short boat name and a long port name and hate to make the port more significant!

 

[scootdogg]

none of you happen to know the dimensions of the transom locker do you? i am going through this same procedure right now and forgot to measure last time i was at the lake.

 

[Bama]

I can get those measurements for you. The are not in the manual because I looked forever....and made the same mistake you did. so my measurements were taken by someone else but I have some great pics. if I can figure out how to out them out here I will post them today later along with the measurements.
I can tell you this to total measurments are not really relevent because the lid is rounded around the top and has the chrome rail at the top and the chrome latches. The workable space really sits between the rail and the latches...although you could work around them they actually frame the space. It is just a bit over 6 in from the rail to the top of the latch so that is about all the vertical space you have. Some boats have other obstructions in the lid.

 

[Tonka Boater]

I can get those measurements for you. The are not in the manual because I looked forever....and made the same mistake you did. so my measurements were taken by someone else but I have some great pics. if I can figure out how to out them out here I will post them today later along with the measurements.
I can tell you this to total measurments are not really relevent because the lid is rounded around the top and has the chrome rail at the top and the chrome latches. The workable space really sits between the rail and the latches...although you could work around them they actually frame the space. It is just a bit over 6 in from the rail to the top of the latch so that is about all the vertical space you have. Some boats have other obstructions in the lid.

FWIW, I placed my name below the locker. It gave me more flexibility and I felt it was easier to read. My port lettering may not conform, technically. It is 4" but the font is questionable. The rule, as I read it, was that the font had to be from the Roman alphabet....or something to that effect. The only interpretation that matters is the Coast Guard's though.

 

[Gunn]

FWIW, I placed my name below the locker. It gave me more flexibility and I felt it was easier to read. My port lettering may not conform, technically. It is 4" but the font is questionable. The rule, as I read it, was that the font had to be from the Roman alphabet....or something to that effect. The only interpretation that matters is the Coast Guard's though.

This is how I placed my name also. Gives a lot more room and easier to read.

I placed my hailing port in the area where the ski/tow hook is. The city on the left side, the state on the right side. I was able to get the required size there just perfectly (3" I think?).

On a couple of the websites that I designed my name, they told you what the final overall message height and length would be. Useful for getting it to fit to a specific area.

And yes, the decals come with a paper backing and a paper on the front; decals sandwiched between. You remove the backing, spray it liberally with a soap/water mixture, then spray the hull area too. Carefully apply the decal. It's not hard. You then have all the time you want to slide the decal around, getting it exactly where you want it. Once set, begin to squeegee the water out with a small plastic blade. This will make it firmly attach. You'll still have to wait awhile to remove the paper front and see the final results, and even then you have to be careful not to mess with it for a few hours, or a day or so and that's it!

 

[jason78]

I was able to get the required size there just perfectly (3" I think?).

The stated size for Coast Guard Documented Vessels is no less than 4 inches in height for Name and hailing port. I am sure you can get by with reducing it a little but 3 inches is probably pushing it too far, especially if you are regularly boating in an area patrolled by the USCG.

http://www.usps.org/national/vsc/policies_files/vesselreg.pdf


If state registered, the State Reg Numbers are supposed to be 3 inches.

Actually, you need a permanent plate with the number attached somewhere too.

HOW DO I MARK MY VESSEL?

The official number assigned to documented vessels, preceded by the abbreviation "NO." must be marked in block-type Arabic numerals at least three inches high on some clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. The number must be permanently affixed so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious and cause some scarring or damage to the surrounding hull area.

The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. The vessel name of a commercial vessel must also be marked on the port and starboard bow and the vessel name and the hailing port must also be marked on the stern. All markings may be made by any means and materials that result in durable markings and must be at least four inches in height, made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals. The "hailing port" must include both a place and a State, Territory, or possession of in the United States. The state may be abbreviated.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcfaq.asp

 

[Tonka Boater]

The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. The vessel name of a commercial vessel must also be marked on the port and starboard bow and the vessel name and the hailing port must also be marked on the stern. All markings may be made by any means and materials that result in durable markings and must be at least four inches in height, made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals. The "hailing port" must include both a place and a State, Territory, or possession of in the United States. The state may be abbreviated.

Thanks, I was going from memory. I think that I am in compliance -- "clearly legible" is somewhat subjective.

 

[jason78]

Thanks, I was going from memory. I think that I am in compliance -- "clearly legible" is somewhat subjective.

They would have to be having a pretty bad day to try and say they could not read yours. Now, I can think of some fonts that would definitely not be legible.

Time Well Wasted :grin:

 

[ch435]

Ok, I am going to sound like an idiot, but I'm fairly new here. Does a 280 have to be documented with the coast guard? Is a name mandatory? Most of my time is spent on a local lake in Minneapolis area, but I do plan to take it to Lake Superior once or twice a summer.

 

[jason78]

Ok, I am going to sound like an idiot, but I'm fairly new here. Does a 280 have to be documented with the coast guard? Is a name mandatory? Most of my time is spent on a local lake in Minneapolis area, but I do plan to take it to Lake Superior once or twice a summer.

A 280 nor most recreational vessels that I know of don't have to be USCG documented. I am sure there is a length where it must be documented regardless, maybe 58 feet? :grin:

After all the problems banks had with boats, many of them started either requiring any boat over a certain length to be documented or offered a "prime" interest rate if the seller agreed to do so. Apparently it is easier to repo and resell a documented boat because it has a US title rather than a State Issued title. This makes it less of a risk for them to make the loan- or that is the story I am told. My bank requires ALL vessels over 25 feet in length to be documented regardless of down payment, credit, etc.

If your boat is USCG documented, you must name the vessel and give it a hailing port which must be visible on the outside of the boat. That is how you are identified. You are also issued a registration number that must be affixed to the hull of the boat somewhere.

Way back in the day, supposedly, the govt could take possession of documented vessels in a time of war to use for military purposes.

Of course any powerboat must be either USCG Documented or State Registered to operate in the US.

 

[Gunn]

The stated size for Coast Guard Documented Vessels is no less than 4 inches in height for Name and hailing port. I am sure you can get by with reducing it a little but 3 inches is probably pushing it too far, especially if you are regularly boating in an area patrolled by the USCG.

Thanks for the clarification. I too was just going by memory, so 4" must be what I have on it as I read the requirements first (imagine that).

Tom

 

[Tonka Boater]

Ok, I am going to sound like an idiot, but I'm fairly new here. Does a 280 have to be documented with the coast guard? Is a name mandatory? Most of my time is spent on a local lake in Minneapolis area, but I do plan to take it to Lake Superior once or twice a summer.

What Jason said is correct but boats have a minimum length and weight requirement....I am pretty sure that boats have to be at least 28 ft. to be documented.

I'm in MN too and the reason that I got documented is because MN does not require state registration if a boat is federally documented. I didn't want the state numbers & license on my hull and I don't want to pay the license renewal every 2 years. Also, our rate was lower for the short time that we had a loan.

 

[66pony]

What Jason said is correct but boats have a minimum length and weight requirement....I am pretty sure that boats have to be at least 28 ft. to be documented.

I'm in MN too and the reason that I got documented is because MN does not require state registration if a boat is federally documented. I didn't want the state numbers & license on my hull and I don't want to pay the license renewal every 2 years. Also, our rate was lower for the short time that we had a loan.

It goes by displacement 5 tons or greater, and be wholy owned by a US citizen. (Net tonnage is a measure of a vessel's volume. It should not be confused with the vessel's weight, which may also be expressed in tons. Most vessels more than 25 feet in length will measure five net tons or more.)
Just to state the facts and not guess the answer.

 

[ch435]

Thanks for all the quick info everyone!

So it sounds like coast guard documented is optional for a 280? Regardless of where you boat? The advantages appear to be that you don't need to renew license every couple years or have hull numbers, and better financing rates. Any other advantages or disadvantages?

 

[Bama]

66pony is right. I do not have my papers but I think the 280 is a bit over 6 tons gross. not the same as dry weight.

and yes the loan stuff is why the feds get the registrations, because banks are all interstate now and they like the registration and lien registrations at the fed level. I bought a boat that was already CG documented, and renewed it....but I might not do it again. De-registration is an option with the feds if the boat is rec only. In our coasatal area we have lots of federal and state waters running together and the fed registration is the way to be sure you are covered everywhere. but until we figure out how to increase the 280 fuel tank size the real reason for the doc is to get picked up by the Coast Guard after you go too far off shore and cannot get back!