Shrink wrap VS Cover

tdschafer

tdschafer

Well-Known Member
Aug 24, 2009
6,154
Long island , NY
Boat Info
1997 330 sundancer
Engines
twin 454's, Carb, V-Drives
I have a question that may sound dumb but I thought I'd throw it out there. This was my first season with my 330. My shrink wrap used to cost about $225 for my 260 Da. This year the guy wants $700. I spoke to my canvas guy and he said he could make me a two part winter cover from the arch to the base of the windshield and arch over the back of the cockpit. The cost is $1500 and that includes the framework for snow support. So the question is, how bad is it not to cover the bow? There were seasons in the past that I didn't shrink my 260 for one reason or another. It didn't seem any worse for the wear. Any constructive comments would be welcome. Thanks!
 
For me I would want the bow covered. I only paid $14.50 a ft for my shrinkwrap $700 is a bit much. I would want the bow protected due to the hatches, windlass, and stanchions. I would imagine if you did get some snow or ice storm the freezing and thawing would accelerate the eventual loosing/unbedding of all that if there was any standing water on the bow or snow left there.
 
I had a canvas made for my 320. I paid $1800 for it. I copied OSD9/Dominick's design pictured below.

I can't argue that it would be nice to have the entire boat covered, but the UV rays of the sun are so low in the winter that I'm not too worried about it. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. I went with a cover to save $ in the long run.

You can read this post for different opinions.

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11314

osd9 said:
I had custom winter covers made for my 410DA. They are made from a lite weight, yet extremeley strong material like that used to cover inground pools. Made by a local canvas in NJ. They go on/off easily and quickly by myself.

Here's a few pics...


P1260739.jpg


The support for the forward section between the windshield and arch...
P1270746.jpg



The suppor for the aft section between the arch and the transom....
P1270744.jpg
Click to expand...
 
IMO, it's best to cover from bow to swim platform. I always do it on all the boats I owned. It seams to be a frequent debate as to what's the better approach, having your cover or do a shrinkwrap. For my boats prior to 320 I had my own covers. With 320 I can't find something that I like. I was advised by my local friends to use heavy canvas cover that has 10 yrs warranty, but it's too heavy and requires about 3 people to install it. I found something that is much lighter and costs less, but the problem was that it was leaking from day one. I found it by pure coincident (had to do some work on the boat while it was raining heavy, almost all seams were leaking). I returned the cover and went back to shrinkwrap until I find better alternative. I was also thinking purchasing tools and doing shrinkwrap myself, but for now didn't commit to that yet.
 
i can't see why a little snow or ice can do any more damage to the bow deck then the hot sun of the summer. I put on a mooring cover and let nature tank care of the rest.
 
FireIsland1 said:
i can't see why a little snow or ice can do any more damage to the bow deck then the hot sun of the summer. I put on a mooring cover and let nature tank care of the rest.
Click to expand...

The immediate thought that comes to mind is drying time. I summer the boat dries very fast in the winter it could stay wet for days or even weeks. So, to me it means excessive extra moisture on the hull. If I have a choice to keep it covered, I'd prefer that. But, as with anything, it's a matter of opinion.
 
alex i never thought of it that way. But the spring and fall in n.y. is always wet and damp for days. The winter is only 3 months. I wrapped my boats for 12 year straight. In the spring there was black dirt that was blown under the wrap and mildew in the boat. I would go down mid winter and air the boat out with a fan when i could. Now that i use just the mooring cover, the dirt is washed off with the rain and the inside cabin is allowed to breath. It is easier to get on and off in the winter, it cleans up faster in the spring, and no wrap in the dumpster and more.
 
You defenatelly have more experience with shrinkwraps than me, but I hope mine doesn't give me this trouble. Venting the boat in winter is a good idea. I have vents on my shrinkwrap, but I guess running fan once in a while could only help. I did notice that my engines were covered with moisture layer last spring. It was just for few days. I've never seen it before, but I guess this is something to be expected in the drastic temps changes.
 
I paid $425 to have my 320 wrapped. I would not consider leaving it exposed during the harsh winter in Minneapolis. When its uncovered in the spring, it looks just like I left it... I think the weather and exposure would be bad over time.
 
I have an experiment I'm trying this year. In NJ I had the boat shrink wrapped. In DC the winters are pretty mild but the jet and helicopter pollution over the Washington Channel can eat away at the fiberglass if you don't shrink wrap. So, last fall I bought a white canvas tarp measuring 20'x40' from tarpsplus.com (for $300 plus shipping) and cut it to fit from bow to stern. I also put in new grommets to match the stanchions.

A couple of observations so far:

1) 800 square feet of canvas weighs 150 lbs (which explains why they don't make large boat covers)
2) I made the first cut to shape off the boat. In retrospect, it might have been easier with help (two people) to do that on the boat, then remove it to install the grommets and sew the new edge.
3) Sewing 80 feet of canvas edge probably is better left to a shop that does sails.

It has worked great so far (several ice, snow storms...strong winds and rain). The canvas grommets are held to the base of the stanchions with plastic wire ties. If it works out, I might try to make one out of Sunbrella Fabric which is a lot lighter. Similiar Sunbrella square footage is about $900 for the material and it will involve sewing long pieces together.

http://www.tarpsplus.com/suheducata.html

-John
 
PlayDate,

Do you have any pictures on how the cover is installed on the boat?
 
Send me a PM or an e-mail. I can get you the name of a custom cover maker that I can't recall right now. It'll pay for itself in a couple of years over shrink. The nice thing is for a minimum fee, the maker picks up the cover, has it cleaned, stores it and delivers it to you the next year.
 
PM sent.
 
Here it is.

Just remember the problem I'm trying to solve is a bit different than most. We have 300 boats at my Marina and only 20-30 are shrink wrapped each winter. The issue is the jet fuel pollution created by Obama's personal air fleet of helicopters running back and forth between the White House and Andrews AFB (based on what I have seen, he and WH staff use them more than Bush) as well as National Airport's commercial traffic across the river.

The result is a black tar substance which seems to be a by-product of the fuel. The stuff attracts dirt and the result is a major cleanup (pressure washer) effort every spring unless you shrink wrap the boat. The residue also destroys the isenglass no matter what you maintain it with.

The canvas in the photo is my experiment to see how well a canvas cover would hold up for the winter months.

-John
 
johnanddayna said:
maybe having a small boat isnt that bad after all
its very easy to cover and uncover
Click to expand...
True That!!!!:thumbsup:
I contacted Fisher in NJ who has the patterns for most boats. The full size cover to the waterline is $2700 plus shipping. Thats about 4 years of shrink that I dont have to touch.... Decisions decisions!:huh:
 
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I actually had a heavy duty winter cover made for my boat. It has adjustable poles (5 of them) that go from the floor to the canvas and push the canvas up. The canvas snaps on the windows, goes and snaps under the arch around the perimeter. The bow is not covered. I've used this now for 4 years. I have not had a problem at all with this. The cost of 2 years of shrinkwrap paid for the cover. Once snapped on, this cover is very tight and no play what so ever. The snow that gets on it actually slides off the cover.

Absolutely love it!
 
I put my boat in a boathouse year round lifted out of the water. It never gets snow, rain or bird droppings and the bottom is always clean. There is also enough waterfront property that I rent dockage out to three friends with boats which offsets the property tax, Plus its an investment since waterfront land appreciates and the boat doesn't have the sun beating down on it all the time. I think this is a better solution than shrink wrap or covering the only trick is finding a boathouse for sale, I got lucky.
 
Hey PlaypenII, Do you have a pic of your boat with the winter cover on? My canvas guy will do basically the same thing for 1500. Fisher's full cover is approx 2700, but looks to be an excellent cover. Concerns with the Fisher covers are the Paraffin treated cotton. This sounds heavy & may be a pain in the a** to install. I am waiting for an e-mail reply to my inquiry on this subject as well as life expectancy. My canvas guy is an old friend and told me his cover will last 10 years with proper maintenance and is an easy install. My anal side wants the full cover my realist side wants the smaller cover knowing I will have another pain if I have to drag someone down to install the full cover each fall!:smt101:smt021:smt101
 
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