Full winter cover

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robinborton

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Full winter cover

I've been thinking about buying a full winter cover to protect my pride and joy and save me cleaning her.Unfortunately I can't get power near so a dehumidifier is not an option
Cost for the cover is about £900 for a 27ft boat.
Is it worth it ?anyone any experience with shrink wrapping ?
Thanks in advance
 
Re: Full winter cover

That sounds a deal of money.
My boat cover is 32 ft long and goes from 6ft at the bow through around 18ft on the beam to around 10ft at the stern.
it is made of 16oz polywhatever with eyelets every 2 ft and cost me £220 a month ago - made by Fleetwood Trawler supply co. It weighs a ton!
Hope this helps


regards
Claymore
 
Re: Full winter cover

Yep, I have experience of shrink wrapping.

The Huntsman that I just bort is in a tent made of scaffolding and shrink wrapping, she is 29 foot long, its warm and dry and stadns up to the wether well, its now a year old and in good nick, its got a zip up door too. You need a draft running though else it gets damp. It was done by the bloke I bort the boat off and it cost him 600 quid, bit once you take the boat out and dismantle it all you can really use it again.

hope this helps.

For sale, 1970 Triumph Spitfire-sold, 1947 Lambretta, 1922 Great grandmother, PM for details.
 
Re: Full winter cover

I thought shrink wrapping was the stuff they wrapped around the boat, then apply heat to with a huge hair dryer so that it shrinks to mould around the boat. Like they were showing at SBS. Can't see how this can be used again.....it would have to be cut off? Yours sounds more like a big plastic tent?
 
Re: Full winter cover

Sorry to butt in but is it a good idea to put further covers over covers ie a tarpaulin over the fitted flybridge cover etc or is it likely to make the thing more damp?

My boat is here in time for winter....
 
Re: Full winter cover

If you shrinkwrap, would it not be advisable to dehumidify first and then leave a sack of silica gel inside, prior to the shrinkwrap, or once wrapped, do changes in temp not create dampness?

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/h00>h00's Project</A>
 
Re: Full winter cover

Big cover over the whole lot will keep everything protected and save flybridge cover from wear and tear, but I'd make sure there's lots of airflow.

Personally I leave the existing cover where it is, and leave it at that. It will need replacing every few years or so anyway.
 
Re: Ahh but.........

With certain canvases, you can permanently mark them by putting a tarp over the top.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>
 
Re: Full winter cover

I'd say that proper shrinkwrapping is asking for trouble unless everything is already very dry (bilges cleaned and dry etc) as you are completely sealing the boat for the duration. As you say, running a dehumidifier for a week or so before it was sealed may help, but have doubts. Even then the chemical dehumidifiers are fine for small spaces ...insides of cupboards etc...but would struggle to keep a volume the size of a decent boat dry.

Old fashioned is probably better...lots of draughts. Or a good dehumidifier left onboard with automatic timer or other means of monitoring as mentioned in many threads on these forums recently.
 
Re: Full winter cover

Other than the cover that came with the boat I don't /forums/images/icons/smile.gif If you don't cover it wif summat tho, it's full of water, leaves and seagull crap when you return the next weekend
 
Re: Full winter cover

An acrylic full cover will be great, but 900 sounds quite a lot, unless its a very well made tailored cover. The fleetwood trawler company are cheap and do sails aswell cheap, but of course its up norf! Fine for Claymore and my bruv!
 
Re: Full winter cover

Personally, when I have used tarpaulins before I have wished I left the boat uncovered - it chafes on the corners of the cabin, causes untold amount of condensation and mildew under the hood.
I wouldn't bother.
 
Re: Full winter cover

er sorry. I missed out a T, should have said cant use it again, same stuff as they shrink wrap the boats in, just used to make a tent. Bit of condensation drips off the roof, but bit of moisture never damaged a wooden boat.

For sale, 1970 Triumph Spitfire-sold, 1947 Lambretta, 1922 Great grandmother, PM for details.
 
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