Shrink wrapping

fourreins · Post by **fourreins** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 9:57 am

Anyone have any photos of the framing they have installed prior to doing the shrink wrap? I have a 10.8 meter with bridge and was considering doing it myself. Not sure how I would reach the high points to shrink it though.... our marina really back in the boats and we don't have much room between them for ladders????

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 8:55 pm

The people who shrink wrap the boats in my marina don't use frames. They use pieces of 2 x 4's standing vertically as a stanchion and string 1/4" polypropylene rope bow to stern then side to side over them. (kinda like making a web over the boat) They also run a line around the lower hull and wrap the plastic around it. Then the plastic goes on and they shrink it to fit like a glove.

Below is a photo of mine tucked away for the winter.

fourreins · Post by **fourreins** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 10:08 pm

Looks like a nice job! How do you reach the top of the boat to shrink it? Do you build some sort of base on the bottom of the 2x4?

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:06 am

The 2 x 4 stands upright on a piece of cardboard to keep from scratching the boat. The top end of it has a hole drilled thru it that the ropes run thru. This is how they keep it standing in position. Before putting the shrink wrap over the boat, they bundle small pieces of it and tape it to the tops of the 2 x 4s to act as padding so that they wont poke any holes thru the winter cover.

As far as shrinking it goes, they use a tall ladder with a man at the base keeping it steady. The torch itself has a wand about 4' long which gives the guy a long reach. They don't reach the center and they don't really have to since tightening up around the outside also pulls the center tight. Occasionally they heat a spot a little too much and blow a hole in it. When this happens they patch it with shrink wrap tape.

If you do this job yourself, be sure to cut in a couple of vents and tape screen over them. You can see where I did this and made a small awning over it in the picture. I also purchased 2 ready made shrink wrap zipper doors and installed one in the bow and one in the cockpit on the other side. These simply get taped in to place. This allows me access all winter and if I open both of them gives great ventilation if it gets too hot while working inside. (this is mostly in the spring when its like a green house in there)

Hope this helps,

fourreins · Post by **fourreins** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:27 pm

How do you keep the bottom of the 2x4 from kicking out? Any pointers on how to measure for the shrink wrap? I have a 10.8 meter with a bridge and a radar arch......

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:52 pm

The bottoms of the 2 x 4s don't really move since their held down firmly by the down angle of the ropes and the tightness of the shrink wrap. If you're worried about them moving, you can make a "T" at the bottom with another piece of 2 x 4. Keep in mind that the stanchion needs to be high enough to ensure a good down angle to the bow rail and the sides of the boat. Be sure that the ropes that go thru the top of the stanchions are tied off to the rails on both sides. Use as many stanchions as necessary to be sure that there will be no pockets for water to sit.

Also if you radar has an open array, you'll want to put a small frame over it. If it's a closed array simply wrap right over it.

As for the measuring the plastic required, I leave this to the guys who actually do the job for me. Hopefully someone else will post on the best way for you to measure your specific model.

Hope this helps.

TC · Post by TC » Tue Oct 11, 2011 6:35 am

My boat is the F-32 and I built an arch side to side in the flybridge highest point being approx 30 inches above the console and the size of shrink I require is 32' x 50'. After tucking the lower point along the hull back up inside the scrapping about 1 foot that brings the lowest point of shrink approx in line with the stripe just above the anti foul paint. I generally have a couple yards to play with for the length.