Should I Shrink Wrap My Boat?

Should I Shrink Wrap My Boat?

As the boating season winds down and winterization becomes a thought on all boater’s minds, one thing to consider is how you are going to store your boat for the winter.  Shrink Wrapping is a process that seals your boat up and protects it from the elements when you don’t intend to use it for a while.  It can also be a good option when preparing the boat for transportation.  Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of shrink wrapping so you can decide “Should I shrink wrap my boat?”

What is Shrink Wrap?

Before you can answer the question “Should I Shrinkwrap My Boat?”, it would be helpful to understand what shrink wrap is and how it works.  Shrink Wrap is a layer of polyethylene that is cut to fit over the top and around your boat.  This layer comes with UV inhibitors built in to protect your boat from the sun’s rays if stored outside.  Shrink wrap is made to shrink when heat is applied to it.  Dr. Shrink is probably the industry leader in shrink wrapping products, and you can find out more about their products at dr-shrink.com.  Here is an example of how the shrink wrap is sold:

As you heat the shrink wrap, it shrinks and creates a seal which is much tighter than any boat cover can provide.  One disadvantage to regular boat covers is that they can fill with water or ice and leak or pool into the boat.  A cover can also be effected by the wind and other elements.

Shrink wrap is strong and seals tight so the elements do not have any effect on it when installed correctly.  This way you don’t have to worry about bailing water from the cover or removing snow or ice.

The other advantage to shrink wrapping besides protecting your boat’s interior is keeping the sun off your boat’s exterior.  When a boat sits outside for long periods of time, the exterior can become dried out and start to fade.  This might result in you having to get the boat professional detailed or buffed to restore the exterior.  This process can be more expensive than just shrink wrapping the boat in the first place.

What Are The Disadvantages of Shrink Wrapping

When asking yourself “Should I Shrink Wrap My Boat?”, you are probably also wondering what are the disadvantages of shrink wrapping?  The answer is – not many!

The main disadvantage of having your boat shrink wrapped is the cost.  Properly shrink wrapping a boat will start for around several hundred dollars, and will go up depending on the size and shape of the boat.  Although there is a significant cost involved, let’s consider the alternatives.  If you want to need to rent indoor storage for your boat over the winter, you will be paying a monthly storage fee that could easily add up to the cost of shrink wrapping.  And that’s assuming you are able to find storage that you are happy with.  Many areas can be difficult to find available boat storage that will keep the boat clean and free of animals & rodents.

What About My Boat Cover?

If you store your boat outside using the snap covers or mooring cover, this could cause several issues as well.  Snap covers do not cover the outside of the boat, so it will be exposed to the sun’s rays all winter.  Some of these covers also do not keep the boat very clean or seal the boat up completely.

Covers can also fill with water, snow or ice as we mentioned above.  This water can leak into the boat.  A worst case scenario would be for the cover to tear.  Then you would have to replace a very expensive cover as well.

The only other thing to consider when deciding “should I shrink wrap my boat?” is the fact that once the boat is shrink wrapped, you won’t be able to access the interior until you are ready to remove the wrap.  Shrink wrap it generally installed and left on over the course of the entire winter.  It is then cut-off in the spring or summer when you are ready to use the boat.  Shrink wrap is not re-usable.

How To Shrink Wrap A Boat

Shrink wrapping a boat is not a DIY type of project for most people.  First of all, the initial investment in equipment can be substantial.  You will need a propane-fired heat gun.  You will also have to purchase the wrap, support system, ventilation and straps.  Shrink wrapping is also a process that requires quite a bit of knowledge and experience.  For example, if you apply too much heat on an area, it can melt through the shrink wrap and potentially damage the boat’s exterior.

One of the most important parts in shrink wrapping properly is building the support system inside the boat.  This is made of posts and straps while protecting any points of contact where the straps touch the boat.  You will want to build the support system to a steep enough pitch to prevent any water, snow or ice from sitting on top of the boat.  On many fiberglass style v-bottom boats, the strapping system goes underneath the boat as well which is great for boat transportation.  If a boat is shrink wrapped properly, it can be shipped across the country and remain perfectly intact.  This will keep the boat exactly as it was before it left.

The Most Important Thing About Shrink Wrapping

The most important thing to do before you have your boat shrink wrapped is to be sure it is completely dry on the inside.  Shrink wrap is non-permeable, so any moisture inside the boat can potentially lead to mildew forming over the winter months.

Shrink wrap covers are installed with a vent system to help them breathe, but it’s still important to be sure anything that is holding moisture is completely dried out or removed if possible.  This means taking out life jackets, towels, water toys, and basically all loose items out of the boat.  If your boat has seat cushions that are holding water, you might want to remove them all together is possible.

Spring Is Here!  Now What?

Spring is a wonderful time of year for boaters.  This means boating season is right around the corner.  You are ready to get the boat de-winterized and ready to go.  The first thing you need to do is remove the shrink wrap.

Removing the shrink wrap sounds pretty straightforward, but you want to be very careful to not damage your boat in the process.  Dr. Shrink makes a shrink wrap removal tool which can prevent any accidents.

This tool can run along the boat with the plastic edge rather than a blade and easily cut the wrap off without causing any damage.  It also has an end for cutting the straps.

Once the shrink wrap is removed, you will need to dispose of the wrap.  Dr. Shrink offers a shrink wrap recycling system which can be found here.

Even if you don’t plan to use the boat for quite a while during the summer, we recommend removing the shrink wrap at some point anyway.  The summer heat and humidity can cause moisture to form that might not have been an issue over the winter.  It’s best to consider the shrink wrap as being good for 1 winter.  If you need to have it wrapped again, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Summary

Shrink wrapping is a maintenance tool to keep your boat pristine over the winter months.  When done properly, you will open the boat to find it exactly as it was when you had it wrapped.  We recommend shrink wrapping with a professional such as your local boat dealership to be sure it is done correctly.  If you don’t have indoor storage available, the answer to the question “should I shrink wrap my boat?” should probably be yes!  Protecting your investment with shrink wrapping might be one of the most important maintenance services to have done for your boat this winter.