Boat wrapping: hulls, superstructure and RIBs, on marine-rated film
A boat wrap is a colour change or graphics on the hull and superstructure using cast film rated for marine use. It costs a fraction of a respray, comes off when you sell, and on a trailered boat it's a straightforward job in our Caterham unit. Salt, sun and immersion are the variables, and the film choice and edge work follow from them.
“Wrap Cube are insanely talented. They’re able to understand your vision and execute it to the highest standard. Thank you so much for all your help and work over our festival season.”
Dami, Nando’s, Reading FestivalMarine-rated cast films from 3M and Avery, with edge-sealing where the film meets water or rubbing strakes. Preparation on gelcoat is thorough: decontamination, removal of wax and old antifoul overspray, and polishing where the gelcoat has oxidised. Fitted indoors so the film goes on at a stable temperature.
What we wrap
The main job: colour change, stripes, graphics, boat name and port of registry.
Colour and graphics on GRP.
Tubes need a different film to the hull. Ask us and we'll tell you honestly whether it's worth doing.
For sailing and powerboat teams.
Possible with the right film, and we'll be honest about lifespan.
Colour change or graphics: what boat owners choose
Full hull colour change.
is the big job: a white hull to navy, black or a metallic grey. It transforms the boat and it costs a fraction of a professional respray. It's also the one where preparation matters most, because a dark colour on a hull shows every flaw in the gelcoat beneath.
Get a free quote
Boot stripe and cove line refresh.
is cheap and effective: new stripes in cut film to replace the faded originals.
Get a free quote
Names and graphics.
on the transom and bows. The most common job, often done while you wait if the boat's on a trailer.
Get a free quote
Superstructure only.
for owners who want to modernise the cabin sides without touching the hull.
Get a free quote
The details, in order
A lot of boat work is graphics rather than colour change: the name on the transom and bows, port of registry, hull stripes, a club or sponsor logo. Cut from marine-rated cast film in colours that hold up to UV and salt, sized so the name reads from the pontoon. If the hull is getting a colour change, the name goes on over it in a contrasting film and is worked into the plan so it isn't sitting on a seam.
Gelcoat that's spent five summers outside has oxidised and been waxed a dozen times. Both stop film bonding. We strip the wax, decontaminate, and polish where the gelcoat has chalked. Old antifoul overspray along the waterline comes off. Any crazing or repairs in the gelcoat are checked because film follows the surface and can pull at weak spots. It's slower than preparing a van and it's the reason boat wraps last or don't.
Trailered boats come to Caterham. Larger vessels: talk to us. We're an hour from the Solent and the Kent coast marinas and have wrapped for owners from both.
Rinse salt off with fresh water after every trip. Don't pressure-wash the waterline edge or the rubbing strake. Antifoul carefully; masking the film edge before you paint is the difference between a clean line and a mess. Cover the boat or keep it under a canopy when it's laid up; UV on a hull that's out of the water is the fastest way to age film. Expect three to five years above the waterline with that care.
Time and cost
A hull colour change on a small trailered boat: two to three days. Larger hulls with superstructure: a week. Priced by length, coverage and surface condition.
Questions people ask before they call
Yes, above the waterline routinely, on GRP, aluminium and painted steel in sound condition. Below the waterline is possible with the right film and realistic expectations.
Three to five years above the waterline with fresh-water rinsing after salt use. Sun exposure is the main factor.
Priced by length and coverage. Length and coverage get you a real number.
Yes. Trailered boats come to the Caterham unit. Marina work is not something we do because the finish depends on indoor conditions.
No. Film needs clean gelcoat or paint. The waterline is planned so the film edge sits above the antifoul and is sealed.
Talk to us. For larger vessels we'll discuss what's possible; for anything that can't be trailered to Caterham, we may not be the right installer and we'll say so.
For a hull colour change, usually a lot cheaper than a professional two-pack respray, and it's reversible. Paint is the right call if the gelcoat has failed rather than faded.
Boat wrapping
Length, trailered or not, and what you want. We'll come back with an answer and a price. 020 8944 6360.