New vinyl boat wrapping service could save NZ boat owners thousands

by Helen Horrocks on 10 May 2013 Boat Coat a company offering vinyl boat wrapping services has just been launched in New Zealand.

Boat Coat (www.vinylboatwrap.co.nz), based in the Bay of Islands and operating throughout NZ, offers private and commercial boat owners an advanced alternative to marine painting that could save them two thirds of the cost of a professional paint job.

Boat Coat was launched in April 2013 by experienced signwriter and marine painter Dan Nicholson. Nicholson has been wrapping boats since 2006, when the process was first pioneered in New Zealand. He started Boat Coat because he recognised a gap in the market for a dedicated boat wrapping specialist, who could provide a highly skilled and knowledgeable service to a solely marine-based clientèle. His passion for boating and his previous experience in the marine coatings industry make him the ideal person to bring this innovative service to the New Zealand market.

Nicholson says: 'There are signwriters in New Zealand who 'dabble' in vinyl boat wrapping, but there's no-one who specialises purely in boats. Wrapping boats is very different to wrapping cars or tinting windows' he says, 'because the marine environment is so harsh. You need someone who really understands boats, and the way the boat is going to be used, to make sure you get a finish that looks as good and lasts as long as a paint job.'

Wrapping a boat in vinyl may sound a bit 'out there', but it's a process that's becoming increasingly popular in boating hot-spots like the Solent and the Mediterranean, thanks to its many benefits over marine painting. For a start, a typical boat wrap costs around a third of the price of a professional spray paint job. Plus it's fast - most wraps are applied in a day or two - minimising down-time and hard-stand costs.

But perhaps the most exciting benefit for boat owners is the ease and speed of repair. Dents and scratches in a paint job would usually require a full hull re-paint, or at least a skilled painter to blend in the repair. But with a vinyl wrap, these can be repaired in seconds by anyone, simply by applying a matching vinyl patch.

Racing yachtsman Chris Hornell, whose previous boat 'Revs' - a Ross 40 - was wrapped in vinyl, says: 'I was really pleased with the way it looked, and the wrap held up really well, even after several offshore races and speeds of 20+ knots. I'd definitely do it again - in fact I'm already looking into it for the new boat.'

Boat Coat offers vinyl boat wrapping services on just about any kind of boat - from private yachts and launches to commercial powerboats and superyachts. Compared with marine painting, the cost savings for a typical 30 foot yacht are considerable, and the savings become even more significant the larger the vessel is.

Indulge your vinyl fantasy today at www.vinylboatwrap.co.nz, where you can find out more about the boat wrapping process, and request a free boat wrapping estimate.

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For more information, please contact Dan Nicholson, owner of Boat Coat, on 021 297 6878 or dan@vinylboatwrap.co.nz.