Easier is better when it comes to boat numbers
Several years ago, I needed to replace the registration numbers on my tender which is a 9′ 1″/2.76m’ AB Aluminum RIB. The numbers that were on there appeared to be painted on a very old patch and were flaking off. I went online looking for a solution and found a company that by coincidence is based in Everett, WA which is where I keep my boat, Boatnumberplate.com creates custom boat number patches that can then be glued onto your tender. I ordered a set of number plates, and they arrived in a few weeks. They offer free shipping anywhere in the US. There are several options you can choose from which are easily selected using drop-down menus that include Hypalon or PVC and whether you want to include glue. I had some Hypalon glue leftover from repairing an oarlock, so I chose the glueless option. Mounting the plates was easy and they are now four years old and still look great.
At the Newport International Beach Boat Show earlier this year, I brought an EP Carry electric outboard motor as checked baggage on the plane. I do some marketing for the company, and they wanted me to show it to a prospective dealer. I also wanted to try to test the motor out and see how it worked since I had never used one. I contacted an old boating friend, Doug, who has an old Avon inflatable that would be perfect for checking out the lightweight 14-lb EP Carry outboard. I planned to try out the Avon with the EP carry on a boat test after the show in Avalon aboard a Palm Beach GT-50, but the timing didn’t work out. (Look for that boat test soon.)
After a day of testing and photo shoots on the island I returned to Newport where I had a little time to take the inflatable for a harbor cruise. It was the first time I used the EP Carry motor which worked well and I will report more on that little portable outboard soon, but setting up the Avon brought me back to boat numbers.
The old inflatable needed to be registered
Doug’s dinghy with peeling numbers
The Avon had not been used in a while and when I unfolded and inflated it, the boat was in remarkably good shape except for the CA numbers which were literally starting to fall off. These individual registration numbers had been glued on long ago and it was time to replace them. Since I had completed this project previously, I knew the perfect solution: new boat number plates. Simple right? Well not exactly.
After my Newport trip and dinghy excursion, I told Doug I wanted to get him some new registration numbers for the Avon. We had hatched a plan to do some further cruising in California and to give the EP Carry a more thorough test run using the Avon. As it turns out, the Avon was registered to Doug’s father Gene, a great guy and fellow boater who had unfortunately passed away a few years back. When Doug went to re-register the boat, they told him he needed a pink slip which kind of gave him a chuckle. This was an 8’ roll up dinghy that was over 30 years old.
Even funnier was that when Doug asked his mother about this, she went into a musty file with all kinds of old boat paperwork and actually found the title for the dinghy. We were in business! Doug re-registered the trusty old dink, and I set about getting him the number plates. Since I had good luck with the glue I used previously, I called my friends at Weaver Industries where I had gotten it. They are a family business that is based in Rathdrum Idaho near Lake Coeur d’Alene. They famously make snap davits that allow you to clip on and stow your dinghy, which I have used extensively, my Cutwater 26 had them. They also sell glue for inflatables which allows you to put on the patches needed for snap davit installation but also is great for repairs and projects like putting on a new set of name plates.
Name Plate Installation on a Hypalon boat
I ordered a new set of name plates and had them shipped, along with the glue from the Weavers to Doug in California. When they arrived, he brought the Avon up from Newport Beach to his house and inflated it on his back patio. He pulled off the remains of the old individual decals and then gently sanded off the remaining old glue. Laying the new patches over where the numbers previously were he traced the patch with pencil and lightly sanded that area in preparation for the new number plates. He then roughed up the back of the two new patches and applied a thin layer of the Hypalon glue I had bought from the Weavers.
The glue I ordered comes as a two-part, but Virginia Weaver explained to me that you only really need the hardener for structural gluing like to affix oar locks or the pads for snap davits that hold your boat. Since the number patches aren’t structural, she recommended saving the hardener as once it is opened it doesn’t last. Plus, she explained that if you use the one-part glue it is easier to remove the number plates if you ever need to. I could have just ordered the one-part glue and saved a little money but I figured with that old Avon Doug might need the glue sometime.
Doug prepped the pads, applied the glue, and waited till it wasn’t tacky anymore and then applied another thin coat. You apply glue using a paint brush to both the back of the plates and the spots on the boat. The key is to not use too much glue.
An inflatable repair guy I know taught me a trick. He said to cut the tips of the paint brush bristles at a slight angle. You don’t need an expensive paint brush as you are going to throw it away when you are done anyway. The angled bristles help you apply a thin even coat of glue. Once the plates and boat had been prepped and glued, Doug carefully placed the plates in their spots and then rubbed vigorously with a stiff putty knife. This helps the glue bond to the plates and forces out air bubbles. That is basically it. Note that the Avon is Hypalon and gluing PVC is slightly different so follow the instructions that come with the glue. The new name plates look great, can be rolled up with the dinghy in this instance, and should last for years. The extra glue and unopened hardener Doug sealed and stored in a cool spot to be used for future repairs when needed.
Easy Solution
If you are looking for new number plates for your boat, whether an inflatable or a rigid dinghy, the Boat Number Plate website is easy to use and offers free shipping. When I ordered the plates for Doug’s boat, they were $49.95. These plates for California use have two spaces for decals. One is for the annual registration sticker and the other is for a mussel fee sticker for boats that are also used in inland waters and not just the ocean. The numbers are part of the plate so they won’t fall off and like the set on my boat should last for many years. The plates we ordered arrived in a few weeks, but the company gets busy so allow enough time especially if you are ordering the plates during the more active spring and summer seasons. You can get glue from the number plate maker directly or if you think you might need it for further repairs contact Weaver Industries for high quality inflatable glue for both Hypalon and PVC boats.
BoatNumberPlate.com
https://www.boatnumberplate.com/home
Phone: 425-252-7661
Email: info@boatnumberplate.com
Weaver Industries
https://www.weaverindustries.com/Adhesives
Phone: (800) 367-4062 OR (208) 687-3982
Email: sales@weaverindustries.com
