sports culture

Unless you store your boat inside, you probably use or have considered using a cover to protect her against the problems of outdoor storage. Now there is another option - Shrinkwrap your boat! Marine shrink-wrap is formulated to protect your boat while shrink wrapping prevents chafing or flapping.

Unless you store your boat inside, you probably use or have considered using, a cover to protect her against the problems of outdoor storage eg. ultra-violet gelcoat aging, weather damage, airborne grime, bird droppings... Tarpaulins or custom made covers of plastic or canvas have traditionally been used, but recently shrink-wrap boat covers have been gaining in popularity amongst boat owners.

Marine-grade shrink-wrap is not sticky and therefore does not bond to boats, it should not be confused with ‘pallet wrap’ or ‘stretch film’ that is stretched around an object and gives minimal protection. Shrink-wrap is draped over, secured to and heat shrunk onto the boat, so unlike a tarpaulin, it becomes tight and therefore cannot flap and self destruct. This is the secret of its durability.

Whilst a tarpaulin or custom cover is simply thrown over the boat and tied down, fitting a shrink-wrap cover is a different process. First, a 'perimeter' band of tough polyester strapping or rope is run around the waterline of the boat. The shrink-wrap is then placed over the boat, tucked around the perimeter band and heat-welded back onto itself creating a 'hem'; once anchored in this way, it is 'shrunk off' using a hot air tool.

This 'shrink-to-fit' characteristic means Boatcoat covers are particularly good at protecting awkwardly shaped products such as boats; and as sheets of shrink-wrap can be easily joined together there are no limitations as to the size or shape of boat which can be protected. In addition, unlike a tarpaulin, a Boatcoat cover can be fitted with access doors, air vents and can even be fitted tightly around masts and rigging.

At the start of the sailing season, the cover is simply removed – shrink-wrap cannot be re-used but is valued by recyclers. The ability to re-use a tarpaulin or custom-fitted cover is often considered the main advantage of using a tarpaulin compared with shrink-wrap. Whilst this can be true, the additional expenditure on repairs & maintenance; the time needed to clean tarpaulins or fitted covers; and the need for storage when not in use should not be underestimated.

Boat builders around the world have been using shrink-wrap to protect their boats for 10-20 years, so the process is tried and tested. Gas-fired hot air tools are usually used, the hot air is swept over the cover in a continuous motion so that it is never in one spot long enough to cause damage; in fact, the shrink-wrap thins and forms holes long before enough heat can be transferred to damage what is being covered.

Shrink-wrapping an already wet boat could trap moisture and condensation under the cover; however a specialist service agent will install a number of air vents into the cover allowing a cross-flow of air which is ideal for removing any trapped moisture drying out the boat.

In the UK, shrink-wrap covers tend to be white, it looks clean and professional and reflects the sun keeping the interior cool whilst allowing natural light through – especially good where work is taking place underneath the cover. In colder climes, coloured shrink-wrap such as blue is used, these absorb heat from the sun and cause any snow on the cover to thaw slightly and slide off, preventing damage to the cover or the boat due to weight of snow.

Marine shrink-wrap is specially formulated and ultra-violet inhibitors are added so that the plastic cover won’t degrade when protecting boats being stored outside for long periods.

Fitting a Boatcoat cover is a fairly simple process; however it is not normally considered a 'DIY' job for boat owners. Installation services are provided throughout the UK by a number of specialist Boatcoat service agents who operate mobile shrink-wrapping operations or by boat dealers, marinas and boatyards