Shrink Wrap

El and Bill · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 8:34 pm Post subject: Shrink Wrap

Anybody ever 'shrink-wrap' your boat for the winter? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

Mr. Fisherman · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:16 pm Post subject:

Wouldn't that make it tuff to use your boat in the winter?
We have Sturgeon to catch and crabbing to do and Spring chinook is just around the corner...

KenMcC · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 10:21 pm Post subject:

Biggest question I would have is one of mildew. If you're pulling your boat out of a fairly wet environment, and storing it with very little air circulation, what might be growing under that shrink wrap in the interim?

Ya might ask that question of anyone who you contract with to do the job.

Ken

Sneaks · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 10:28 pm Post subject:

My stepson hauls his Parker and shrink wraps it every winter. It certainly protects the boat from "the usual suspects" in the winter. Of course, he lives on the New Jersey shore where winters can be both cold and "interesting."

There was a recent discussion in (surprisingly) an RV forum about shrinkwrapping RV's (don't) but it did contain some good info which follows:

Rabidfish · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:55 am Post subject:

I can help with this...

I(my company) shrink wrap a couple hundred boats every fall.

The main advantage is UV protection and protection from moisture(weather). Since your covers are not used the wrap also preserves your canvas(sunbrella) materials. The shrink wrap, if done properly will vent and actually dry out even the wetest of boats. (surface water, not intrusion into the wood) It is usually free from maintainance so long as you don't have huge amounts of snow/water weight. It's also cleaner than putting the boat in a barn where birds and animals may invade... by virtue of being closely formed to the boat.

TIP: Make certain the wrap extends down past the chine of the boat to prevent sun fade along the sides.

The biggest disadvantage is lack of access to the boat, although there are ways to get around that also.("doors" made with zippers to get in and out, and close up when finished) The other disadvantage is the wrap offers no trailer protection.

TIP: Be sure to protect carpeted parts of the trailer by covering them before you shrink the film with a torch. ( melted carpet syndrome )

Now there are even bags available to recycle the film once you remove it in the spring.(see your dealer for details)

El and Bill · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 6:55 am Post subject:

Great ideas, folks -- thanks. We'll be off the boat a few months this winter ... doing some overseas travel and Christmas with family ... so we're looking at leaving Halcyon for awhile and want her in good condition on return.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:54 am Post subject:

El and Bill- Where will you be leaving Halcyon, in Nevada? The shrink wrap should be just fine for that. Our local dealers buy boats by the scores to get larger volume discounts from the manufactuers, literally having 50-80 new boats in stock in shrink wrap all winter and into the 100+ degree summer until they're sold and unwrapped without damage.

For more severe climates, we were told how they do it in Michigan a few years back. The boats are dry stored in big warehouses, with all the winterization steps taken, and electric heaters put inside them to keep the internal temperatures above freezing and control humidity. Then the owners retreat to their homes, light their fireplaces, open a good book, and sip something warming until spring returns. Doesn't sound like Sandy Eggo to me! Joe.

Chivita · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:21 pm Post subject:

Many of the charter boat captains up here in Sitka wrap their boats up for the winter for the reasons already stated in the above posts. The demand for wrapping boats has become so large that boat businesses are investing in larger enclosed areas so that bigger boats can be handled. Even in the colder winter weather up here, the boats dry out completely in a short amount of time. One way vents are installed in the wrap and the heat that comes out of them with any sort of sunshine is impressive.

A great deal of the charter captains also spend the winter and their hard earned dollars in the lower 48, so they appreciate the fact that they can store their boats outside all winter and not worry about theft or damage. They are also able to come up at the last moment before the season starts and just pull the wrap and go.