Should You Shrink Wrap Your Boat For Transport?
Boat Transport Questions & Answers!
This is a question we are asked at least every other day while discussing the particulars with a client about preperatation of their powerBoat or sail Boat for transport. There are a lot of things to consider in the decision making process of to shrink wrap your Boat for transport or not.
 The first thing to keep in mind is that as Boat transporters of both sail Boats and power Boats, we do not like shrink wrap. I will say it again, we do not like shrink wrap!!! I will try to convey our reasons and let you the owner make the decision to shrink wrap or not.
Being a company that specializes in transporting oversize power Boats and sail Boats that travel sometimes coast to coast, we have come to the conclusion years ago that it simply does not stay on. I can remember years ago when I was personally transporting Boats with my own truck, being in a rest stop in Maryland. The wind was blowing like stink, raining to beat the band and here I was trying to repair some shrink wrap that was coming off. I probably spent several hours in that mess. It eventually got to the point in California I had to take it off myself to avoid further damage.
Damage can be of major concern when shrink wrap comes off either a sail Boat or power Boat during transport. When it comes off, it tends to beat wildly in the wind going down the freeway. The driver is sometimes unaware of all this due to visibility restrictions. This is not good.
There are times when conditions exist that warrants shrink wrapping your power Boat or sailBoat for transport that it may warrant it. If this is an issue that needs to be addressed, feel free to call and we can discus it. Generally it costs a lot less to have your Boat detailed at the marina than it does to shrink wrap it.
The only time shrink wrapping is a real added benefit is when the Boat is laid up for storage. Some people who are uninformed say that when you shrink wrap either a power Boat or sailBoat for storage that when it is unwrapped it is exactly as you wrapped it. This is so untrue. When shrink wrapped, the outside is protected from the elements, but the interior is still subject to mildew issues. They try to ventilate your Boat but mildew is still an issue that may need to be addressed while decommissioning.
Here is a special note for sail Boat or sailBoat owners that may have painted their Boats with imron, sterling, or awlgrip, or other urethane paint. Paint is very susceptible to both abrasion and blistering. When shrink wrap is laying on paint with moisture, you WILL get blistering. Also when shrink wrap is laying on paint in transport it chafes much eaisier than gelcoat, it is also much harder to repair.
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