Winter storage

[brettportzer]

I think there are a couple of up north guys on here with 43DCs, and I am wondering what you might think about covering the boat for the winter?

I have always had the yard shrink wrap it, but, that costs nearly $1,500 and that would be fine except for the fact that they do a lousy job.

The frame was so bad last year that I decided at least I would make my own frame this year...

Where I am, these guys are the only game in town and there are just too many boats to be done in too little time and they don't do a great job.

I never have any real control over the timeline, most times the boat is getting wrapped after 6 wks of being on land, and one year it got wrapped after we got 6" of snow...

I am attaching pics of the frame, the bad shrinking job they do, and the boat with snow under the cover for proof!

Not to mention, they tied the strapping to the stands on the front this year and it actually pulled a stand out. Not a stand that was actually doing anything, but...

ANYWAY

Thought is, some guys at my boat club (Where I can't haul) have similar sized boats and they do a wood frame, 40x60 tarp tied down tied with the strapping they use for the wrap, and then use clamps for the slack at the bow.

Any opinions on building the frame, etc?

 

[sgharford]

Hi Brett,

I've hauled my 43DCFB every winter since 2008. I've only shrink wrapped her once. They made a good frame, and put carpet under stands where it touched the boat. However, over course of winter the stands worked themselves loose and wore some spots on deck due to wind. That was first and last time I shrink wrapped the boat. I now spend the money having the boat professionally detailed in October. It's the same cost and I find the winter and spring dust and dirt wash right off at launch time. I get a full year out of that detailing job too, just wash between time. Given fact I have the fly bridge model, I think it's a really tough shape to shrink wrap.

I think worth mentioning potential damage jack stands can do given all that extra windage. When I did blister job and took bottom down to glass I did repairs to significant spider cracks in areas jack stands are typically placed.

 

[brettportzer]

I believe I have seen you mention this before, and I am curious, do you get snow?

I guess the initial thought it, having 2 ft of snow setting on the boat doesn't sound great, but maybe you never get snow like that where you are?

We rarely do, but, we do.

But also, I just don't like the idea of snow melting and finding it's way into stuff and then refreezing?

I dunno, it is tough. I just think what they are doing is ultimately not helping, but I'd like to keep the weather off somewhat, mostly just for that freezing water in hidden places issue.

 

[sgharford]

I'm on Long Island, NY - it does snow but not much the past couple of years. I got the impression, given shrink wrap stands coming loose and extra windage, I was do more damage then good and why I stopped.

 

[Jims43DC]

On Lake Complain, we're hauled and inside unheated inside storage

 

[brettportzer]

Where do you store?

 

[Jims43DC]

Where do you store?

Champlain Bridge Marina.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Several years ago, I had a cloth cover and frame made for my boat. It lasted about fifteen years; by then, the fabric was tearing and leaking, and the frame (ordinary lumber) was falling apart. We made a new cover and frame- the new llumber is pressure-treated, and the fabric is a cotton-polyester mixture that breathes. The sides of the cover come almost all the way down to the chine, and there are belly ties under the boat. Every year there are a few areas to repair, but overall it has held up well, and the boat stays dry under it.

 

[whoover]

Im at the west end of Lake Ontario, I never covered my 42c. It would get snowed on but just eventually melt and run off. I did cover the helm with a tarp. I was told not to cover awl grip as it would cause small bubbles in the paint from trapped moisture.

Walt Hoover

 

[yachtsmanbill]

WHEW! Me and my kid do it and all the winterizing stuff as well. I sure hope you didnt pay for that job.

 

[brettportzer]

My situation is, I can't haul at our yacht club, too heavy and our launch isn't deep enough for the only hydraulic trailer guy in town...

So, I store the boat at the marina next door, which has a nice travel lift, etc...

People at the yacht club do their own shrink wrap, but we have lifts and stuff, that are not available to me at the marina.

So, I am at their mercy if I want my boat shrink wrapped.

Yea, I paid for both of those jobs...

 

[RyanB]

I was literally just venting about the winter storage costs and my fall dreams about trailering an 40' express style boat LOL. Our storage facility went up 35% in the last 2 years, to $3k for our 36. But it is what it is, they're the only place we can fit and they haul, power wash and launch her too. I could save around 1400-1500 bucks storing outside and shrink wrapping, but after reading about how hit or miss it, she goes inside.

Gives me a place to take the kids to kill some time, and at least I'm dry, and cold, when working on her. It came in very handy when we had to it poured for weeks straight in April and we needed a our transom wrapped.

If you have the option go inside, its probably worth it.

 

[brettportzer]

Yea, I'd like to keep it inside for sure. But, nothing around here for that either.

lol!

 

[Bob Bradley]

I usually winter in the water in New Haven, CT. If you're heading north bound on I95 you can see her from the right lane at exit 44. I never cover it any more. The highway grime and soot are in the air and get on it whether she's covered or not. If it snows I shovel it off with a plastic shovel to prevent it from melting and refreezing in cracks and joints. I hose it off in the spring and then have it detailed after I move it to Westerly and away from the highway and rr tracks.

 

[brettportzer]

Any thoughts on using hull preservation tape to tape over some places that water could get in from the snow?

https://www.jamestowndistributors.c...oZd0hty5sk4Cf5XnDiV5RcA0OkP3MaTwWiEhu5SbryV2H

"Seafarer White Hull Preservation Tape is formulated with UV Inhibiting additives that permit this tape to be applied directly to the hull and not leave an adhesive residue."

 

[brettportzer]

It also occurs to me that most of the boats that are wrapped around here, are not fully enclosed the way mine is.

I mean, the back is somewhat open, but, it has the hardtop and windshield that most boats do no have, so, it is inherently protected from the elements in a different way than they are.

Most of the boats around here have a bimini top.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Man, I guess it pays to live in Two Rivers! Haulout, pressure wash, bock (my stands) and winter storage outside is $500. Relaunch in the spring is $150, and my dock thats about 1000 off the lake is an astronomical $900 including city water and electric. I bite the bullet on 5 jugs of anti freeze and a $300 roll of shrink wrap. The kid costs me a few hundred. ALSO.... remember two part paint is hydroscopic and wet shrink wrap laying in total contact will stay wet and cause blisters

 

[34Hatt]

Are you allowed to do it yourself in the marina?
If so you dont need lifts to do it I have done mine for many years. A step ladder and a extension for the gun is all you need.
If doing it yourself it can be done right and it won't come lose, cause bubbles and do damage like some say I have proved that false.
Good frame nice and tight and no contact to paint. I just put the belly band just below rub rail and give the hull 2 coats of awl care and in spring boat 1 more coat is clean and ready to go.
If you look close you will see bumps along the bow that is tennis balls I shove in to keep the wrap off the paint.

 

[bostonhatteras]

Are you allowed to do it yourself in the marina?
If so you dont need lifts to do it I have done mine for many years. A step ladder and a extension for the gun is all you need.
If doing it yourself it can be done right and it won't come lose, cause bubbles and do damage like some say I have proved that false.
Good frame nice and tight and no contact to paint. I just put the belly band just below rub rail and give the hull 2 coats of awl care and in spring boat 1 more coat is clean and ready to go.
If you look close you will see bumps along the bow that is tennis balls I shove in to keep the wrap off the paint.

View attachment 76926

have you tried taping to the rubrail instead of the belly band? The yard I'm at tapes to the rubrail and its secure. I wrapped mine twice. both years it was with clear which worked nicely as the boat was in the water both times. avoiding any day with gusts past 15 mph is absolutely mandatory when shrinking the cover. .