[hellosailor]

bigdog-
You can buy transparency sheets for inkjets and laser printers. So, buy a pack. Print out some logos an inch or two wide. Cut the sheet up into separate logos.

Now go to the boat, hold the logo up at arm's length while you are 30(?) feet away from the boat. Squint a bit, you'll see how it would look painted on the boat.

Or take a digital pic of your stern, open that in any free photo-editing software, and add the logo as another layer on the image. Resize as needed.

Which way is simpler? Depends on your skills.

If you do go with vinyl lettering, don't cheap out. 3M and Gerber make exterior grade vinyl with 5-7 year warranties. No-name stuff bleaches out, shrinks, cracks, in 3 years.

Of course if you plan to federally document the vessel, your font choices and sizes are more limited by the rules.

 

[hellosailor]

In FLL I'm not surprised that a vinyl shop would be familiar with boats. Or, with the way that UV kills everything.

 

[hellosailor]

Plenty of threads on every sailing forum with the options. Oven cleaner (lye) often will take off old name paint, the hull must be acid (vinegar) flushed afterwards to neutralized the lye. Auto body shops sell other products and options.

But the odds are the old name will still "ghost" on the transom since it protected the gelcoat under it from aging. Solution is to repaint the entire transom, let that cure, then apply the new name.