Source for Hull Registration Stick-on Lettering in Italic

[bruce.m]

We recently changed states and had to re-title and re-number the old Nauset. Ten years ago I found a company who made the 2-inch plastic stick-on numbers that were slanted forward [ITALIC] like the Whaler logo.

Is there anyone still doing this?

I like the look of ITALIC characters.

I haven’t posted in awhile because, with the help of continuouswave, the boat has been busy having fun. It’s still a 25-footer and but runs great.

[Jefecinco]

I used a local sign maker to make the numbers for our 190 Montauk when we got her home. It was very inexpensive. The first set was not quite right so they corrected the error while I waited. It was about 20 minutes. I was able to choose from a variety of vinyl thicknesses.

[Phil T]

BRUCE--Contact Janis at Magic Brush Sign, the sole authorized provider of decals. She can make you a set of matching registration numbers. If you feel like going with a classy look, ask for the Jeff Rohlfing style (black with gold drop shadow, sloped to match decals.)

Janis's decals come all on one sheet so application is a breeze. No worries on them being straight or spaced correctly.

http://www.magicbrushsign.com

Photo credit - Jeff R.

regnumbers.jpg (112.48 KiB) Viewed 2296 times

[jimh]

This thread got me interested in the legal requirements for display of registration numbers. Of course, the regulations will vary by state, as the displayed numbers are usually state registration numbers.

Since I am in Michigan, I will comment on Michigan's requirements. This is also congruent with the example shown above, for a Michigan (MC) registration number.

According to some literature published by the Secretary of State the legal requirements for display of registration numbers on watercraft are:

Watercraft

Registration Number: Watercraft owners
must paint or permanently attach the assigned
registration number on each side of the forward
half of the vessel as high above the water line
as possible. The number must contrast with the
color of the background so it is visible and legible.
All letters and numbers must be plain block
characters at least 3 inches high, reading from left
to right. Place a hyphen or leave space equivalent
to the width of your letter "M" between the letters
and numbers.

As an example:
MC 1234 ZZ or
MC-1234-ZZ

Cf.: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/decals_16060_7.pdf

The specified format says the lettering must be "plain block characters", however and somewhat curiously, the literature shows an illustration of a boat whose registration numbers are in italic lettering.

Fig. 2. An illustration from the regulatory agency showing an example of proper lettering which employs ITALIC characters. The lettering shown is not actually on the boat, but has been typed over a photograph, and for some curious reason the artist chose an italic font.

MC-letters.jpg (25.26 KiB) Viewed 2274 times

According to WIKIPEDIA, "block letters" are "sans serif" characters and are not joined to adjacent characters.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a block letter is "simple capital letter composed of strokes of uniform thickness."

Regarding the notion of "plain" lettering, I would expect that to mean no slant or italic, but this does not seem to be codified anywhere.

Generally the literature in the form of pamphlets or brochures is not the actual on-the-books law. Digging a bit deeper I found this PDF which claims to be an excerpt from the actual regulations of the agency empowered to enforce regulations related to watercraft:

https://dtmb.state.mi.us/ARS_Public/AdminCode/DownloadAdminCodeFile?FileName=1190_2013-027NR_AdminCode.pdf

In that document I found this excerpt:

R 281.1204 Numbers; display; size; color.
Rule 4. (1) Each number required by the act shall meet all of the following
requirements:
(a) Be painted on or permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the vessel
or motorboat except as allowed by subrule (2) or required by subrule (3).
(b) Be in plain vertical block characters of not less than 3 inches in height.
(c) Contrast with the color of the background and be distinctly visible and legible.
(d) Have spaces or hyphens that are equal to the width of the letter "M" between the
letter and number groupings (example: MC 0000 AA or MC--0000--AA).

The interesting specification is the lettering must "be in plain vertical block characters." Here I would interpret "vertical" to mean not slanted or italic.

In actual use on boats I have seen, there are many displays of registration numbers on Michigan boats that do not comply very well with the rules. Many boats certainly do not have "block" letters. Enforcement seems quite lax.

Since the agency that is responsible for regulating the watercraft registration number display shows italic lettering as an example in their own literature, I doubt they could hold anyone's feet to the fire about such lettering not being in compliance.

On my own boat with Michigan registration, I use "plain vertical block characters," that is, no italics. That's not only to be completely compliant, but because that type lettering is what is most available.

[bruce.m]

Jeff, Phil, Jim, thank you very much. MagicBrush, I remember them now. Good to know they are still at it. A local sign shop could do this too, good idea.

Jim, yes curious on MI showing slanted numbers as an official reference.

Also to be considered are Coast Guard requirements which might be different than a state. I mention that because our Nauset has been Coast Guard inspected. The heck you say?

They were gearing up at the ramp one day to inspect the Ohio River tugs and I asked if they would inspect my little Whaler. They forwarned me that if there were ANY irregularities they would have to cite (fine) me. Confident all was well I said to go ahead. Eight of them piled out of their boat and walked up to the still trailered rig and went to work every little detail of everything on the boat, trailer, and truck, including all paperwork. I’m getting a little nervous. Good for me that they did not measure the height of the transom running light. I cut it down a few inches.

The head officer zeroed in on my life jacket which held the plastic whistle, which would not sound because it was cracked and broken. Oh no! The whistle is broken! And I had no other manual sounding device on board that day. Citation.

Now I’m all the way nervous. I asked how much the fine was for that. He said that wasn’t his dept. The officer walked over to their van and came back with a whistle and gave it to me. No citation. Heart rate going back to normal now, but not before he let me sweat for a minute. The Coasties have a sense of humor now and then.

In the end they are boatmen just like you and me, and they were impressed that I would go out of my way to ask for an inspection. When done 20 minutes later, the chief filled out a boarding inspection sheet and gave me the yellow copy. He said that it was solid gold against other inspections and to show it to any agency who might want to have a look at my boat.

A state guy pulled me over one day and I showed him the yellow sheet and the inspection was over at that point. I’m proud of our yellow sheet and carry it always.

While this is all going on other trailered boats at the ramp quietly disappeared, not wanting to be inspected by the Coast Guard. Pretty funny.

When the Coast Guard left, others in the area started coming back to the ramp and asking questions about the “incident.” They all thought I was in serious trouble and fixing to go to jail or something, and wondered why I would go looking for trouble like that. Ha!

I ran into the big Coast Guard rig on the River half an hour later. All eight of them moved over to one side to smile and wave. It was a good and interesting day on the water.

I tried to enclose a pic of the SC regs for state boat numbers. Basically they want 3” readable letter/numbers. No mention of italic so I’m going to go with some forward slanted letters to perpetuate that Whaler look.

Also, the state would not agree to the original HIN, given that it is displayed down in the ice well, so they issued me a new HIN to be displayed by placard on the starboard side of the transom.

We also have to have a sticker displayed on the outboard motor, which is a different fee than the hull.

https://pbase.com/bmcelya/image/170246232