Shrink wrap
 

Anyone here shrink wrap their own boat? Doesn't look too hard from the DIY videos. There are specialized propane torches for doing it. Seems to me that a regular propane torch with a spreader would do the job, perhaps taking a little longer. I have an HF roofing/weed propane torch. Someone posted on the web that they used one successfully.

Why would you shrink wrap a boat? Winter storage? Or to keep it from drying out when you microwave it?

Winter storage. Boat cover is $900, shrink wrap supplies --$50

Horrible way to store a boat, causes a lot of moisture to be trapped.

I prefer green tarps and a frame.

In Conn. but not in CO.

I've done it many times, with any type of torch not designed for shrink wrap the problem usually is to much localized heat that causes melt through in the blink of an eye if you're too close with to much heat on one area. Once the heat is put out it can't be pulled back off the wrap. I know some one the wraps palleted materials with UV boat wrap for long term storage of equipment and he uses a propane fired space heater that has a 120AC fan. The heat level is set and the pallet is rotated on a lazy-susan in the stream of hot air, something like that might be easier to get hold of. A catalytic propane heater like a MR. Heater would work also, it gives of a lot of heat but no flame.

If you're only doing it seasonal you can go with the 5 or 6 mil, longer than that it's better to go with heavier film. Blue helps melt the snow off and prevents ice accumulation and dams.

If you're doing that little sail boat might be easier to just flip it over though.

Good idea on the mR. HEATER. I have one. It's a little hard to flip over a 1500lb trimaran. Yes, just for the winter. 6mil wrap is not that pricey.

What about an electric heat gun?

Oh, I thought it sort of came apart and you'd be left with just the center hull. Yeah, a heat gun would work but I think it would take quite some time to do it.

Guys in the GTI forum are all about Vinyl wrapping their cars :confused:

I have a shrink wrapper here at my shop, but I don't think your boat will fit in it. :D

I found an on-line shrink wrap supplier that was selling a heat gun that was essentially the same thing as the HF weed torch except with a shorter wand. So I think my roofing/weed torch should work.

Could you use stretch wrap? We used that to wrap pallets of paper at the printing company I worked for. It eliminated the need for the heat guns.

Agreed. No way to hermetically seal it once done.

We use the same stuff at FedEx...meant for short-term storage solutions though. Again, it will just trap moisture.

It was a fun episode of "Dirty Jobs"

season seven, episode nine