Many of our clients will ask us - "Can the hull be wrapped in the water?" and the answer is yes...but it is not recommended and we ask our clients to be wary when other suppliers suggest otherwise - here is why:
1) Unacceptable quality of finish
It goes without saying that if you choose to apply vinyl onto a hull that is in the water, you are against the elements and mother nature. It is impossible to stop the yacht from moving when it is moored and within the vinyl finishing world this can only lead to mistakes and inaccurate applications. Vinyl application is extremely sensitive to the environment it is being applied in and if moisture, especially saltwater is behind the surface being wrapped - you are asking for trouble and uneven applications. You are also more likely to damage the hull from blade damage and excessive cutting.
2) Lack of longevity
As mentioned above, lack of longevity will be a factor due to inappropriate application conditions. At Unique Yacht Wrapping, we ensure all of our surfaces are fully inspected, cleaned and any damages to the hull are dealt with before we proceed with installation to ensure the perfect finish. This is simply not possible if you have the yacht moored in the water. All it takes is a small amount of saltwater to splash behind the vinyl film once being applied and you may have issues in the future.
3) Insurance and Warranty
If a supplier is telling you that they are able to complete in the water installations, we would highly recommend you ask them for their insurance policy to check is it valid and incorporates 'on the water' application. Our team have dealt with many marine insurance specialists over the years and it is often that this type of on-water installation is uninsurable due to the safety variables involved.
4) Safety
At Unique Yacht Wrapping, the safety of our team and all members on site is paramount for a safe and successful installation. We have previously seen on the water installations taking place with installers balancing on tiny pontoons with electrical heat guns swaying, getting dangerously close to the water and it is clear to see, it is a huge potential safety risk for the installers and legal teams.
To summarise, although it is possible to complete in the water wraps above the waterline - it is not something we would recommend and we would proceed cautiously with any suppliers that do offer it as a service just to avoid lifting and staging costs - in the long run it could cost you significantly.
That being said, if you are only looking at installing the finish for a promotional event or sponsorship collaboration it may make cost sense however the safety elements would still leave us to strongly advise against it.
We hope this helps.
Should you have any questions or require any further information, please don't hesitate to get in touch and remember - #BeUniqueOnTheWater