stickers on boat

[jimmy40]

I have 2004 crestliner sportfish. Last year it rub up against a un padded dock and wrecked one side of the sportfish sticker on it. How much does something like this cost to be replaced. Is it an easy fix? Thanks, jimmy.

[Rost]

Call the factory. They'll set you up. As far as cost goes, I am not sure. I met a guy that had his cowling repainted and need new Merc decals. He said it was expensive. That is rediculous to me. Wouldn't it be in Merc (or in this case Crestliner's) best interest to have these decals on? You'd think they would give them to you.

Let's hope they do. Good luck

[Giant_Jackpot]

I would leave it. It just adds character to the boat. If you try to fix it every time you get a scratch, you will spend more time doing that than using the boat!

[Sportland_Bait]

Decals are expensive. I run some boat rentals and do repairs on a yearly basis. We order them directly from the company and have them applied by a body shop. I once owned a Pro V that had a similar problem, dock post damage. I just took it to a detail shop. They detailed it with a nice buff and wax job. I did this before I sold it. It came out really nice. Depending on the severity of the damage it may be an option.

Jason Erlandson

[Eric Wettschreck]

I'm with Giant Jackpot. I'm not saying trash your boat or let it go to heck in a handbasket, but chicks dig scars and fellas dig battle damage. If it's minor and cosmetic only it adds charector.

Disclaimer- I have an old boat, 1963 Sea King 10 footer. It was given to me.

[shamalex72]

Jimmy40

Let me know what your e-mail address is, I might be able to help you.

[jimmy40]

Hi, thanks for your input, shamalex72, my email is [email protected], thanks, jimmy.

[rangr]

Rost is right decals are expensive I tried to get decals for a 135 Opti in 1999 you had to buy the whole set for thge motor and they wanted $300 for them. For now I wouldnt worry about them unless your looking to sell or trade the boat.

[rmh2o]

You might try checking with Valv from this HSOforum he may have something as he is a parts liquidator.Check the for sale forum for his info he usually posts in there.

[Moose-Hunter]

Hi Jimmy... It can be an easy fix, but as others have stated, it can also be expensive... I "refinished" a 4hp kicker this past summer and just for that little guy, it cost $60.00 for decals. And with Yamaha, I could buy just the ones needed. For the whole kit... Well, I would have just run it until I was going to sell.

Bottom line is it's all up to you. If the damaged stickers bug you...(and it would bug me) I say DO IT!! But be preparied for "sticker" shock at the dealer. Or just wait until upgrade time. Do a bow to stern detail job and replace them then.

Good luck on your project...

[Rost]

Does anyone know why they are expensive? Like I said before, It would be in the companies best interest to have them on.

[Valv]

It's a cost for them, just like any part for your boat.

I don't see their best interest ?

[Rost]

Valve-

Why would it be in the boat or motor manufacturer's best interest to have decals on you ask? It's simple, advertisement! A boat is like a traveling billboard.

I fished against a guy who had a beautiful 20ft Crestliner with a big black motor on the back. This motor had NO decals on it. It had been repainted. Now, this guy carted his rig across SD and back several times that year. He did very well, and if I remember correctly, he even won a tournament. Now, If you were the President of Merc, wouldn't you want "Mercury OPtimax 225" on that motor? I know I would! Same goes for decals on his boat.

I guess it is possible for decals for a motor to run a guy $300 (nothing suprises me in the marine world anyore ) I am just saying that Crestliner might want Jimmy's boat to say "FishHawk" on the side. Not some smudged up unreadable word that no one can read.

[Valv]

It might make sense for you.

If you have a Chevy truck and want to replace the Chevy logo on grille, dealer will make you pay for it, same for the Z71 stickers on side.

Boat mfg. have same issues any manufacturer has, reduce costs.

A Yamaha front emblem that says 225 cost $ 176.00 at dealer and it's a 3" tall x 8" wide piece of plastic....

[Walleye Guy]

I guarantee you a plastic emblem that retails for $176 costs no where near that to make it. The boat/motor manufacturers are gouging the consumer on these cosmetic parts. There is only one place to get them and if you want them bad enough you will pay the unrealsitic price.

Live with the ding and explain the pricing situation to the person you plan to sell the boat to. Let them decide if they want to pop for the expense. I am sure they would rather see an upgraded trolling motor, graph or GPS on the boat for the cost of the plastic.

[CatManLee]

For fairly easy decals on the boat and or motor, I would have custom ones made at a screenprinting shop. You can have them made pretty darn close to the original ones or as tricked out as you can imagine, WAY CHEAPER. And best of all, you can have them made as big as you want.

You just need a copy or even a photo of the decal you want. Tell them the size and how many you want, wait a week and, boom ya got 'em.

This is the way i'd go. $150 compared to $300+. It makes sense.

[PerchJerker]

I put a scratch in a decal on my Merc several years ago.

The dealer gave me his theory on why the decals are so expensive. According to him the manufacturers want it to be expensive and difficult for people to put new decals on their motors. The theory is this deters the scam artists out there from re-decaling their motors and selling them as newer, more expensive motors to people that might not know better.

I don't know if he's right or not, but it makes sense to me.