Shrink Wrap/ Other options


C

castines

Administrator
Hi all,

Just wanted to know if anyone has had any luck with other options besids shrik wrap. I know about Fisher Canvas but looking for other ideas. One of the guys in my marina has a cruiser and he says the dealer/factory does not recomend using shrink wrap and leaves his camper canvas up all wither with no cover.

I an nervous about shrink warp due to having moister build up last year and my imron paint bubbling a little.

Its a 34PC.

Thinking of going with the cockpit cover all winter. Thought of a tarp but worried about rubbing on the paint.
 
STEVE,
KEEPING THE SNOW FROM CAVING IN YOUR CANVAS IS THE MAIN THING TO WORRY ABOUT. WET HEAVY SNOW WILL TAKE THAT COCKPIT COVER, AND TEAR IT RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE.
IS A PORTABLE GARAGE AN OPTION? THEY MAKE THESE LEAN TOO'S THAT HOLD SNOW AND KEEP BOAT OR CAR FREE FROM DAMAGE.
WWW.FABRICSTRUCTURES-USA.COM IS ONE THAT COMES TO MIND. NOT SURE OF PRICE, BUT WILL BE WORTH IT IF YOU HAVE TO SPEND 1500.00 ON A COCKPIT COVER.
 
Problem is my marina only has a travel lift. if they had a fork lift i would be good to go. i have a 42 by 16 by 14 shelter in my back yard that i kept my 31 PC in. cant get the 34 home. i may use a tarp to go over the arch to the swim platform and over the bow to the bow rails with support under the center to keep the snow from piling up. this way plenty of air can flow under the tarp.
 
ON MY LAST 34PC, I MADE TWO SAW HORSES TALL ENOUGH TO GET OVER THE ARCH, AND PLACED ONE IN FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD. CONNECTED THE TWO WITH A RIDGE BOARD LONG ENOUGH TO SPAN THE COCKPIT. I DRILLED 1 1/4 HOLES IN THE RIDGE BOARD, AND INSTALLED 1 INCH PVC CONDUIT THRU HOLES AND DOWN TO THE BOW RAILING TOP. I CUT PVC TEES SO THEY WOULD FIT TIGHT ONTO THE BOW RAIL, AND WIRE TIED THEM INTO PLACE. PLACED CONDUIT ABOUT EVERY 18 INCHES OR SO. I BOUGHT A SILVER TARP TO COVER THE BOAT COMPLETELY. TOOK NYLON BINDERS TWINE (CHEAP) AND KEPT WRAPPING THE SILVER TARP TO KEEP THE COVER FROM FLAPPING. ONCE DONE, IT HELD UP MANY WINTERS.
IF YOU GOT ONE OF THEM PORTABLE BUILDINGS, COULD YOU BUILD IT AROUND THE BOAT?
 
Kinda got the idea, do you have a picture? Draw a picture? how are the saw horses positioned. I assume the horses went from the ground up, laid on the rub rails. and the ridge board went from the stern to the just forward of the wind shield?? How did you keep the tarp from getting cut by the ridge board.

As for my shelter and building it around the boat, its made from 2.5 inch powder coated steel pipe and takes about 3 guys 2 days to put it up. plus its anchored really good right now. not an option.
 
I went with just cockpit cover last winter and all is well, this year I am working on putting a frame to support the cover from below in addition to the poles.
 
My guy shrink wraps my boat with a twist. He is a sailboat guy and knows all about Imron paint. What he does different is he tapes the shrink wrap to the rub rail so it does not touch the paint at all. It has worked GREAT for the past 3 years with no issues, knock on wood!
 
So the wrap stops at the rub rail? I have paint below and just above the rails. I cant belive it actually stays on the boat in really windy conditions or even when he shrinks it. i would think it would just pull off the rail!
 
FORMULA SHIPS THEIR BOATS SHRINKWRAPPED FROM THE FACTORY. THEY HAVE A FOAM SHEET THAT ADHERES TO THE IMRON TO KEEP THE FLAPPING FROM SCRATCHING. IT COMES ON A ROLL ABOUT 12 INCHES WIDE. MAYBE YOU COULD BUY SOME OF THAT?
 
Castines said:
So the wrap stops at the rub rail? I have paint below and just above the rails. I cant belive it actually stays on the boat in really windy conditions or even when he shrinks it. i would think it would just pull off the rail!
Click to expand...

Yes. The wrap stops at the rub rail and is taped to the rail. My boat is stored at a yard that is right on the Chesapeake Bay. The wrap has never come off and it is very windy.
 
I am not sure if he does work in the NJ area or not. I have a 27 PC and I paid $405 for the shrink wrapping this year. I have been told that is kinda high, but I know there is a ton more work since he tapes the shrink wrap to rub rail and ensures it does not touch the paint.
Like I said, I am repeat customer!
 
I have a fisher canvas cover, I love it but it is a heavy b!tch. One thing I do to protect my imron is to buy foam pipe insulation from home dept etc and tape it to the sides using no residue shrink tape. That keeps the canvas from touching the sides and allows an air gap all the way around.

The foam pipe insulation is very cheap, like a dollar per 6 foot section.
 
Ok so fare $85.00 into it with out the tarp. will construct the frame over the holiday weekend.

so far not to bad considner $450+ to wrap it.
 
If you have inside storage avail thats the ticket, with the shrink wrap guys a dime a dozen, most don't know how to do it correctly. The cost doing inside verses outside is about a wash in my area. Then come spring I can go work on the boat if needed and not get rained on etc, it's still cold in the unheated building, LOL

TLR
 
Thought I'd revive this with a recent experience... Just helped a Friend install the Kover Klamp system on his 36' Viking flybridge. Kover Klamp is an outfit (one man band) out of City Island NY. He make a universal clamping system to be used with electrical conduit. He also supplies rubber feet and various plugs and pads with the system.

Essentially you construct and A Frame system that mounts to the deck of your boat using bent and clamped together conduit. the pro is that once you've built it, it's very stable and can be marked and taken apart and used season after season. Two cons are; It took three of us (and we all have worked with our hands for a living) 7 hours to build the frame. Now, the boat is a flybridge so more complicated to cover than an express cruiser. Basically one of us stayed on the ground to bend pipe as instructed and the other two did the assembly. The other con is that you have to be critically careful to put the rubber feet on the conduit so you don't scratch the boat.

I anticipate it will take an hour or two to disassemble in the spring and that it will take two men 3 hours to reassemble the prefabricated structure every season. I think the total cost for the clamps and pipes was about $500-$600. Of course if you charge yourself for your time, it's much cheaper just to have the boat shrink-wrapped. ;D
 
I ALSO HAVE LOOKED AT THESE ON EBAY, USED. YOU CAN PICK THEM UP FOR ABOUT HALF PRICE, IF YOU WATCH FOR THEM. THEY ARE VRY NICE TO WORK WITH.
 
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