By Heidi Slomkowski

Over the years, the role of Powerboat's photoboat have extended beyond that of, well, a photoboat. During boat tests in Parker, Ariz., the 23-foot Nordic has served as the all-important safety boat during test runs and has even towed in a few broken boats.

We've also used it to give rides to special needs children around Marine Stadium during "Kid's Day," an event held in conjunction with the Catalina Water Ski Race in Long Beach, Calif.

Yes, it's certainly seen its share of action. But with frequent use comes major wear and tear. Visually, the boat's plain white hull with faded blue stripes was in need of updating. Not only was it weathered, but it was dated—its blue Powerboat logo hadn't graced the front of the magazine since it was redesigned in late 2004. Consistently in the company of other high-performance boats decked out in flashy, vibrant gelcoat and paint jobs, it was an eyesore.

And we wanted to do something about that.

Inspired by the dazzling results of a marine wrap on a 1995 Cigarette 38 Top Gun project boat ("Instant Image," August 2006, Page 47), we decided to give the 23-footer the same treatment and forgo a more expensive and time-consuming paint job.

So, just like an owner would take his or her pet to a grooming parlor for a snazzy new haircut, we decided to put our photoboat in the capable hands of SignZoo for the dramatic facelift.

"With performance boats, you just tend to wrap them to change up the design," said Larry Cavalluzzi, president of SignZoo. "Like this one, it just looks dated and the designs for boats get dated fairly quickly—so the wrap is a good way to keep the boat looking updated and new."

Based out of Sarasota, Fla., Cavalluzzi and co-owner Todd Stuart founded SignZoo as a traditional sign company in 2000. Since then it's grown to specialize in the creation and application of fleet, marine and architectural wraps.

"We started out with fleet wraps and one of our fleet wrap clients had a boat and he wanted us to wrap it for him and that's how we got into the whole marine-wrap industry," Cavalluzzi said. "Ever since then we've been kind of the leader in wrapping these types of boats."

Powerboat Advertising Director Jeff Johnston provided SignZoo design artist Samer Ali with the boat's measurements as well as elements we wanted in the graphics. Using Photoshop, Ali emblazed "Photoboat" in bold, 3-D lettering and gave the design some edge by devising diamond plate shreds into the light to dark blue color fade. Besides Powerboat, the logos of the other Ehlert Boating Media Group titles, including Bass & Walleye Boats, Trailer Boats and WaterCraft World, were incorporated into the design.

With a couple of rolled-up SignZoo Marine Wraps in tow, Cavalluzzi and Stuart arrived in Carson, Calif., for the application. The grand unveiling of the new graphics would have to wait until later as the duo completed the lengthy, though highly critical, preparation process. Any missed steps could result in poor adhesion, which can ultimately lead to a blown-off wrap, Cavalluzzi said.

"You can't skip a step in preparation so I don't know if it's necessarily the hardest part but it's probably the biggest challenge because it's where everyone wants to cut corners," Stuart added.

Using a heat gun, Stuart took off the Powerboat lettering and other decals as Cavalluzzi unscrewed the hardware from the hullsides. They used chemicals to remove wax, saltwater and other residue, and then went over the hull with denatured alcohol to create a clean surface.

Next came the main event—the actual installation of the wrap, which required extreme precision and concentration.

"We're going to position everything, get everything placed where it needs to go and then we're going to go back along and cut some of the parts off that have a lot of extra material," Stuart said before starting the application.

With the backing still on, Cavalluzzi and Stuart used masking tape to secure the wrap in place and cut a slit in it along the rubrail. Taking into account the water pressures on the boat, Stuart said that the vinyl stretches better when applied as two separate planes above and below the rubrail.

Working from the stern to the bow, Stuart removed the backing and used his body weight to stretch the wrap at the bow as Cavalluzzi positioned it into place making sure not to trap any air underneath.

A heat gun was used to further stretch the wrap to ensure that it fit the hull perfectly, and Cavalluzzi and Stuart utilized squeegees to smooth it out and remove any air bubbles. After the extra vinyl was cut off, strips of film were applied to the edges to prevent moisture from getting inside and to create a clean finish.

According to Stuart, a wrap can last about five years and each customer is provided with a "repair kit" containing the strips to maintain its appearance.

"If this boat gets hit or runs into something, it's always nice to have this patch to put over any area that gets damaged and it just prevents it from getting worse from that point on," Stuart said.

Once both sides were complete, the final product was astonishing. The boat looked as though it had entered a time machine and traveled through a decade within a matter of hours.

And while it may look brand new, it's still the good ole' photoboat and we'll still use it as we have in the past. But one thing's for sure, we won't feel too bad about stealing any attention away from our go-fast friends.

Click to enlarge.