Vinyl Wrap Wrap Up - Leopard 46 Catamaran - Costs, Benefits, Process

[@paulgoodman-simpson3294]

Good choice - we wrapped our quarter tonner in bright red from 3M about 8 years ago. For the first couple of months we treated her with kid gloves but then used her as the racing boat she is. She's had some serious hard sailing and knocks with pontoons, buoys, other boats etc. and stays afloat all year round except for a monthly scrub. Its amazing how tough the wrap is. By now we'd expected to be starting over with another wrap and seeing UV degradation. But she still looks one of the smartest boats afloat where we sail from. Seriously impressed with wrap and 3M in particular!

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks for weighing in here Paul. Seems a lot of folks are worried that this is some sort of banner material or wallpaper, ready to tear and flap off if water to get under it. "Let's see how it's doing in a couple years..." I've met two boats with 5+ year old wraps and they looked good to me, and now two stories of 8+ years. Glad to hear that 8 years and it's still going strong. BTW, the quarter tonners are a great class of boat. So much fun.

[@mattchannel7075]

Sounds really good. I am browsing boatwraps.com right now - the gallery with pictures does not load. Am I the only one with this issue?

[@searae727]

'Clarity' looks Gorgeous! Clever idea on the 'bumper' covers... nice job Megan! Enjoyed your video.

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you Sea Rae, it was one of those wise tips I got from the dock. Appreciate you watching and leaving a note!

[@BoatingJourney]

Our marina neighbor wrapped his boat and it looked awesome! Taking off the old one was certainly a chore though. Yours really came out great!! Awesome job!

[@johnkeegan6646]

The Queen is glowing! Nice decision and perfect workmanship! Impressive!

[@bradmottishaw467]

As I was watching your boat being wrapped, the whole time I am thinking "I love tacos!". :)

[@TheOKellys]

hahahhahahaha tacos everyday!! I had some really good blackened mahi tacos last night YUM! - Megan

[@ERNIE555]

Brad Mottishaw me 2 ...so much for subliminal images

[@marceld6061]

and burritos aka 'wraps' too!

[@davekeefe1711]

Megan & Nick, Congrats on the nice wrap! I have been using 3M wraps in my business for our vehicles for a decade +. I do recommend that you use occasionally a vinyl compatible spray wax and that when the product starts approaching end of life (when see start seeing little cracks in the product) that you replace it. It sure is a lot nicer when they can remove it in big sheets like they put it in instead of thousands of smaller pieces. I’m sure you will get many good years from the wrap. Looks great

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks for the info Dave, we're going to put the 303 UV protectant on it soon. I hear you on pulling it off in big sheets!

[@rustyjeff3007]

Looks fantastic. I'm sold... Just need a boat to wrap now..😎

[@TheOKellys]

Buy the boat!

[@jcheck6]

@@TheOKellys Ha!, are you selling?

[@utubefroggy]

She looks GORGEOUS

[@HandyMan657]

You're not kidding, she looks fantastic and thanks so much for the information and reasons for the doing the wrap. Congrats on a new sharper looking Clarity.

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Patrick, glad you enjoyed it was a great learning process for us.

[@timwoods603]

Wow Nick, Clarity is def a Diva now. She looks absolutely amazing.

[@TheOKellys]

Clarity a Diva, that's a good one! Maybe once we put all these tools away and wash off all the boat yard debris. Thanks for the note Tim!

[@timwoods603]

@@TheOKellys your very welcome!

[@timmitchell8784]

Love it! Now I just have to keep saving for the day i get my boat and wrap it.

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Tim!

[@Investor_2000]

Hi Guys Great to see you again on KZbin. As you probably will know, watch out for salt build up with in the fabric covers! This will scratch the vinyl very easily, in fact it does a pretty good job of scratching gel coat too. Good luck, happy sailing and be safe.

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks for the tip!

[@kirk9671]

Wow,.so many things to worry about. Did not think of that one. Do you have to routinely wash normal fenders in fresh water?

[@Investor_2000]

Kirk b If you use dark coloured material for your fender covers you’ll see any salt crystal build up straight away, at that point it’s time to freshwater wash. Overtime the salt crystals will destroy the fabric integrity so I really liked the idea to using cheap clothing to make the fender covers!

[@Vee-zx6eh]

What an interesting video. I didn't know anything about wraps. Your Cat looks amazing - brand spanking new. What a good decision. I really enjoy your videos. I am a horse person. Have nothing to do with boats or sailing although I have been sailing with others about 5 times in various locations. I totally love watching your videos. I learn so much. Looking after a boat is as much work as looking after a large property with animals. Great lifestyles though. Thank you for Sharing. PS Megan - My hobby is sewing canvas projects and I love it (mainly caravan annexes, pop tops and shade sails. I love your fender covers and your boat sewing projects.

[@TheOKellys]

Can't wrap a horse! Lol. Thank you for the kind words. Yes, it is a lot of work. Not unlike a ranch, really. There is always something that needs attending to. But that is also part of the passion of it. Megan and you are fabric welders! Appreciate the note!

[@dreamsofhiking]

Meghan and Nick congratulations on your boat wrap looks awesome, awesome video as well, I love wrapping boats as part of my job so rewarding, wishing you happy sailing 😊

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks so much!

[@CmdrMic]

Gr8 vid. Very informative of da wraps bro. Honestly, I was rather unaware how great they look! Best of luck with your new boat! He He.

[@estebandiaz8688]

Love your content guys! Keep it up!! The boat looks AMAZING!!!

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you so much Ekau, it's getting there one step at a time.

[@michaelrich5501]

I’m a vehicle wrapper and when a car comes in for repair from crash damage we use T-cut from the red bottles to try and bring the old vinyl back to life as white tends to yellow over time. They did a great job btw.

[@peterreynolds777]

It looks stunning then and looks stunning today 👏🏻👏🏻💪🏻💪🏻👍🏻👍🏻😎😎

[@marley1306]

This was a fantastic video to watch 👍 Learned something really useful today. Thanks to you folks. Cheers 🌍⛵

[@TheOKellys]

Great to hear Chris, thanks for the note!

[@jimfromri]

You answered the question I had which was about repairability. I mean, even taking great care around docks sometimes “stuff” happens. Anyway, Clarity looks great. Seems like you guys made a smart decision. Thanks for making the video. The application of the wrap was fascinating to watch. -Jim

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Jim! She's looking good right now. Hope we can keep her shining!

[@jodymooney255]

Great choice and she is beautiful!

[@mattbowden5248]

Great video Nick. She looks fabulous!!

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Matt. She really does.

[@PerriGoingGone]

It really looks like a new boat! I am very curious to see your review as time passes. This might be the answer I have been looking for. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheOKellys]

You bet, thanks for your comment. We're also curious to see how it wears so we'll be keeping you all posted for sure.

[@RiggingDoctor]

On our 45 foot monohull, our quote to paint it in Annapolis, MD was $20,000 for just the topsides. We had the topsides painted in the Azores for only €2,000

[@TheOKellys]

really? Wow that is a great deal.

[@RiggingDoctor]

The O'Kelly's everything was cheaper in the Azores! It was a spray job with Interlux Perfection too 😎

[@AuntieAnn]

I don’t blame you at all for going with the wrap! It’s looks fabulous no waxing, lasts long enough and was waaaay cheaper.... nuff said 😀

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you, I love the no waxing part!! - Megan

[@daleevans3250]

Great report, now I understand why people use wraps instead if paint.

[@atxsailor452]

Planning on wrapping our boat as well this Winter. Great vid!!!

[@mikeferguson2828]

Clarity looks great and shiny

[@scottkanady1658]

This is why I love your channel! Thanks for the video. Now I know what to do.

[@TheOKellys]

That’s awesome to hear, thank you Scott!

[@Hackdaddy81]

Great video again you are very well spoken and make the info easy to digest

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Seth. It's just because I think as slow as I talk. LOL

[@ba2724]

That was absolutely the way to go. Well done!

[@donb4386]

Looks like new. The true test of value will be how durable the finish is and how easy will it be to repair. Looking forward to your long term review.

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you, it feels really durable but agree time will tell.

[@GrantGrove]

Looks really nice! Now we see how it holds up.

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Grant, yes it will be interesting to see.

[@captainirv3542]

Simply, Precious!!!

[@bertfarin8755]

Wow, fantastic. Thanks for sharing your experience. Those guys have mad skills.

[@TheOKellys]

Burl is the Man!

[@epicv7dayz824]

She looks stunning, great decision. Think the grey will give her an extra knot or two !! Cheers and beers

[@TheOKellys]

Let's hope Ron! Thank you so much, now we just need to get back in the water!

[@RiggingDoctor]

The wrap came out beautiful!

[@TheOKellys]

thank you. Only a couple months in, but same as new so far.

[@garyamatthews1]

After many years restoring Porsches and many other expensive cars "WHITE IS THE HARDEST COLOR TO MATCH"... reds, blues, black, yellow and many more can and will skew the white... Paint the whole thing/area/side for a perfect match that will age together OR... DO THE WRAP, GREAT IDEA! She looks beautiful just like you guys do... enjoy the blue - G&D...

[@TheOKellys]

Aww thank you so much, wait until you see the new dingy!

[@AlbertJames007]

Glad you worked a deal for the work :) Looks great!

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you James!

[@josemadarieta3]

diy? i cant even get a screen protector on my iphone without a bubble or two. thats not even my boat and i was nervous watching the process. result looks great. congrats

[@TheOKellys]

lol! I know I couldn't believe how durable and pliable the vinyl is - really fun to watch it come together. - Megan

[@alantyth]

Keep up the great videos... Fan from the UK

[@TheOKellys]

Will try! Thanks!

[@Supe063]

Can't wait to get on a passage! Nice job on the wrap.

[@TheOKellys]

WE CANNOT WAIT EITHER!! Thanks for your note.

[@CheersWarren]

Brilliant and good price , thanks for sharing. did you only do the outside of hulls? If you spend a lot of time at anchor you minimize damage issues! Re gelcoat protection. Did you know Hatteras powerboats decided to paint awlgrip ( actually Imron) on their hulls from day one! They actually completed the boat( or used to) and then tape it off and paint it! And you can't tell! But the paint holds up a lot longer than the gelcoat! Cheers Warren

[@TheOKellys]

Yes, I heard that. Gelcoat is cheap to produce, that's why they use it. Paint really is a better marine surface. The inside of the hulls are wrapped as well. The bridgedeck is not. Thanks for the note!

[@CheersWarren]

The O'Kelly's , Oh my correction, Hatteras used to use Imron brand paint , not Awlgrip , but similar chemistry. FYI it's important to use gelcoat to protect the molds and also needed to protect the fibers for water damage.Also there was a time when Lloyds1A building standard required the gelcoat below the waterline to be without pigment to increase the chemical resistance ( read water ). Pigments in gelcoat provide the UV protection to the resin , but it's a lot of pigment! Hence why the chalking over time. A lot of UK built boats built in the 60's-80's used clear gelcoat below the waterline but they did not have noticeably better blister resistance. But you sure could see any flaws in the first layer of fiberglass when the boat came out of the mold! (Ask me how I know!) but the gelcoat application in that era in UK was surprisingly way behind US practices that may have negated the advantages of the clear gelcoat. ( FYI coating raw fiberglass edges with resin is used extensively in the corrosive chemical industry for protection. Saltwater is a corrosive chemical ). Cheers love the wrap! Warren

[@zied5663]

Man your explanation is just amazing. Solonely

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks!

[@curtjankowski3305]

Simply mah-vah-lous! Can't wait to see her back to cruising. Btw Nick, Meghan did a good job on the haircut. Took a couple years off 🤙

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Curt, I think he needs another trim already lol. We cannot wait to get back to cruising, hopefully this Thursday.

[@michaelm9621]

That is a really good looking boat after they where done with it. And with the clear plastic protective added that is going to last a great amount of time.

[@backthebadge4009]

Looks awesome Nick. Great job....

[@Roatanlova68fmp71lliiiak]

What a great business to be in...so many possibilities and applications. Have just ordered some wrap for my guitar! Not nearly the same but I think its going to look good. 😃

[@judychappell3560]

Wow! She looks beautiful!

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Judy!

[@stever3454]

Great video. You never showed the transition around the front hulls and how that was done. Did you do the inside hulls also? I'm thinking about fenders, even with covers scratching into the shine of the vinyl? Did they provide you with a repair kit? What did they tell you to clean it with... ie: to clean off mustaches from dirty water on the rivers or ICW? Inquiring minds want to know?

[@24hourtravellers]

If there's a scracth will water enter and seep under the wrap?

[@TheOKellys]

No. Not a concern. And I am quite experienced with gelcoat blister problems.

[@deibertmichael]

Wrap looks great! Perfect choice. Onboard Lifestyle painted their hull with a roller. Check it out! You can't really tell it was rolled on.

[@TheOKellys]

Did they do it in the water?

[@rustysteel8714]

Outstanding! She's beautiful.. the boat is too. ;-) Great job by Boatwrap. UV protection is a plus, Nick, and the technology has come a long way, but I would still be quite apprehensive of the occasional dock moorings causing damage... even if you're on the chain most of the time. Curious to see how well it holds up, even with the most skilled of Captains. Anyway, wish you the best of luck with the new "skin"!

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Rusty, even more incentive to stay off the dock!

[@mrdigitalextreme]

The wrap will most likely fail in 2-3 years… you get what you pay for. I want to be amazed, so best wishes and happy cruising, love your videos, Thanks for putting them out.

[@TheOKellys]

Why do you say that? I’ve personally met two boats with wraps 5+ years old. Looked great to me.

[@tancolvis5240]

Good to warp to protect from the weather n a Long rubber strip for knock n bump on docking with fenders

[@rameezbaloch2911]

6:53 Our orange catamaran, @sailingtejas. Love the wrap!!

[@TheOKellys]

Nice wrap Tejas! We are also really pleased.

[@johnguz76]

Looks great.Wonder how a wrap would look on my aluminium boat...

[@TheOKellys]

Give it a shot!

[@goleafsgo8496]

"Wraps" are incredible as Paint has almost priced itself out of reality for a lot of projects. Key point is a wrap can not hide things so the surface it goes on has to be as close to perfect as if you were painting. I know some have found success as a DIY project BUT I can't imagine on a boat like this or really any boat for that matter meeting the level of perfection that an experienced installer meets?

[@TheOKellys]

Having watched them do it, there is no way this is DIY on a boat this size,

[@davidcatanach2620]

That looks fantastic! Great choice

[@Boody523]

Money well spent in my opinion. Great looking wrap, color, etc.

[@billdonnelly1]

Thanks for the video, very interesting product. I have not used the wrap, but had the clear 3M sticky put around my cleats to protect the underlying stripes and gel coat and found that the product did not stand up to the shear and compressive forces of some pretty tight mooring lines in a blow. Do you recall the specs of your clear adhesives and how have they gone in the few months since you have had it put on? thanks Bill

[@TheOKellys]

Sorry, I don’t know the specs other than it is not the 3m clear. No problems, but also very very little time at docks or cleated in three months. Will report on wear of this stuff in a few months.

[@bradkamelesky1938]

Great job , Beautiful boat

[@mellovox]

Nicely done, very informative. Great channel!

[@TheOKellys]

Aww thank you for watching and leaving a note, we appreciate it!

[@dawson1220]

Beautiful results!

[@zivotamilenkovic]

This is amazing job. Well done. 👌

[@johnmccarren922]

looks really good. Long may it last.

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you and thank you!

[@larrymeyer2917]

Remember to keep fender covers clean of salt, the salt does the scratches.

[@kiloindia9798]

Sodium crystals have a mohs hardness of .5

[@theymakeitlookeasy]

Superb report!

[@iFlub.]

Looks great Nick!

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Cameron!

[@Investor_2000]

Looks totally beautiful!

[@georgethalman1639]

I didn't hear you guys say What boat show that was I'm surprised if I had to do a channel I would be like more of the information because it's hard to fill in the space with just talk but you're more comfortable mr. O'Kelly but if you wouldn't mind What boat show what time of the year what Boatyard will you guys in and what town is the Boatyard Inn?

[@danawoodward1913]

Beautiful work!

[@TheOKellys]

Agreed

[@RusstafaB]

Very interesting my brother used to work for 3M (UK) and they are a highly innovative Company. Looks a fantastic job, guess you are going to be extra careful now when you dock. Greeting from London, think it might be going to snow tomorrow.

[@travelright8150]

Is it only the sides, ABOVE the waterline?

[@TheOKellys]

Correct, above the waterline.

[@richardgshields]

Really cool looks great

[@WilliamNase]

Hi, Im planning on wrapping my boat. What is the tape called that yall used instead of a razor knife. Thanks a million!

[@blackduck7851]

Beautiful job.FYI the new generation wraps (I assume yours is one of them) can be polished up to 9 times.

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you and that's great to hear! I'm going to put a UV protectant on it. - Megan

[@omega19uk]

Hi guys...on the wrap colour palette was there a price scale..or was it a basic blanket cost regardless of the chosen colour....Very nice job, by the way.

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks. No, colors are all the same cost. At least from the palette we chose from.

[@mikecrockett3669]

Great info, thanks.

[@pmarr98]

Looks great I think you made a good call

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you Phil!

[@cliffordbradford8910]

did they only do the outboard sides of the hulls or the inboard as well? Also, shouldn't the shirt say, " I love burritos?"

[@TheOKellys]

Inside as well. No man, tacos for me. Except for the UFO burrito in St Augustine....but that thing is in a class all it’s own

[@av8rcarlton]

Looks like about two years now with the wrap. Can you give us an update on how it is holding up? Thank you!

[@TheOKellys]

Doing fine. Good idea…will put that in a video

[@ps4peace]

Looks great!! So, how did that TIGHT haul out go or is the other work not done yet?

[@TheOKellys]

We got delayed. Splashing Thursday if the stars align. Fingers crossed.....

[@tejjensen9402]

It looks really good. And the bottom of the catamaran has been painted?

[@TheOKellys]

yep. all done

[@robertlaird6746]

I've gelcoated several boats before but they were just patches and repairs. I did however regelcoat my 1960 12ft. fiberglass racing kayak. I've never tried to do a supper large surface like yours but totally would try to save all that money in labor cost and do it myself. It's not really that hard to do as long as you know how to use the materials and spray gun. May I suggest that the next time you feel the need to do work like this and want to use gelcoat, is to hire the workers on the side. You could also have workers from another boat yard come over to your boat yard to do the work or take it to another country where labor rates are much less. These are just my suggestions for you to save money in the future. Waxing might cost 3k if you hire a company but if you do it yourself, just a weekend of hard work and a small can of wax. I've watched goonzquad on KZbin paint several vehicles. Once they finish painting, they clear coat and then buff out for a pro finish. The amount of money to keep your boat looking sharp with vinyl will end up costing you about a thousand per year when you can do it yourself with gelcoat for about a grand total and have a finish that will most likely last you the rest of your boats life. The wrap job looks really sharp but it's just not my cup of tea because it's just a sticker/ patch job that won't last.

[@never2oldadventures]

Definitely not a DIY project!! The boat looks beautiful. The milli second you thought you could do it was followed by a sundowner, knowing that they had it under control. Looking forward to seeing the proficiency of the wrap after daily usage. Until our adventures cross, fair winds and full sails. Jack and Billie never2old adventures

[@maldwindrummond6158]

Why not put the extra coating on the whole wrap, instead of just the high traffic areas? Can you wrap the whole boat, including decks? Thanks, Maldwin

[@TheOKellys]

You definitely can, but it would be very expensive. On a vehicle it would be an extra $2,500 so I'm not sure what that would be on our boat.

[@KerbalFacile]

How much mass does it add to the boat ? Certainly more than paint ?

[@dnihilist]

Looks good. What did the less than perfect gelcoat repair set you back?

[@TheOKellys]

It was rolled into a bid for a bunch of other work, but I would say it was in the $5k range for just that part of the job. They earned it, actually. And I've since come to understand that it would have been impossible to spray and have match. The "right" way would have been to clean the scratches and just fill the little lines. As it was, I ended up with a faired our hull, so whatever we ended up putting over it, paint, gelcoat, vinyl....it's all faired nicely.

[@cdpmedia2011]

dude i love your video and your shirt

[@spacegreycoralred]

Doesn’t the wrap get damaged when the boat is strapped to be lowered into the water?

[@TheOKellys]

No, not a problem. we use the backing paper and the straps slide easily as they stretch.

[@FlyNineVictor]

Nick, you didn't talk about where the wrap ends at the water line. What prevents water from getting behind the vinyl and separating it from the hull?

[@TheOKellys]

bottom paint overlaps on top about 5 mil. Have you ever tried to take a vinyl graphic off a boat? It's not easy.

[@clarisd]

Great, my favorite Caladanians!

[@carlos17098]

Is there a Special way you have to clean it to Not scartch the wrap? How is ir with bottom Job and cleaning?

[@awm21awm21]

Did you think about adding a spray on ceramic coat after wrapping?

[@TheOKellys]

We may do that

[@paulbaziuk4455]

WOW, looks amazing !

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Paul!

[@jbench2756]

well it is off topic some, but our race car uses a vinyl wrap and man that shit is tuff stuff

[@mcd858]

wow! looks fantastic!

[@troybabs]

$48,000 for a paint job! . Gulp 😬. Oh the absurdity of some things in life lol... Wise choice on the wrap my friends. 👍

[@SomeTechGuy666]

Plus a wax job or two every year ! It costs less to wrap the boat than it does to wax it.

[@hauntedyards]

Should have got Maaco... lol

[@maviarab]

@@SomeTechGuy666 I'd like to know who's charging up to 3k for a wax job....so I can undercut them....lol..some folk have more money than sense.

[@SharkCommanderTV]

Are there any seams visible where it wraps around the front of the boat?

[@TheOKellys]

If you get close, maybe two or three feet away, you may see the seams. Further away and it’s really hard to see