[ebh0619]

I have a used Maravia with a guide logo along both sides. It is about 4-5' long and about 18" high. Maravia will charge me nearly $300 to remove and reapply yellow color. I'm wondering about covering the logo with a patch or similar myself and hoping I could do it cheap and make it look nice. Thinkong of using a blue cokor patch. Experience? Suggestions?

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[OregonRafter]

What is the condition of the rest of the raft?

Usually outfitter surplus rafts have some age and wear, otherwise the outfitter would still keep them in service. If you scored a gem that is otherwise in excellent shape I would pay the $300 to make it look pretty. It will look nice and really help the raft hold its value. If it has wear spots, patches, and other repairs I'd probably consider just patching over it like you mentioned. Pretty managable and inexpensive if you have at least some experience with patching and glue work. Another alternative is to buy PVC paint if you want to cover it, but the end result will probably look like a paint over job.

If the boat is a beater I would just rock that logo as long as the company hasn't sold you the raft with the condition that you remove their name. And even then it's their problem for selling a raft, being lazy, and not taking care of the logo themselves.

 

[Randaddy]

+1. It's the outfitters problem of you're rocking their logo, not yours. If you really want it gone get a Dremel tool and be careful...

 

[carvedog]

If you are launching one of the permitted rivers they want that covered up. They didn't used to enforce it, but I have a small faded logo on my raft and they made me put duct tape on it last year. Half fell off in the river. Likely into a salmon spawning bed. And when they won't let you launch it is not the outfitters problem.
It's a Maravia. How bad can it be unless it's one of the early 90s boats that had some problems and most of those were sorted out by the mid 90s to late 90s. Sounds like a cascade boat. Have Kyle buff it out and be happy with what I hope was a great deal.

 

[caverdan]

Do it yourself by sanding the area and using stabond. You could use an old dry bag for the material. It's just a cover, not a repair that has to hold air.

Having the old logo on it will attract ranger attention in the wrong way. Best to avoid negative ranger attention and talks.

 

[MT4Runner]

It's a Maravia. How bad can it be unless it's one of the early 90s boats that had some problems and most of those were sorted out by the mid 90s to late 90s. Sounds like a cascade boat. Have Kyle buff it out and be happy with what I hope was a great deal.

What problems? Pinholes in the floor seams?
I used to have an early to mid-90's retired outfitter Maravia 16er.

I still miss the slick drop stitch floor, just wish the boat had been as rigid as my new Aire.

 

[elkhaven]

Is the logo painted on over the orginal color? If so you could simply try to sand it off. I had the same thing on a hyside and sanded it with an orbital sander and medium to fine grit sandpaper. If your even remotely handy with a sander it's quite easy. You could always try a little spot and if you feel it went too deep put a patch over it... On that old hyside the outfitter ground off some of the letters leaving "clever" little sayings and where they did it they ground too much, so I ended up doing both. Where I sanded it you couldn't tell there had been lettering after a year or so (material faded to match) and where they did it I covered everything in a patch. The only pics I have were taken 10+ years after the project and you can see the patches but not even a hint of where I sanded letters... I know I'd try that before spending cash... but 300 really isn't that bad for peace of mind.

 

[caverdan]

What problems? Pinholes in the floor seams?
I used to have an early to mid-90's retired outfitter Maravia 16er.

I still miss the slick drop stitch floor, just wish the boat had been as rigid as my new Aire.

I had an old white one and the seams came unglued. That might be one of the problems carvedog is talking about. Damn boat literally fell apart.