Covering Your Boat
Covering Your Boat
Covering your boat in a proper manner can prolong the lifetime of your boat. Therefore you should cover your boat during the winter storage season. This is order to protect the boat exterior as well as interior. Plastic boats age during the winter and aluminium boats can get corrosion damage due to weather and wind. The easiest and cheapest alternative when storing your boat for the winter season is to cover it with a tarp. Keep in mind however that a tarp flutters in the wind and can easily become loose and get carried away. A tarp that isn’t fitted properly can also scratch the sides of the boat. We recommend that you use shrink foil when covering your boat. Click here to watch a video on how to intall shrink foil on your boat.
Covering your boat using shrink foil
Covering your boat using shrink foil is recommended. If you choose to let the outboard engine remain on the transom you can also cover this with shrink foil. But please keep in mind to use something for protection between the engine cover and the plastic, or else you may get white spots on the engine.
With the correct thickness of the shrink foil as well as installing it correctly you will best protect your boat against wind and snow during winter storage. The correct thickness of the shrink foil means a thickness of 200 my (circa 0,2 mm). This thickness is sufficient for boats up to 35 feet. If you choose a thinner plastic it can easily break during heating.
Covering your boat with our shrink foil SuperWrap 200 provides a secure protection for your boat against wind and snow. SuperWrap 200 is a very strong and durable shrink foil and has a thickness of 200 my.
Shrink foil is excellent for use on plastic and aluminium boats but should not be used on rubber boats. This because air in the rubber boats may leak during winter. This could result in the tight-fitting foil becoming loose. The foil can also stick to the rubber material of the boat.
Vent for shrink foil
It can also be a good idea to install a couple vents in the foil, one at the bow and one in the stern. This in order to get proper ventilation which minimizes the risk of microbacterial growth. This is especially important during spring when the outside temperature fluctuates a lot. Our delta-shaped vent for shrink foil is self-locking and only takes a couple seconds to install. You fasten it by penetrating the plastic with the middle spike, and allow the outer spike to lie against the outside.
Here you can see how this vent should be installed:
Zipper for shrink foil
If you need to enter the boat through the shrink foil when storing it during winter you can use our installable zippers.
Here you can see how you install zippers on your shrink foil:
Heating shrink foil:
When covering your boat with shrink foil you should do so outdoors, alternatively in a wind-protected and rain-free area. The wind might affect the smoothness of the plastic creating irregularities.
Heating the foil is done using a heat gun for shrinking and shaping the foil covering the boat. Our heat gun HORNET is one of the most light-weight and easy to use heat guns on the market (weighs only 350 grams). The heat gun is also very quiet when in use which might be nice after using it for an extended period of time. When ordering our heat gun you are provided with two burners (one 30W and one 90W), protective gloves, 10 meters of gas hose with connections and an extra ignition handle.
Here you can see how the heat gun is used: