Shrink Wrapping for Shipping
 

I have been told shrink wrapping can protect a boat during shipping. However, if the shrink wrapping is not done correctly, I'm told, it can blow loose, and actually cause wear to the finish. What techniques should be used to do proper shrink wrapping for shipping? How do you find someone who knows how to wrap it for shipping, rather than just winterizing?

Thanks,

Michael

use a qualified installer and you should not have a problem

You definately should be concerned!!!! I had a new boat shrink wrapped for delivery and where the deck rolls to the sides of the boat it was scratched beyond wetsanding and buffing.

Who wrapped it? And how far did it have to travel to and from? I have heard that shrink wrap can scratch boats caused by the wind speeds of highway travel.

I had one wrapped by a dealer, when the boat arrived 2000 miles later 3 large scuff marks on the sides where the banding strap rubbed the sides. Since the dealer did it, and knew the boat was being driven on the highway, they finally agreed on a payment to fix the damage.

I watched as these local guys wraped my buddy's 38 PQ for a trip down to FL....before they did anything else they put what he called a transport barrier on the boat.....said it was 3mill thick and it prevents the wrap from chafing the boat during transport....the stuff was tough to say the least. Then they did all their normal shrink wrap work. He made it down to Fl no problem and there was no damage at all anywhere on the boat.....and this guy drives like a nut!! 75mph was probably the slowest he ran down there :)

If its done correctly that should not happen...you get what you pay for. All NEW boats we get in for stock are done by the MFG and are perfect upon arrival. The use of quality ANTI CHAFFING film under the shrink wrap is the key. Also the boat must be spotless clean before wrap so nothing between the hull and the wrap act as sandpaper to the finish. It is basically the same film new cars come with on the top and side surfaces. Now this film is somewhat costly and is an additional step in the wrap process so its more time and materials.

Good to know.

I heard from a guy in California that all you have to do is cover the boat and snap every other snap

LMAO!!! :drink: :evilb:

:evilb: BE CAREFUL :evilb:

....or bubble wrap (between the shrink wrap and the hull).

Joe

Shrink wrap it and make sure you tape the sides where the wrap meets the bottom of the hull. Some guys you a string to tie it up, but air can get under that and rip the wrap off.

Never heard that one. Also that is is problem because it moves around under the shrink wrap also creating a rubbing motion on the paint or gel surface. That will dull or scratch as well....BUBBLE WRAP IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. The Film is a static adhere and is designed to withstand the 300,000 BTW of a shrink wrap gun. Bubble wrap would also melt under the heat creating a HUGE mess. Also as mentioned above Tape method as sealing ONLY....NO STRING JOBS

I couldnt resist

Paul, does Nordic use this procedure?

Exactly...I cracked up when I saw your post :drink:

Yes they do......shipping cross country to us it must be done correctly to avoid damages and scuffed gelcoat. The multi temperature changes as the product moves cross country makes the shrink wrap expand (heat) and contract (cold) over and over acting like a sander on the finish. Without the anti chaffing film several areas would need to be re buffed with a finishing compound.

Sea Ray uses bubble wrap..... it works fine.
Most issues have been coverd, but a real big issue is to MAKE SURE the entire parimiter of the shrink is taped. When traviling dust and dirt can and will make it up the sides and nomater what you have on the hull to prevent chafing, some will occur unless it is sealed ( you should vet it at the top )

I have probably done 2-3000 boats and learned most of the do's and don'ts

RT

Sea Ray finishes are not in the same league as most high performance boat finishes which can be like a mirror. You would not notice micro fine scratches on a Sea Ray where you would easily notice them on a highly buffed finish.

how does everyone feel about traveling about 800 miles wih nothing......no cockpit cover, or shirinkwrap..... I was told this is the best way to move them.......

If you hit bad weather your inside is trashed from all the road junk sprayed up inside...BAD IDEA

I almost always tow with the cockpit cover on.
AZ to VA.
VA to Chicago and back.
And I towed from VA to FL in January in rain, sleet, and snow. With no issues.

Snap all snaps.
Run several widths of 4" wide shrink wrap tape shingled UP the cover, starting on the boat first. This will deflect the wind/rain up over the cover, and not allow it to get under the tape and decrease the adhesion. Then I run down the forward third of the cover on the sides with shrink wrap tape.

I've had a couple snaps come loose, but never any damage because of it.

Most important thing I do is I have some foam pipe insulation (Hope Depot) that I tape in place over the windscreen on my boat, to prevent the cover from stressing/scratching the windscreen.

[QUOTE=Sydwayz;

Most important thing I do is I have some of foam pipe insulation (Hope Depot) that I tape in place over the windscreen on my boat, to prevent the cover from stressing/scratching the windscreen.[/QUOTE]



Thats a good idea! :eureka:

Does the anti-chaffing film has any particular name?

Michael

Well its called just that but different distributors call it different names like Protective Film or Tape. Scratch Guard or Hull Preservation Plus film are a few others. Whoever wraps your boat can easily get the material from the shrink wrap distributor. The stuff is expensive and tricky to work with but it is well worth the effort and extra money.

I did find "preservation tape" on the web. Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.shrinkit-inc.com/Shrink-wrap-heat-tape.htm

http://mrshrinkwrap.com/preservation-tape/index.html

These tapes are only a few inches wide. Do you just do the corners and edges with this, or is there another wider material that covers the entire hull before putting the outer layer on?

Thanks,

Michael

No those are hull side tapes. There is regular shrink wrap tape to patch or repair a hole or to tape in a door or vent. Hull preservation tape has a different glue compound that does not interact with paint, clear coat or gelcoat and leaves no glue residue when removed. That is not the material.

Here more like this ............ http://surfacearmor.us/Application-Automotive.asp

or this http://www.maintape.com/automotive.php

OK, I see now! Thank you!

Say, why not just use this protective adhesive film, and forget the shrink wrap altogether, similar to what the car manufacturers do?

Michael

They are not thick enough or wide enough for boats and cannot cover large open areas like the cockpit. The cars now have bags over it or are shipped in sealed canvas sided haulers.

Otis just remember that the next time I tow your boat the trailer could be left behind and I can just tow the boat on its keel. It saves weight and fuel. Besides its just a Gladiator and no one really cares. Are you coming to desert storm or are you just an east coast drunk? You wana play with the big dogs you need to come to a real party

So then is the film is just used around edges such as between the hull and deck, rather than the entire gelcoat surface?

Michael

The guys at Ocean Performance in CT just wrapped a Slingshot for me to tow 1300 miles back to LOTO. Did a great job.....made it fine...

For the most part yes. Also on powder coated or highly polished hardware like cleats and things. Windscreens as well.large flat areas will be OK without it. It is used on high stress areas such as curves and corners that make tight contact with the shrink wrap.

TSPM,

Thank you very much. :D This has been very educational, and I hope this thread is a resource for others later.

Michael

:drink: :drink: :drink: