Shrink Wrap

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...
 
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
 
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:
Couple of comments: I have shrink-wrapped boats for years, from 17 to 50 feet, with no problems (and I mean I've paid to have it done as well as done it myself with the help of my friends). The major thing that is different with a boat, is that the shrink-wrap is usually "teepee" or "tent" shaped, and there is a large volume of air above the deck of the boat, even with a boat that has a bridge. Therefore, the shrink-wrap material is not literally a second-skin on the entirety of the boat (it does touch in some places, but that usually is a relatively small portion of the entire area of the wrap material, and is usually at the rubrail where it is very tightly wrapped to hold it in place -- think of it as where the belt is to hold it down below the widest part of the boat). There are vents taped into the shrink-wrap "tent" so that air exchange can happen, to allow moisture to escape. It will get VERY warm under the "tent" on a sunny day, even if it is cold outside (I've been in short sleeves under the shrink-wrap on 20 degree days). This large volume of air allows for air exchange, as well as enough volume for condensation to evaporate under the tent and then migrate out of the tent through the vents. The "tent" shape also causes the snow to slide right off, or, in the case of a wet snow that sticks, it will melt and slide off with the first sun -- the material is slippery. (VERY heavy snows can and will collapse the wrap, and in the snowy states, installers usually have a warranty clause that voids the warranty in a snowfall greater than 8 inches or so.)
Click to expand...

Hope this helps

Don
 
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)
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Back
Top