Sonder hails from Richmond, Virginia, and we lettered her transom in November 2026. This time, we filmed the whole boat name installation from start to finish. The video below walks through the surface prep, the layout, the black outline and the gold leaf film, so you can see everything that happens before the name is finished.
Gold leaf film over a black outline and shadow
We settled the design long before the boat name installation day. Sonder uses a classic serif with a tall, sweeping S and a long, curling leg on the R. Each letter is gold leaf film over a thin black Avery outline, and a black drop shadow falls to the lower right. Below the name, RICHMOND VA runs in widely spaced gold capitals with a thin black outline, set smaller so the hailing port sits quietly under the name.
Surface prep for a boat name installation
Vinyl can only hold as well as the surface underneath it, so prep is the most important step of any boat name installation. Before anything touches the boat, we wash the transom with Awlprep and then wipe it down with alcohol. That clears away wax, salt and fingerprints, which would otherwise work against the bond over the years.
Laying out the name around a transom door
Next, we tape the black outline and shadow into place while the vinyl is still under its masking, then check the position from the dock before we apply anything. Sonder’s transom has a door, which makes this boat name installation a little trickier, because the layout has to work around its seams as well as the rail hardware above. Once the position is right, the black vinyl goes down first. After that, we set the gold film over the outline and trim the letters at the seams so the door still opens freely.
Order a boat name for your transom
Every boat name installation starts with your boat’s name, your hailing port and a few photos of the transom. From our shop in Edgewater, we plan the layout around your doors and hardware, and we work with your input on the lettering style. Sonder shares her Richmond hailing port with Alchemy, a Fleming we lettered in silver and gold. For another name that crosses a transom door, take a look at Sapphire. You’ll find more in our gold leaf boat names gallery.
More from the shop
- Bay Dreamin’: a Florentine gold leaf boat name
- YOHO: a Fleming boat name in burnished silver leaf
- Carved quarterboards
- Custom life rings
Contact Designs & Signs
The quickest way to get started on your project is to send us an email.
We can also be reached at (410) 798-5115.