Cost of shrink wrapping

[contessaman]

Hi, based on recent experience can anyone give me a rough guide to how much it would cost to shrink wrap a 38 foot yacht? To put into context, I'm not bothered about the topsides so much its more to provide a waterproof canopy. My deck needs some love and I need a decent means of covering it (and me) while I do this. I would do all the prep with hoops of plastic hose just want somebody to come and apply the white stuff.

Cheers

 

[PotatoNavigator]

No idea, but if you find out let me know! I'm thinking of doing the same thing soon, although I wan't to be able to access my topsides as well.

Out of interest what plastic hose are you using to make your hoops? I had been planning some sort of gert wooden structure of considerable inconvenience.

 

[Hugh Foulis]

What about a couple (or three) of cheap gazebos? Use the gazebo(s) to form the structure and then add visqueen or similar type damp proof membrane over the top. I did it that way when I took the cockpit cover away a couple of winters ago to get it re-stitched. Gazeebo at £15 each and a length of wpm from builders merchant, I dont think I spent £40 all in. I can now use the gazebo to paint etc under when its too sunny or raining. Good luck with it all.

 

[contessaman]

Well, last time I saw a yacht at my club shrink wrapped for some serious work, they used the stiff blue semi flexible water pipe to form hoops, or more accurately half hoops that they cable tied to the stanchions. then they added stringers of the same pipe fore and aft and shrunk wrapped over all that. the boat was ashore and in the water like that and it stood up to all the 60-70 mph storms we've had just fine. must be a good 5 ft of headroom in the middle of the deck like that. I cant deny it any longer, I have to take up a few planks of the deck and so some drying out and re-sealing. I want the boat ashore for a year or so for refit anyway. the shrink wrap option must be a lot cheaper than mast down and in a shed...?

reference gazebos etc. - I just don't think that would work for me on a few accounts. I intend to do this with my boat ashore but leaving the mast up. the shrink wrap can successfully form around my stays which gazebos wont. also, not sure what boat you saw this done with but my rassy 38 stands very tall above the ground when ashore. I believe only the tight sleek and continuous properties of shrink wrap will last any time in the gales we regularly get these days.....

 

[ianj99]

Hi, based on recent experience can anyone give me a rough guide to how much it would cost to shrink wrap a 38 foot yacht? To put into context, I'm not bothered about the topsides so much its more to provide a waterproof canopy. My deck needs some love and I need a decent means of covering it (and me) while I do this. I would do all the prep with hoops of plastic hose just want somebody to come and apply the white stuff.

Cheers

My 36 footer cost about £650 I think, a few years ago. The wrapping was supported by 2" blue water pipe hoops every few feet and others joined together as a ridge pole to make a tent so I could work on deck.
The wrapping extended about 2' below the side decks and had a zip up 'door', took a lot of material, time and gas to shrink it all + many metres of water pipe, not helped by the boat being afloat at the Ardfern.

It was money well spent as I was able to work under it all winter in all weathers. (The pipe is of course reuseable.)

 

[ffiill]

My 36 footer cost about £650 I think, a few years ago. The wrapping was supported by 2" blue water pipe hoops every few feet and others joined together as a ridge pole to make a tent so I could work on deck.
The wrapping extended about 2' below the side decks and had a zip up 'door', took a lot of material, time and gas to shrink it all + many metres of water pipe, not helped by the boat being afloat at the Ardfern.

It was money well spent as I was able to work under it all winter in all weathers. (The pipe is of course reuseable.)

I am suprised you went to all this trouble bearing in mind the indoor storage a few miles north of Ardfern

 

[Tranona]

Your blue pipe idea works well. I used the same and used a 4" drain pipe as a ridge, feeding the blue pipe hoops through it. Makes quite a robust structure. Would not use shrink wrap, partly because you will have big problems with condensation and partly difficulty of arranging access. I would use heavy duty white tarps as you can arrange them so that you can lift sections easily to get clear access. I have them for my winter cover this year and they have stood up really well. important to protect against pointed things like tops of stanchions and to ensure well tied down. I have a line that runs all round the underneath of the boat, tensioned to the bow and stern and use this to attach the tie downs. Two covers and reels of rope for tie downs came to around £70 for my 26' boat from www.tarpaflex.co.uk although there are many other suppliers.

 

[ianj99]

I am suprised you went to all this trouble bearing in mind the indoor storage a few miles north of Ardfern

Do you mean in Lochs Melfort or Creran?

I didn't know about them at the time, having just bought the boat from Ardfern the year before and it being berthed there.

Had it been shored up ashore, then Tranona is right, tarps over blue pipe hoops would be much cheaper and potentially better for condensation.
I actually never found this a big problem - it was mainly during the cold & frosty evenings and soon evaporated when the sun came up. Ventilation slots had been cut into the ends and the zip up access door worked well.

Another plus point over a tarp is that it is translucent so no artificial lighting is needed during the day.

 

[contessaman]

Spot on. good gen here, thanks guys.

I think I'm going to have to take the mast down at the same time. I may as well get the re- rig over with whilst i'm at it.

the ability to work on the deck in the dry will be great. Testament to the original build there's still at least 1/3 inch or more teak left but in a few localised places lack of maintenance has allowed water under the teak. I need to remove and replace these areas and also carry out repairs to bits of caulking and missing teak plugs on the good bits lest they go the same way. trouble is work gets in the way and our climate is so rainy all year round these days. If I can get it all under cover then I can leave it in various states of repair without nature reclaiming the boat faster than I can fix it.

Is just me or does working to pay for the boat + working on the boat = not a great deal of time to sail the boat!??

I have got to stop up sizing boats. I get my boat in tip top condition and then sell it and buy a bigger one with a whole new load of trouble. somebody is doing very well buying my old boats. Never again, this ones gonna have to last me until I'm old and crinkly.