Q: For years I've owned boats and have never been able to put the bow numbers on so they looked straight. This time, I had a sign shop cut them out of vinyl so the whole thing went on in one piece. It's still crooked. I look at other boats and they're crooked,  too. What's the deal?
Sam Warich, Silver Spring, MD

A: This problem arises from trying to put a straight line of numbers onto a curved surface. A straight line of vinyl numbers on a flat surface appears curved or distorted on your boat because of the three-dimensional shape of the bow. The reverse is also true. If you could draw a "straight" pencil mark on the bow and then flatten it out, the result would be a curved line.

Years ago people got around this problem in wooden boats by nailing a strip of wood (called a " batten") to the hull so that only one corner of the batten was in contact. The shape of the batten kept it straight, while its flexibility allowed going around the curve of the bow. This procedure is now a lost art because nailing to fiberglass doesn't work too well.

It's possible these days to create a "straight" line by using one of the laser devices sold to assist in hanging pictures on a wall. This requires first making sure the boat is level, then doing the same for the laser projector. The process is too time consuming and frustrating for a single set of numbers, even though the results can be excellent.

The simplest way to make numbers look straight is to move them aft to where the hull is more flat than curved. Or, move the line of numbers down a bit to get out of a highly flared area near the sheerline. Most boats are flat enough somewhere forward of amidships to make number installation less troublesome. Sometimes adjusting the numbers 8 or 10 inches one way or the other makes all the difference.

It helps a great deal when installing individual, self-stick numbers to draw both top and bottom guidelines. A No. 2 lead pencil will usually make a dark enough line, yet erase easily later.

Peel a portion of the backing paper off each number before applying it to the hull. Use the remaining backing paper to slide the number until it's perfectly aligned between the pencil guidelines. Rub the sticky part of the letter into firm contact with the hull. Peel the remaining paper to stick the whole number in position.

Send your BoatCraft Q&A questions to Dave Brown c/o Boating World, 2100 Powers Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339. You can also e-mail your questions to editor@boatingworld.com. Due to the volume of inquiries, Dave Brown will be unable to answer every question.