CREATING NONGLARE SURFACES

Use peel-and-stick sheets of vinyl to cut glare in problem surfaces of your boat.

- Jim Hendricks

Reflected glare-be it from the sunlight during the day or onboard lights at nightannoys, strains eyes and creates visibility issues that threaten safety, especially when it occurs on surfaces on the dash or bow. Glare can be especially prevalent with white finishes, one of the most common colors for boats.

For this reason, many new boats feature dash areas that are gray or black. Navigation lights are now often located in spots that eliminate glare, or they might be shielded to eliminate reflections. Yet with older boats, you might need to mitigate the issue yourself.

SKILL LEVEL

2 OF 5

FINISH TIME

Approx. 2 hours per mask

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

Matte-black adhesive waterproof vinyl ($8.99 per 13-inch-by-3-foot roll; hobbylobby.com) 

Sheets of paper and tape (to create a template) Pencil • Ultra Fine Point Sharpie marker

 Scissors

X-Acto knife 

Needle

Cutting board 

Spray bottle

Dish soap and water

Flexible plastic spatula ($5.95; walmart.com)

TIP

If the vinyl doesn't adhere to the surface immediately and tends to lift, there's still soapy water underneath. Continue to squeegee out the water with a spatula until the vinyl adheres. If a bubble appears from trapped air, make a tiny hole with a needle and squeegee away the air.

Such is the case with our 21-foot center-console project boat. The red and green navigation lights reflect off the white gelcoat finish on the bow and create a distracting glare at night.

TIP