Winter liveaboard door options for shrink wrapping

[1jparker]

58' MY 1979

Preparing for our first winter aboard in New England. Planning to shrink wrap this weekend and considering door options. Any advice, photos of doors, suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

 

[RT46]

I never shrink wrapped for the winter as a live aboard.
I have put hillbilly storm windows on the salon (clear plastic taped to the house on the outside)

I do fill the engine room vents with some foam pipe insulation to prevent the wind and heat loss from the ER.
I also put folded up towels above the screens under the deck hatches.
what a difference it makes keeping the boat warm.

BTW, I have to use a dehumidifier during the winter when living aboard, especially when cooking.

I do remember a 42 Uniflite aft cabin at one marina that had his whole boat covered in clear shrink wrap. He framed out a storm door for the entry.

 

[Boatsb]

I saw a wooden framed screen / storm door years ago on an old boat. Looked like it worked. They said he used the same door every year.

 

[workingonadream]

my friend has a motor yacht that he lives on all winter. he actually has a small pre hung door that he frames in so that it can be used. he boards from the side. he uses the 8 mil white wrap, but another friend of mine that lives aboard uses the clear which he likes because it makes the boat warm during the day when the sun is out. the only down side is that it is only 6 mils and may tear easier and need repairing over the course of the winter

 

[jerseyboy]

I was in Boston last Christmas and these boats were in the harbor. Live-a-boards for the winter wrapped in clear plastic. Owners said they stayed warm even without heaters during the day. Greenhouse affect. Each had a storm door frame and most were decorated out with Xmas lights. Very cool.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Those would work better than any soft "door". I think if you keep unzipping and zipping a soft "door" it won't last the winter. And with a hard door you could reuse it next year.

 

[1jparker]

Shrink wrapping done! Love our cocoon! Need to add a few more Christmas lights...sorry one pic is sideways....can't seem to figure out how to spin.

 

[q240z]

We wrap every year. Jim's right...the zipper doors aren't made for daily service. Pocket door hardware, a couple of 2x4s, and a sheet of plywood makes a pretty good sliding door. We're on fixed docks, so sliders are essential.

On the Hatteras wrap in the pic, I noticed that the lower edge of the tent is very close to the deck level. Normally around here, the shrinkwrappers run the lower band a foot or two (and sometimes 3) below the deck level so the wind doesn't get up underneath.

 

[1jparker]

We wrap every year. Jim's right...the zipper doors aren't made for daily service. Pocket door hardware, a couple of 2x4s, and a sheet of plywood makes a pretty good sliding door. We're on fixed docks, so sliders are essential.

On the Hatteras wrap in the pic, I noticed that the lower edge of the tent is very close to the deck level. Normally around here, the shrinkwrappers run the lower band a foot or two (and sometimes 3) below the deck level so the wind doesn't get up underneath.

Q2: due to a new awl grip job, we opted for the higher belly band. No wind issue thus far. We are in a pretty protected marina.

 

[q240z]

I know exactly what you mean about protecting the Awlgrip! The local guys use cardboard to protect the paint from the heat blast when welding the seam, then put pads in to keep the plastic off the hull. Apparently, Awlgrip gets extremely unhappy when the plastic stays in contact with the paint and water gets between the two and stays there for a while.