Being short of time this year with two boat projects under way, I
elected to have the yard shrink wrap "Strider". I just went up to
pull the hatches (see other post) and it was like a shower inside. My
back quickly became soaked bumping into the plastic. Maybe it was
later in the season but there never seemed to be a hint of moisture
under the tarps. The wrap has three of the little triangular vents on
each side.

I had earlier opened up the portlights to let the gaskets spring back
and vent the inside of the boat. I wonder now if I'm letting more
moisture in than out.

I'm thinking of adding vents, perhaps one of those galvanized wind
turbine vents in a length of stove pipe taped into the double wrapping
at the end.

Anyone else found a good way to get air flowing through a shrink
wrapped boat? Can I count on this moisture production slowing when
the weather gets colder and the boat has dried out?

I can now understand the warning never to shrink wrap a wooden boat.

--

Roger Long

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Being short of time this year with two boat projects under way, I elected
to have the yard shrink wrap "Strider". I just went up to pull the
hatches (see other post) and it was like a shower inside. My back quickly
became soaked bumping into the plastic. Maybe it was later in the season
but there never seemed to be a hint of moisture under the tarps. The wrap
has three of the little triangular vents on each side.

I had earlier opened up the portlights to let the gaskets spring back and
vent the inside of the boat. I wonder now if I'm letting more moisture in
than out.

I'm thinking of adding vents, perhaps one of those galvanized wind turbine
vents in a length of stove pipe taped into the double wrapping at the end.

Anyone else found a good way to get air flowing through a shrink wrapped
boat? Can I count on this moisture production slowing when the weather
gets colder and the boat has dried out?

I can now understand the warning never to shrink wrap a wooden boat.

--

Roger Long


It should be possible (although I haven't tried it) to install Nicro solar
day/night vents directly into the shrinkwrap covering. You'd need to find
flat horizontal spots in which to put them, one forward and one aft, but if
you already have a pair installed in your boat (or if you plan on installing
a pair) it's just a matter of moving them. Another option would be to find a
place both fore and aft which faces down -- under davits and bowsprit/pulpit
for example -- and cut large ventilation openings.

The average huge one beating the good little un IMO.



My Beneteau 35s5 is in the shrink wrap and we never get much moisture
inside. Several vent holes are cut into it and two solar vents keep it
going inside. Some folks crack the forward hatch and leave a board out
of the companionway as well.
Obviously, depending on your climate....results will vary.



Robert
35s5
NY

Roger Long wrote:
Being short of time this year with two boat projects under way, I
elected to have the yard shrink wrap "Strider". I just went up to
pull the hatches (see other post) and it was like a shower inside. My
back quickly became soaked bumping into the plastic. Maybe it was
later in the season but there never seemed to be a hint of moisture
under the tarps. The wrap has three of the little triangular vents on
each side.

I had earlier opened up the portlights to let the gaskets spring back
and vent the inside of the boat. I wonder now if I'm letting more
moisture in than out.

I'm thinking of adding vents, perhaps one of those galvanized wind
turbine vents in a length of stove pipe taped into the double wrapping
at the end.

Anyone else found a good way to get air flowing through a shrink
wrapped boat? Can I count on this moisture production slowing when
the weather gets colder and the boat has dried out?

I can now understand the warning never to shrink wrap a wooden boat.


This will sound strange, but you can chemically dehumidify the inside

Total cost -- maybe $10

Get a pair of pantyhose (How is your own business)

Go to Home Despot, and buy 2 cartons of Ice Melter (I think it's calcium
chloride) DO NOT buy Sodium Chloride!

Dump 1 carton into each leg of the pantyhose, and suspend the hose over
a 5 gallon old driveway sealer bucket (or buy one one you have to)

The calcium Chloride will absorber moisture, and when saturated, drip
into the bucket. Should be good for a couple of months. Check it then
and dump the bucket and replace the CC if necessary

The calcium Chloride will absorber moisture, and when saturated, drip
into the bucket. Should be good for a couple of months. Check it then

and dump the bucket and replace the CC if necessary



Sounds a lot like the blue buckets of powder they leave in the boats at
my yard. Dry as a bone below.



Robert B
35s5
NY

Just make sure you either vent or dehumidify, but not both.

Btw, I don't really understand the concept of shrink wrapping:

The outside of the boat has been sal****erproof and rainproof
all summer long, but when it is out of the water, it needs to be
protected from rain and snow by plastic wrap?
If the concern is an extra half year of UV degradation of everything
on deck, wouldn't a fabric cover work better and cheaper over the
years, and not have all the condensation problems?

What am I missing here?

One guy at my dock who rarely uses his boat has a full fabric
cover over a 30+ ft sailboat when docked. All you see is the
mast and two feet of hull between the waterline and the cover.

(Just curious, I am not considering either.)


Jim, wrote:
Roger Long wrote:
Being short of time this year with two boat projects under way, I
elected to have the yard shrink wrap "Strider". I just went up to
pull the hatches (see other post) and it was like a shower inside. My
back quickly became soaked bumping into the plastic. Maybe it was
later in the season but there never seemed to be a hint of moisture
under the tarps. The wrap has three of the little triangular vents on
each side.

I had earlier opened up the portlights to let the gaskets spring back
and vent the inside of the boat. I wonder now if I'm letting more
moisture in than out.

I'm thinking of adding vents, perhaps one of those galvanized wind
turbine vents in a length of stove pipe taped into the double wrapping
at the end.

Anyone else found a good way to get air flowing through a shrink
wrapped boat? Can I count on this moisture production slowing when
the weather gets colder and the boat has dried out?

I can now understand the warning never to shrink wrap a wooden boat.


This will sound strange, but you can chemically dehumidify the inside

Total cost -- maybe $10

Get a pair of pantyhose (How is your own business)

Go to Home Despot, and buy 2 cartons of Ice Melter (I think it's calcium
chloride) DO NOT buy Sodium Chloride!

Dump 1 carton into each leg of the pantyhose, and suspend the hose over
a 5 gallon old driveway sealer bucket (or buy one one you have to)

The calcium Chloride will absorber moisture, and when saturated, drip
into the bucket. Should be good for a couple of months. Check it then
and dump the bucket and replace the CC if necessary

wrote:
Just make sure you either vent or dehumidify, but not both.

Btw, I don't really understand the concept of shrink wrapping:

The outside of the boat has been sal****erproof and rainproof
all summer long, but when it is out of the water, it needs to be
protected from rain and snow by plastic wrap?
If the concern is an extra half year of UV degradation of everything
on deck, wouldn't a fabric cover work better and cheaper over the
years, and not have all the condensation problems?

What am I missing here?

One guy at my dock who rarely uses his boat has a full fabric
cover over a 30+ ft sailboat when docked. All you see is the
mast and two feet of hull between the waterline and the cover.

(Just curious, I am not considering either.)


Jim, wrote:

Roger Long wrote:

Being short of time this year with two boat projects under way, I
elected to have the yard shrink wrap "Strider". I just went up to
pull the hatches (see other post) and it was like a shower inside. My
back quickly became soaked bumping into the plastic. Maybe it was
later in the season but there never seemed to be a hint of moisture
under the tarps. The wrap has three of the little triangular vents on
each side.

I had earlier opened up the portlights to let the gaskets spring back
and vent the inside of the boat. I wonder now if I'm letting more
moisture in than out.

I'm thinking of adding vents, perhaps one of those galvanized wind
turbine vents in a length of stove pipe taped into the double wrapping
at the end.

Anyone else found a good way to get air flowing through a shrink
wrapped boat? Can I count on this moisture production slowing when
the weather gets colder and the boat has dried out?

I can now understand the warning never to shrink wrap a wooden boat.


This will sound strange, but you can chemically dehumidify the inside

Total cost -- maybe $10

Get a pair of pantyhose (How is your own business)

Go to Home Despot, and buy 2 cartons of Ice Melter (I think it's calcium
chloride) DO NOT buy Sodium Chloride!

Dump 1 carton into each leg of the pantyhose, and suspend the hose over
a 5 gallon old driveway sealer bucket (or buy one one you have to)

The calcium Chloride will absorber moisture, and when saturated, drip
into the bucket. Should be good for a couple of months. Check it then
and dump the bucket and replace the CC if necessary



I can't speak for all, but in the northern climates, some sort of
covering helps to shed snow. The weight of snow added to the weight of
a boat can collapse a cradle, or clog the drains.

I have seen one boat where the drains clogged, and when the snow melted
it overflowed into the cabin. Another freeze came along and the water
inside froze and split the hull
(Catalina 22 with a rounded bilge)

Up here in New England, it's the freeze thaw cycle of the frequent
freezing rain we get on the coast. The water runs down in every
little nook and cranny and then freezes. This loosens fittings and
opens up joints. My boat has enough small leaks around the cockpit
area that it will also accumulate quite a bit of water in the bilge.
It isn't an annoyance when sailing but will add up as the winter goes
on. Water in the lifeline swage fittings also freezes and leads to
those cracking.

Ideally, everything on the boat should be so tight that intrusion and
freezing isn't an issue but this is an old boat in the real world. I
also wouldn't want the water that collects in the gaskets of my
portlights to be freezing either.

--

Roger Long



wrote in message
ups.com...
Just make sure you either vent or dehumidify, but not both.

Btw, I don't really understand the concept of shrink wrapping:

The outside of the boat has been sal****erproof and rainproof
all summer long, but when it is out of the water, it needs to be
protected from rain and snow by plastic wrap?
If the concern is an extra half year of UV degradation of everything
on deck, wouldn't a fabric cover work better and cheaper over the
years, and not have all the condensation problems?

What am I missing here?

One guy at my dock who rarely uses his boat has a full fabric
cover over a 30+ ft sailboat when docked. All you see is the
mast and two feet of hull between the waterline and the cover.

(Just curious, I am not considering either.)


Jim, wrote:
Roger Long wrote:
Being short of time this year with two boat projects under way, I
elected to have the yard shrink wrap "Strider". I just went up
to
pull the hatches (see other post) and it was like a shower
inside. My
back quickly became soaked bumping into the plastic. Maybe it
was
later in the season but there never seemed to be a hint of
moisture
under the tarps. The wrap has three of the little triangular
vents on
each side.

I had earlier opened up the portlights to let the gaskets spring
back
and vent the inside of the boat. I wonder now if I'm letting more
moisture in than out.

I'm thinking of adding vents, perhaps one of those galvanized
wind
turbine vents in a length of stove pipe taped into the double
wrapping
at the end.

Anyone else found a good way to get air flowing through a shrink
wrapped boat? Can I count on this moisture production slowing
when
the weather gets colder and the boat has dried out?

I can now understand the warning never to shrink wrap a wooden
boat.


This will sound strange, but you can chemically dehumidify the
inside

Total cost -- maybe $10

Get a pair of pantyhose (How is your own business)

Go to Home Despot, and buy 2 cartons of Ice Melter (I think it's
calcium
chloride) DO NOT buy Sodium Chloride!

Dump 1 carton into each leg of the pantyhose, and suspend the hose
over
a 5 gallon old driveway sealer bucket (or buy one one you have to)

The calcium Chloride will absorber moisture, and when saturated,
drip
into the bucket. Should be good for a couple of months. Check it
then
and dump the bucket and replace the CC if necessary

What am I missing here?


Water into tight spaces, cracks, under wood and fittings and then
freezing/expansion does damage. There is no doubt about it, even on
well built boats. Damage to ports is the most common result along with
UV damage overall. Boats that are covered in the winter here show
better for it. You also get dry access to the boat instead of wading
into 3 feet of snow in the cockpit and deck. Some heat retension also
makes for a warmer interior for winter projects. A yard like ours
charges about $1000.00 to wrap a 40 foot boat. Some places will charge
a LOT less. You can also have a nice fabric cover professionally made
for 2500-4000, which is more cost effective in the long run since it
can last quite a while.



Robert
Beneteau 35s5
NY

On 12 Nov 2006 09:41:44 -0800, wrote:

What am I missing here?

Covering the boat keeps it cleaner and prevents water damage if a
cockpit drain clogs up or freezes.