Since the color of the tape on your boat has changed over time due to exposure to ultraviolet light, we highly recommend replacing all of the stripe on one side of the boat. If you replace just a section of the stripe, it will call attention to any gel coat repair. Even an excellent repair will be highlighted by the brighter color of the new shear stripe.

There are 3 layers of material for easy installation. Peel back the first layer to expose the adhesive bottom side of the stripes. Carefully place the tape to the desired area and peel back the last layer exposing the non-adhesive glossy side of the stripes.

When installing new boot stripe tape, thoroughly clean the surface first. See the Rapid Tac Stripe Spray offered below under "May we also suggest."

• Width: 4-1/2"
• Length: 50'

Stripe this wide can be challenging to install. We recommend you get professional help from a boatyard or an automotive installer. The warrantee can’t cover misapplication. Once the backing has been removed from any portion of the roll, the roll cannot be returned.

Gel coat was used to create the boot stripe on early boats. The stern's stripe was wider than the stripe at the bow. A few of the most recently built boats (the last Catalina 250's and brand new C-22 Sports for example) used tape to create the boot stripe. In this case the width of the stripe is the same bow to stern.

Whereas a sheer stripe is easy, the 4-1/2" width of the boot stripe tape, when applied to a curve, makes installation an acquired skill over many applications. It is even more more challenging on boats like the early Catalina 22 where the stripe curves radically under the hull and gets wider as it approaches the stern of the boat. Catalina 22 owners for example report they completely covered old faded gel coat stripes by "stacking" more than one stripe, one above the other, then trimming with the help of a long batten to achieve a smooth arc. In these cases in particular we strongly recommend professional installation by a boat yard or one of the hundreds of shops that do automotive striping and tinting.

We have measured the boot stripe of many different Catalinas. Although most were not, a few of every model we measured had boot stripes that were wider than 4-1/2" even at the bow and amidships. Since the boot stripe of every Catalina built was created by a guy with a roll of tape, we suggest you measure the boot stripe on your boat forward, aft, and amidships before ordering.

Since every computer's screen has a different color temperature, the color displayed on your screen is unlikely to match the exact color of the tape.