On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:42:27 -0400, "Don White"
wrote:


"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:05:39 -0500, Boater
wrote:

Tom Francis - SWSports wrote:
Any of you have any experience with doing it on your own?

I've been thinking about purchasing one of those controlled heat guns
and doing my own boat (soon to be boats).

I wonder if it would be worth it - over time that is.

NOTE TO JAMESGANG - please feel free to ignore this post as it's
boating related. I'll post something unrelated to boats later in the
day so you can get off ranting about off-topic threads.


Tom, I'm not sure it is worth the time or money to do it on your own.

I have an "itinerant" shrink wrap guy do my 21' Parker. He spends about
an hour to an hour and a half rigging the support tapes so the wrap
hangs properly, and then applies the wrap from huge rolls, using a
propane heat gun to shrink it.

I watched him do it the first year. There's quite a bit of "learned"
skill involved, which I am sure you can learn. But...

It cost me $7.50 a foot to have it done. I was charged for a 22' boat
because of the outboard lower unit extension.

That's pretty cheap - $165 - for a top-notch job done by a journeyman.

Your Ranger is about the same size.

I'd pay to have it done right, rather than investing in the plastic, the
ties, the tape, and the heat gun.

Around here, it's $10 to $11/ft at the shop - if you get a mobile guy,
it's a little higher - $13 to $15/ft. I heard it went up this year to
around $15/ft at shops and $17/ft mobile.

Either way, a $600 investment in a gun, another $5/600 for wrap/tape
and string - that's a grand or so roughly in terms of investment.
Propane is cheap enough.

So at 20 feet times - say $15/ft average thats $300/yr to have have it
done. Over three years, you should be able to at least make your
money back on the original investment and everything past that is at
whatever the cost of the wrap is.

Then again, what with my back problems, it might not be such a good
idea.

Not to mention... if your buddies see you doing it, you may end up doing
freebie work on their boats.

Hey - as long as they pay for the materials, who cares? I'm not in it
to make money.

Knowing little aboutt he process. I wsould thinkt hat a made-to-fit
cover would be better. seeing that the shrink wrap would be tight
enought to promote mold (my opinion) or mildew I think I'd go with a
more loose-fitting cover myself. Besides, the cover can be reused time
and time again, where the wrap is peeled off in the spring then is
disposed of.

So is shrink wrap really that good of investment.

Of course I'm one to talk. I don't have a cover on my boats, but then
again, I store them in my warehouse.

Tim wrote:
Knowing little aboutt he process. I wsould thinkt hat a made-to-fit
cover would be better. seeing that the shrink wrap would be tight
enought to promote mold (my opinion) or mildew I think I'd go with a
more loose-fitting cover myself. Besides, the cover can be reused time
and time again, where the wrap is peeled off in the spring then is
disposed of.

So is shrink wrap really that good of investment.

Of course I'm one to talk. I don't have a cover on my boats, but then
again, I store them in my warehouse.


I have a canvas cover for my Parker. I use it when the boat is not
stored for the winter. I think winter is very hard on canvas covers, and
a decent one is not cheap. Shrinkwrapping is cheap.
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------

On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:17:53 -0800 (PST), Tim wrote:

Knowing little aboutt he process. I wsould thinkt hat a made-to-fit
cover would be better. seeing that the shrink wrap would be tight
enought to promote mold (my opinion) or mildew I think I'd go with a
more loose-fitting cover myself. Besides, the cover can be reused time
and time again, where the wrap is peeled off in the spring then is
disposed of.

So is shrink wrap really that good of investment.

Of course I'm one to talk. I don't have a cover on my boats, but then
again, I store them in my warehouse.

You know, I wonder the same thing. I've got a nicely fitting canvas cover,
propped up down the centerline with nylon rope which I can easily tighten
when needed. The cover costs about $400, new, and I think it'll be good for
at least four years, going by past experience.

I don't see the advantage of shrink wrap. This way, if there's a great day
in January and I want to go out, I can do so.
--
John

"John" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:17:53 -0800 (PST), Tim wrote:

Knowing little aboutt he process. I wsould thinkt hat a made-to-fit
cover would be better. seeing that the shrink wrap would be tight
enought to promote mold (my opinion) or mildew I think I'd go with a
more loose-fitting cover myself. Besides, the cover can be reused time
and time again, where the wrap is peeled off in the spring then is
disposed of.

So is shrink wrap really that good of investment.

Of course I'm one to talk. I don't have a cover on my boats, but then
again, I store them in my warehouse.

You know, I wonder the same thing. I've got a nicely fitting canvas cover,
propped up down the centerline with nylon rope which I can easily tighten
when needed. The cover costs about $400, new, and I think it'll be good
for
at least four years, going by past experience.

I don't see the advantage of shrink wrap. This way, if there's a great day
in January and I want to go out, I can do so.
--
John

John.

That makes more sense than shrink wrap. If a canvas cover runs 400 bucks,
that's about 3 years worth of shrink wrap. If the cover lasts 4 years,
you're ahead of the game. Shrink wrap never made any financial sense to me.
Maybe I'm missing something...

--Mike

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"John" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:17:53 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

Knowing little aboutt he process. I wsould thinkt hat a made-to-fit
cover would be better. seeing that the shrink wrap would be tight
enought to promote mold (my opinion) or mildew I think I'd go with a
more loose-fitting cover myself. Besides, the cover can be reused time
and time again, where the wrap is peeled off in the spring then is
disposed of.

So is shrink wrap really that good of investment.

Of course I'm one to talk. I don't have a cover on my boats, but then
again, I store them in my warehouse.

You know, I wonder the same thing. I've got a nicely fitting canvas
cover,
propped up down the centerline with nylon rope which I can easily tighten
when needed. The cover costs about $400, new, and I think it'll be good
for
at least four years, going by past experience.

I don't see the advantage of shrink wrap. This way, if there's a great
day
in January and I want to go out, I can do so.
--
John

John.

That makes more sense than shrink wrap. If a canvas cover runs 400 bucks,
that's about 3 years worth of shrink wrap. If the cover lasts 4 years,
you're ahead of the game. Shrink wrap never made any financial sense to
me. Maybe I'm missing something...

--Mike


Since I boat during the winter, I have a portable garage from Costco. About
$180. Plus a $700 snap on boat cover. Since we get so little snow. Maybe
an inch or two every 10 years, mine works to shelter the boat from sun
damage.

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...

"Mike" wrote in message
...

"John" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:17:53 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

Knowing little aboutt he process. I wsould thinkt hat a made-to-fit
cover would be better. seeing that the shrink wrap would be tight
enought to promote mold (my opinion) or mildew I think I'd go with a
more loose-fitting cover myself. Besides, the cover can be reused time
and time again, where the wrap is peeled off in the spring then is
disposed of.

So is shrink wrap really that good of investment.

Of course I'm one to talk. I don't have a cover on my boats, but then
again, I store them in my warehouse.

You know, I wonder the same thing. I've got a nicely fitting canvas
cover,
propped up down the centerline with nylon rope which I can easily
tighten
when needed. The cover costs about $400, new, and I think it'll be good
for
at least four years, going by past experience.

I don't see the advantage of shrink wrap. This way, if there's a great
day
in January and I want to go out, I can do so.
--
John

John.

That makes more sense than shrink wrap. If a canvas cover runs 400 bucks,
that's about 3 years worth of shrink wrap. If the cover lasts 4 years,
you're ahead of the game. Shrink wrap never made any financial sense to
me. Maybe I'm missing something...

--Mike


Since I boat during the winter, I have a portable garage from Costco.
About $180. Plus a $700 snap on boat cover. Since we get so little snow.
Maybe an inch or two every 10 years, mine works to shelter the boat from
sun damage.


I try to boat in the winter, but the family isn't always with me on that.
g I have my boat in my warehouse, but still under cover. Dust is a
problem, and man, it can cake on. Not having to worry about rain, I just
throw it over to keep the dust out of the interior.

--Mike

On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:13:54 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
.. .

"John" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:17:53 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

Knowing little aboutt he process. I wsould thinkt hat a made-to-fit
cover would be better. seeing that the shrink wrap would be tight
enought to promote mold (my opinion) or mildew I think I'd go with a
more loose-fitting cover myself. Besides, the cover can be reused time
and time again, where the wrap is peeled off in the spring then is
disposed of.

So is shrink wrap really that good of investment.

Of course I'm one to talk. I don't have a cover on my boats, but then
again, I store them in my warehouse.

You know, I wonder the same thing. I've got a nicely fitting canvas
cover,
propped up down the centerline with nylon rope which I can easily tighten
when needed. The cover costs about $400, new, and I think it'll be good
for
at least four years, going by past experience.

I don't see the advantage of shrink wrap. This way, if there's a great
day
in January and I want to go out, I can do so.
--
John

John.

That makes more sense than shrink wrap. If a canvas cover runs 400 bucks,
that's about 3 years worth of shrink wrap. If the cover lasts 4 years,
you're ahead of the game. Shrink wrap never made any financial sense to
me. Maybe I'm missing something...

--Mike


Since I boat during the winter, I have a portable garage from Costco. About
$180. Plus a $700 snap on boat cover. Since we get so little snow. Maybe
an inch or two every 10 years, mine works to shelter the boat from sun
damage.


If I had the room, and a way to get the boat to the back yard, that's what
I'd do. Covering the cover will probably make it last twice as long.
--
John

"John" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:13:54 -0800, "Calif Bill"

wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
. ..

"John" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:17:53 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

Knowing little aboutt he process. I wsould thinkt hat a made-to-fit
cover would be better. seeing that the shrink wrap would be tight
enought to promote mold (my opinion) or mildew I think I'd go with a
more loose-fitting cover myself. Besides, the cover can be reused time
and time again, where the wrap is peeled off in the spring then is
disposed of.

So is shrink wrap really that good of investment.

Of course I'm one to talk. I don't have a cover on my boats, but then
again, I store them in my warehouse.

You know, I wonder the same thing. I've got a nicely fitting canvas
cover,
propped up down the centerline with nylon rope which I can easily
tighten
when needed. The cover costs about $400, new, and I think it'll be good
for
at least four years, going by past experience.

I don't see the advantage of shrink wrap. This way, if there's a great
day
in January and I want to go out, I can do so.
--
John

John.

That makes more sense than shrink wrap. If a canvas cover runs 400
bucks,
that's about 3 years worth of shrink wrap. If the cover lasts 4 years,
you're ahead of the game. Shrink wrap never made any financial sense to
me. Maybe I'm missing something...

--Mike


Since I boat during the winter, I have a portable garage from Costco.
About
$180. Plus a $700 snap on boat cover. Since we get so little snow.
Maybe
an inch or two every 10 years, mine works to shelter the boat from sun
damage.


If I had the room, and a way to get the boat to the back yard, that's what
I'd do. Covering the cover will probably make it last twice as long.
--
John

My boat is in a storage yard.

On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:13:54 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
.. .

"John" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:17:53 -0800 (PST), Tim
wrote:

Knowing little aboutt he process. I wsould thinkt hat a made-to-fit
cover would be better. seeing that the shrink wrap would be tight
enought to promote mold (my opinion) or mildew I think I'd go with a
more loose-fitting cover myself. Besides, the cover can be reused time
and time again, where the wrap is peeled off in the spring then is
disposed of.

So is shrink wrap really that good of investment.

Of course I'm one to talk. I don't have a cover on my boats, but then
again, I store them in my warehouse.

You know, I wonder the same thing. I've got a nicely fitting canvas
cover,
propped up down the centerline with nylon rope which I can easily tighten
when needed. The cover costs about $400, new, and I think it'll be good
for
at least four years, going by past experience.

I don't see the advantage of shrink wrap. This way, if there's a great
day
in January and I want to go out, I can do so.
--
John

John.

That makes more sense than shrink wrap. If a canvas cover runs 400 bucks,
that's about 3 years worth of shrink wrap. If the cover lasts 4 years,
you're ahead of the game. Shrink wrap never made any financial sense to
me. Maybe I'm missing something...

--Mike


Since I boat during the winter, I have a portable garage from Costco. About
$180. Plus a $700 snap on boat cover. Since we get so little snow. Maybe
an inch or two every 10 years, mine works to shelter the boat from sun
damage.


I can't understand why a person with a barn would even consider spending
money on shrink wrap every year. I'd just back the boat into the barn and
shut the doors.
--
John