Shrinkwrapping

[pdxCC]

I am looking into getting my Nautique shrink-wrapped after I get it Winterized. My dad did this to our Reinell 15-years ago when we stored it outside and it seemed to work great.

Any tips?? We sit at 1300' of elevation in Portland, Oregon and I had 18" of snow for a week last year.

Thoughts?

Thanks
Brett

[MARK-S]

RE: Shrinkwrapping

What does a top of the line cover cost as compared to a shrink wrap?

[pdxCC]

I am comparing the cost of building another enclosed carport ($1000) to the cost of the wrapping ($240).

Is a high-quality storage cover a better option??

[AirTool]

I am comparing the cost of building another enclosed carport ($1000)

Do you mean $10,000?

[SkiTower]

I am comparing the cost of building another enclosed carport ($1000)

Do you mean $10,000?

And if you have the choice, I'd still vote for the building ($240 vs. $10,000). Nothing compares to indoor protection.

[pdxCC]

Given my setup the carport is about $1,000 if I build it myself. The issue here is do I keep the $25,000 truck underwraps or the $9,000 boat. I know its a tough sell on here, but...

Money talks. (Plus, do you have to scrape the ice off your car every morning?)

[jjgag60]

Shrinkwrapping

My neighbor had his shrinkwrapped up here in the Seattle area, and when he opened it up this spring everything was molded. They shoved the boat cover up under the bow area so it didn't breath and it turned green . Several of his seats also turned moldy. The dealer who did the work had the boat inside to dry everything out, but once it was shrinkwrapped and couldn't breath, it was a mess. I would find some where to store it under shelter.

[SkiTower]

Given my setup the carport is about $1,000 if I build it myself. The issue here is do I keep the $25,000 truck underwraps or the $9,000 boat. I know its a tough sell on here, but...

Money talks. (Plus, do you have to scrape the ice off your car every morning?)

Not sure what underwraps are but I'd do my best to cover both. If you can get a cover for $1000, do it. I would not want my boat exposed to cold and ice if I had a choice.

And for the most part I do scrape my truck every morning in the winter. Probably not to the extent you do, though.

[TRBenj]

If you can get a cover for $1000, do it.

That recommendation should be taken with a grain of salt- where is the original poster located? Even the best, most expensive sunbrella cover wont stand up to a snow load.

Id look into renting storage- ask around, try craigslist, etc. I lucked out and found barn storage for $30/mo/boat... not bad. If thats not an option, Id go with shrinkwrap- just make sure they vent it properly so you dont get mold.

[SkiTower]

[quote="TRBenj"]

If you can get a cover for $1000, do it.

That recommendation should be taken with a grain of salt- where is the original poster located? quote]

Sorry for the confusion, carport cover, not wrapping cover or sunbrella. The reason I have to scrape my windows is because my boat is in the garage....

[Skier12]

Here is another option.
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/c....aspx?a=369313

These shelters are generally about $600 or $700 and our cover so far has lasted about 5 years. I live in CT and we get snow and ice all winter and we've had no issues. I've heard some complaints that they don't last as well in windy areas since it is a fabric enclosure. But we have two 1 for the nautique and 1 for the pontoon boat and it's by far the best way for us to store our boat at home through the winter.

There are a couple problems with shrinkwrapping. 1) Mold is a common problem since the boat is basically sealed off for several months. I've even heard one dealer say he doesn't like shrinkwrapping but he still does it since so many people request it. 2) The trailer isn't protected from the elements at all, which may not seem like a big deal but after a few winters the exposure will build up.

[skijones]

I have a portable garage like that, have had it for going on the 5th season. Works really well, just strap it to the boat trailer if you are supposed to have high winds. I did get zippers sewn into the rear so I could open that up.

Really nice to pull out wet stuff and stick the boat in there. I put a fan in for a day or so to dry everything out.

As far as snow load, if we get 3-4", I will take a broom out and knock the snow off from the inside.

[skijones]

BTW, I got mine at Tractor Supply for like $300.00

[Skier12]

We actually ended up creating and burying some anchors for our tents and then we conected them to the tent with heavy wire. They're not going anywhere.

We also paid about $400-500 for each of our tents from a local store. But my tent is also barely bigger than the boat, so much smaller than the one in the link above. If we were to use it more than just for winter storage I would suggest a larger tent like the one above.