shrink wrap

[Bill G.]

Anybody feel leaving the cabin or deck hatchs open under the shrink wrap makes a differance with mildew or moisture in the bilge?see alot of mildew on the fuel tank..............Happy New Year.............Bill G.

[Charlie J]

bill
it cant hurt, ventalation is good, they make vents that seal on to the shink wrap. personaly i use to wrap up my boat, but when the price hit $400 for the 4 months that iam out, ill due the extra cleaning in the spring

[IRGuy]

When I lived in the frozen north several of us bought a shrinkwrap torch setup and a bunch of the sheeting. We used to shrinkwrap about a dozen or so boats ourselves.

We usually tried to include a way for fresh air to get around the shrinkwrap so mildew and moisture were eliminated as much as possible. Some of us had zipper "doors" we added, others of us just left a hole in each end, either during installation or after doing the job. A couple of guys had pieces of stovepipe or 6"-8" duct with a 90 degree elbow pointing down sticking out several inches, with the wrap tight around it at each end. I think the mildew issue was more of a concern in the spring when the outside temp rose and the sun heated the air under the wrap. You would be surprised how warm it can get under shrinkwrap, even on a cold day, especially if it is sealed tight to the hull.

[Dug]

I shrink wrap and think it is the way to go for me. I have a teak deck, and to leave that exposed over the winter, well, it ain't gonna happen.

I do leave my hatches open along with all other stuff throughout the boat if I can. I take off all cushions, towels, etc. and crack the fridge door. I open all the windows in the boat too.

Key to what I do, and I go overboard I think is I have 4 vents that I made out of dryer vent and I put them on the shrink wrap taped in place so I have effectively 4 holes that are 4 inches or so but water proofed all over the place. Then the one key...

I have a solar powered fan vent that I mount facing south on the highest point I can reach that runs all day and night (I bought the battery powered one that charges during the day and spins at night) to vent out the air, so I hope it is continually circulating air in the boat.

I tell myself that it helps...

Dug