Shrink wrap

[wgiarratana]

Has anyone used Elite Shrink wrap in Brick NJ Thanks

[Tony Meola]

Most of us use the Yards shrink wrapper unless we keep the boat in our yards. I am not sure if any members in the Ocean County area keep their boats in the winter in their yard.

I have thought about it, but I am sure the wife would nix it. One of the biggest Shrink Wrap guys in the Lacey Township area is Cooke's.

https://www.facebook.com/cookesboatdetailing/

He does most of the Marina's and I know he does some on Long Beach Island so he may head up your way also. His work is pretty decent.

[Yannis]

How do they charge you?

By boat length?
By the volume of the total structure?
Do they provide the scaffolding? In which case do they sell you the wrap but only rent you the scaffold by the month?

How much does it cost for a 30 foot boat? Per month or per season, whatever makes more sense.
Thanks.

[Tony Meola]

Yannis

It's based on the boat size, by the foot. For our 31's it runs between $600 to $700 a season. In 90% of the cases, they don't need to build a frame to support the Shrink wrap. They have a special nylon roping/cordage they use to support the wrap. They run the cordage from the high spots on the boat to the low spots. If that is not possible then they build a pretty rudimentary frame.

[Yannis]

Tony,

I understand that what you’re describing is a covering wrap that protects the boat from the elements.
Then, the cost you mention is just the material cost plus the labor for putting it in place.

However, if except for the protection, you are to perform major surgery, like new paint, or major sanding, where you need space all around the boat, then this cordage support is not adequate as it is too near to the boat. You need a frame at a certain distance. All around. So you probably need either this rudimentary frame or a sturdier scaffolding.

For which frame there should exist some additional cost. So, if it’s a frame made by wooden beams it should be a one off cost, if however its a scaffolding then there should be a rent by the month. Right?

[Amberjack]

Yannis,Tony is talking about shrink wrap. We use it a lot over here. Cover the boat, heat it up (or whatever they do) and it contracts covering the boat in a tight skin that doesn’t need a frame. When I did it one winter we cut a door into the shrink wrap that gave me access into the cockpit and the cabin. At the end of the winter the yard cut it off and threw it away. I didn’t like it because the boat sweated a lot inside the wrap. You are describing a standard tent over a frame.

[Yannis]

Doug,

Thanks, this explains it for me.
I guess I was asking for the details of the tent-like construction, because it appears to be made of the same material. I thought it was also called shrink-wrap!
This framed wrapping we use for large paint jobs, sanding etc. The other one, the simpler task of covering a boat to protect it from the elements we don't use much (although you can see it on boats that remain unused for long periods), because we usually don't have snow that lasts for more than a few days...or hours!

[Carl]

The shrink wrap is a couple steps up from a tarp. Could wrap your boat in a tarp cover as you could cover a wooden frame with a tarp for a makeshift building to work in, keep you out of the elements. The heat shrink material is nice as it shrinks with heat tightening up and not flapping around in the wind. Less puddling in the rain etc.

[Tony Meola]

Yannis

As Doug said, it is for protecting the boat for the winter. I don't like it. As Doug says it sweats do the fluctuation in temperature.

The issue I have right now is that the new Marina we are in packs the boats in tight, and trying to get a canvas up on her is too difficult. I have always used canvas at the old place. But I had plenty of room around the boat and where they always put us for the winter, I was able to back my truck up to the stern of the boat and lift the canvas up onto the boat.

Now I would have to carry the dam thing about 100 feet between boats that are about 3 feet apart. I am thinking about trying out one of the new light weight covers. They almost seem like they are made out of Tyvek. A friend had one, but it seemed like they could not get the fit right.

I have to sit down with the canvas shop next year and have a conversation with them about it.

[Yannis]

Tony,

When I bought the boat there was a heavy canvas covering the deck all around. Just the deck, starting from the rim of the flybridge and sloping down towards the stern. It was attached with buttons/clips all around...each time you wanted to visit you’d have to undo zillions of buttons!
When it rained it collected water and rendered the exercise almost perilous.

I took the tarp away, removed all clip heads from all around and figured - no matter what, Ill go first and the boat will still be here...
Case closed.

[Tony Meola]

Yannis

The canvas is to protect the boat during the winter. Nothing worse than rain then it freezes on the boat and then there is the snow load.

What is worse is some of the Marina's around here are beginning to lose their minds. One of the ones I thought about moving too, now no longer allows boats stored on land to pull the drain plug. So, if you are there and not covered, it is a disaster waiting to happen.

Apparently, a fuel tank leaked a couple of winters ago and now the owner said that's it, keep the fuel in the boat instead of on the ground which then is a pain to clean up.