It's Not A Wrap - Boat Stored Indoors!

Michael T

Well, that's it for this year! Our EC 360 is winterized, cleaned, waxed and stored indoors. All that's needed is Spring!

Michael T

That's awesome Al. It's none of my business but I predict that you expect a pretty rapid return on your investment. My dealer has just erected his second covered storage as have several others. One big former Rinker dealer now has five covered storages. When I asked him how the heck he could afford them so fast he cited the reasons you gave and said the pay back time was far faster than he imagined as he was wasting a lot of time shrink wrapping, He said the costs of shrink wrapping in material and time as well as - disposal of the product, dealing with mold and mildew plus new labor laws about employees being tied-off when up high on some of the big cruisers - were killing him. He said an added bonus was being able to move boats around during the winter to haul them into the shop for repairs. I think this is the way of the future. 

BellevilleMXZ

Whats the cost differences between wrapping and storing indoors like that?

Handymans342

I agree with Al. When I removed my shrinkwrap in August after being on since last December the back bench seat was a black molded mess. 

Black_Diamond

I know the cost difference between paying to shrinkwrap and winterize Vs inside heated was just a couple hundred dollars. Better for the boat and I have access to work on it all winter. No brainer to me. 

Michael T

The gap in the cost to go from shrink warp to indoors in my area is closing, maybe a couple of hundred dollars difference. To go from shrink wrap to indoor heated is 600 to 800 dollars. Many owners still want to buy cheap tarps and have the marina staff put up frames to hold the tarps up but new labor laws mean the staff all have to be tied-off with harnesses and that is going to take way more time and time IS money, so many marinas are refusing to tarp boats and offering only shrink wrap or indoor storage. 

Michael T

@Alswag - if that's per linear foot that's amazing. 

JoeStang

I pay $175 per month for indoor heated rack storage. I'm lucky that I get a ground level rack too, so while they're open I can still access the boat. I still run pink stuff into the engine, but my winterization consists of washing, oil changes, and engine flush.

No shrink wrap, no torches near the boat, no changes in humidity, and zero chance of freeze damage.

It works out to be $1050 for 6 months, and to store outdoors at my marina with all the costs involved, it is within $100. I do have the drive the boat ~ 1.5 hours to the winter storage place, but its well worth it. Plus I get a nice ride in the spring & fall.

Handymans342

I dont agree that shrinkwrap is bad for the environment as all the shrink wrap used in my marina was 100% recycled. 

Michael T

90% of the marinas within a couple of hundred miles of my area will not allow customers to do anything but very minor work on their on boats and fluid top-ups. They will not allow customers to winterize their boats and do major work because of insurance liability issues injury to the customer - danger (fire) to other boaters' boats. Most marinas price indoor boat storage by the square foot. Indoor nonheated storage for my EC 360 runs from 1800 up for October to April. Indoor heated runs from about 2500 up. Because the temperature where I live can drop from -15 to -40 in a few hours there is no way I'd leave my boat in heated storage unless the storage had an automatic back-up generator or I'd winterized it - to avoid freeze damage if the heat failed. I was told by several marina operators that they were being told the shrink wrap was being recycled - and they were being charged for the pick-up from the company - only to find-out that was B.S. I dislike shrink wrap so much I'd tarp my boat before I'd let plastic death at it!  ;-(

BellevilleMXZ

Interesting, some of you guys dislike shrink that much eh? I will probably do it this year, as its going to be at my house, but next year maybe look for indoor. May have to head to Kingston for that.

Michael T

BMXZ. You can eliminate a lot of the shrink wrap curse if you have some vents put into the shrink wrap to let it breathe. There are special vents made for shrink wrap.  Just make sure whoever does it points the vents down to keep any rain/snow out. Some guys place a container of damp rid in the engine compartment. I certainly prefer indoor storage to tarping or shrink wrap but done right shrink wraps a lot less trouble than a lot of the poorly done shrink wrap jobs which create mold and rust in the boats. Just speak-up and make sure it's done right, imo.

BellevilleMXZ

Mine has no corrosion at al in engine bay, and not a ton of weathering, wish I knew how it was stored previously. This year at home so easy to work on/update, and then hopefully indoors from now on. Wish you could get at them and do some work, but I get the liability part. I need my old 30x40 shop back, best of both worlds there!!

MarkB

You definitely need vents and you should put moisture adsorbed crystals in the cabin, cockpit and engine compartment.  I wouldnt spare any and would use at least 4.

Michael T

@Mark B. We do too, one in front berth, mid cabin and aft berth. One in cockpit and engine bay and baking soda in plastic containers in both fridges and the freezer. For a few bucks why get mold/mildew/rust?

06Rinker270

So then what are your thoughts on winter covers?

Michael T

Patrick, imo using winter cover of any kind depends on the "usual" snow fall in your area and how often the amount on your boat would be monitored. At my marina outside boats continually have their snow loads monitored. If a boat was stored at an owner's house he could monitor the snow load on it - unless he left for a lengthy holiday. I think DI has used one for years.

Dream_Inn

Patrick, you obviously saw my winter cover.  I've had that one now for 4 years (so it has now paid for itself compared to shrinkwrap).  I had a Fischer one on my 310 for the 7 winters I had it & the cover still looked like new.  I'm all for covers!  Definitely on MT's side with shrinkwrap.  It's a waste of money and then all that plastic is bad for everything!!  as far as snow, I went thru 4 feet of snow in 3 days with my 310 covered.  When I finally made it down to the boat, there was no snow on it & all was fine.  This cover I have a bit more area on the front, so I do check on it every now and then.  I've added a couple more braces inside as well for last winter and that seemed to help with just a little bit that laid there.  The wind usually will shake the cover just enough that it all stays dry.  For your boat, it's a no-brainer to get a cover like Fischer and have it nice and snug and make nice supports.

06Rinker270

I am jealous of your indoor set up MT, is it heated?  You guys get crazy snow, I would put her indoors as well.    

This will be the first season with the winter cover and boy am I excited about using it.  I have gone the tarp route and the shrink wrap, both suck big time.  As for the brace, it looks like all I need to use is the boat cover support poles.  

Here is a pic that the PO sent me when he used the winter cover.  Why in the world is it not covering the hull completely?  Is it because he has the brace up to high?  I hope that is the issue.  If not I will be making my own additions this year and having it professionally done the next.

Handymans342

I dont see why you would need to cover the whole thing.

Michael T

Steve, guys I know who leave their boats outside have their covers go right to the bottom edge of the hull or to where their bottom coat begins _ if they have one - to keep the winter sun off their hulls. Even way up North here in the Winter the sun will bake a colored hull and cause gel coat damage. UVA/UVB - bad stuff. So the guys where I am use full covers, if outside.

 @06Rinker270, no that storage is not heated but it is still warmer than the outside storage as it breaks the wind and does get some solar gain in the daylight hours. The big deal for me is that I do not have to worry about the moisture issues of shrink wrap or the issues of a tarp rubbing on the gel coat. The biggest deal for me is it is out of the direct winter sunlight - cutting 6 months of UVA/UVB off. As well, I can get a key and get into it in the winter to check on the damp rid containers and take measurements. As well, the marina can work on it if they have to or even move it into their heated shop for work.

06Rinker270

Very cool MT, big deal blocking all those elements.  Now the wait begins! 

jme097

I wish it was only a couple hundred. I got my 280 (with radar arch) wrapped for $225 this fall and he came to my house and did it in my drive way. If I would of stored it at the marina in one of there 7 buildings, it would of been $1,008.00. 

sdjavalina

Hi all, we just bought our 330 in Oct, and this is the first time I have covered my boat because I usually keep mine inside, but the Rinker will not fit inside yet. so here is my invention , a good double wall tarp, and some inside braces. i have not finished the brace for the bow yet in this pic but it now has three braces that will keep the snow at bay and yes @Dream Inn , the wind does help .

Dream_Inn

Very nice!  & I'm sure in ND you get a lot of snow on that cover!  The wind sure helped the 2 foot of snow we got a couple weeks ago.  By the time I made it to the boat, no snow left on the cover.

sdjavalina

Yep we have been blessed here not a bad winter so far....!! we wait......

sdjavalina

For this....!!!

06Rinker270

@Dream_Inn the picture I posted above of my boat covered, is that at your marina?  Might be too hard to tell, its a pic from the PO. 

Dream_Inn

Patrick, yes that picture is definitely at my marina.

rasbury

Here to. just completed my de winterize....ready to launch!

Handymans342

Ras, you should put some tephlon tape on that plug