Featured Installation

Full Moon — 140ft Van Lent Backlit Yacht Lettering

140 ft Van Lent Lacquered Acrylic

YachtGraphx designed, fabricated and installed custom backlit name lettering on Full Moon, a 140-foot (42.7 m) Van Lent superyacht, in lacquered Acrylic.

Lacquered acrylic lettering is a lighter alternative to metal, cut from cast acrylic and finished in a matched lacquer; it weighs a fraction of steel, which matters on a lightly built transom, and the LEDs behind it produce a softer, more diffuse glow than polished metal returns.

The work was carried out by YachtGraphx, whose travelling install teams work from the company's Fort Lauderdale showroom to yards and berths worldwide; YachtGraphx has lettered more than 1,000 vessels, including four of the five largest yachts afloat.

This is one of 2 installations named “Full Moon” in the YachtGraphx portfolio. See also: Full Moon — 51ft, Sea Ray, Stainless Steel.

Project Details

What did YachtGraphx install on Full Moon?

Installation specification — Full Moon
Vessel Full Moon
Length 140 ft / 42.7 m
Builder Van Lent
Class All Superyacht installations
Material Lacquered Acrylic
Characters 8
Photographs 6
Installed by YachtGraphx

How long does backlit yacht lettering take to build and fit?

  1. Design. Layout and letter height are set against photographs of the transom, and a proof is issued for approval.
  2. Fabrication. Characters are cut and finished, and the illumination and fixings are built up and bench-tested.
  3. Fitting. Positions are set out from a template, the transom is drilled once, and the characters and drivers are fitted and commissioned.

What determines the cost of lettering a 140 ft Van Lent?

  • Character count and letter height — the two biggest drivers.
  • Material and finish: lacquered acrylic and polished stainless carry different fabrication cost.
  • Whether the characters are illuminated, and how the supply is run.
  • Mounting: standoff fixings on a curved or cored transom take longer to set out.
  • Where the vessel lies, and whether a team has to travel to it.

Frequently asked questions

What lettering did YachtGraphx install on Full Moon?

YachtGraphx fabricated and fitted custom backlit name lettering for Full Moon, a 140ft Van Lent superyacht, in lacquered Acrylic. The characters are standoff-mounted so the LEDs behind them light the hull rather than the letter face.

Why lacquered acrylic on a 140ft Van Lent?

Lacquered acrylic is specified where weight is the constraint or where the owner wants a softer, more diffuse glow. It is lighter than steel on a composite transom and takes a colour-matched lacquer, at the cost of the mirror return that polished stainless gives.

Does lettering a superyacht need yard or class approval?

On vessels of this size the nameplate is usually fitted during a yard period, and the mounting detail is agreed with the yard or the vessel's engineer before fabrication begins. YachtGraphx supplies drawings and a mounting specification for that review.

Does YachtGraphx install outside the United States?

Yes. Fabrication is done in Fort Lauderdale and install teams travel to the vessel, including yards in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

More general questions are answered on the YachtGraphx FAQ.