Shrink Wrap - how to
OK here it goes. I do my E38 in about 6 hours with one person helping and 8 hours by myself. I also shrink wrap my son's E28 which takes the two of us about 4 hours.
1. Materials -
a. Shrink wrap - An E38 will need a piece about 50 ft long and 24 ft wide.
b. Flat tape - This is a flat nylon tape (twine?) about a half inch wide which comes in a spool and is very strong.
c. Shrink tape - This tape comes in 2 and 4 inch widths and melts to the plastic shrink wrap when heated with the torch. Go for the 2 inch width. I use about a roll and a half to do the E38.
d. Door - This is zippered plastic and is taped on once all shrinking is complete. It makes for easy access.
e. Vents - I make my own by cutting an one foot equalaterial triangle out of the scrap plastic but you can buy them also. Figure at least six vents.
f. Torch - A roofers torch does a great job.
g. Permanent marker, knive, scissors, tape measure, heavy leather gloves
2. Preparation -
a. Remove all lifeline stantions and roll up the lifelines to the bow.
b. Use the flat tape (twine) attached to the halyard shackles to run the halyards to the top of the mast. This protects the halyards from the weather. I run several lines in case one breaks over the winter.
c. Use the flat tape wrapped around the mast to pull all lines tight against the mast. This is so you can get a pretty tight fit of the shrink wrap around the mast.
d. Cover the fuel vent with a piece of shrink tape so you don't create unwanted fireworks with the torch.
e. Cover any sharp edges with a piece of foam of a tripple layer of shrink plastic.
3. The Frame - I usually leave the mast up on my E38. I use the boom as the center beam aft of the mast. Prop the boom with a 2X4 or 2X2 from the boom to a 2X4 placed on the cockpit floor to spread the load. Center the boom and secure with a dock line running from the starboard cleat, around the boom and to the port cleat. I use a whisker pole for the center beam forward of the mast. Secure the pole to the forestay and the mast. I have also used double flat tape from the mast to the forestay with a few supports to the deck. This also works well. Some years I have run flat tape from the stantion base, over the boom to the opposite stantion base to support the shrink wrap. This is not really necessary unless the boat is in a very windy area.
If you store the boat with the mast down you can fashion a frame with some 4 foot poles (2X2s will work) for uprights and the flat tape for the backbone and side supports. This is easier and cheaper than making a frame out of electrical conduit and it works just as well.
4. Hull band - Hang about 3 feet of flat tape with a loop on the end over each side about mid ship. Hang a 6 foot piece over the bow. Tie the end of the roll of flat tape to the bottom ladder bracket and run the tape around the boat going through the hanging loops. The loops hold the tape in place. It is best if you run the tape with no twists in it. Once around the boat, tie the other end of the tape to the other ladder bracket. Make the band as tight as possible.
5. Fitting the Shrink Wrap (mast up) - On the E38, I use a 26 foot piece of plastic from the mast to the stern and a 23 foot piece from the mast to the bow. As you unroll the plastic, draw a line down the center. Be careful not to allow the plastic to touch the ground as it will attract dirt which will create hot spots when you are shrinking. Hot spots lead to melt holes, not good. Let's do the bow first. Drape the plastic over the center backbone and spread it out. The marked center line will make it easy position the plastic in the middle. At the mast, slit about a foot along the centerline and wrap it around the mast. Hold it in place by wrapping the plastic/mast with the shrink tape. Be careful to not have the tape come in contact with the mast as it will leave a residue in the spring which is difficult to clean off and cuts into sailing time. At the bow, slit the plastic and wrap it around the forestay and secure with shrink tape. You will have a lot of excess as you wrap it around the bow; just cut it off. Next cut around the shrouds and secure with tape. Now the fun part. Shrink wrap will weld to itself when heated. Tuck the plastic under the hull band and hit it with the torch. Then tap the warm plastic with the back side of your gloved hand. This will weld the shrinkwrap and thus wrap it securely around the hull band. Follw the same procedure with the aft section of shrink wrap starting at the mast and working back. This will give you a double layer of material around the shrouds. If the wind is blowing, you might want to tack the plastic down to the hull band right away.
6. Final fitting - Tuck and weld the plastic under the hull band all the way around the hull. At the bow, cut off the excess plastic, tape it together and weld it. The bow, the shrouds and the stern require the most fitting and take the most time.
7. Securing the hull band - Run flat tape from the hull band, under to boat and to the hull band on the other side about every 6 feet along the hull. At the keel, tie from the hull band to the craddle. Cut a small slit in the plastic above the hull band and run the flat tape through it and tie it. This will hold the band and the shrink wrap in place for the winter.
8. Shrink the shrink wrap - Starting at the hull and working your way up, hold the torch about 2 feet from the plastic and heat it . This will cause the plastic to shrink. You will be surprised at how much it will shrink. If you have a crease in the plastic, typically around the stern, where the plastic is folded over on itself, simply blow the flame into the crease and then tap it to weld it together.
9. Patching the holes - You are bound to melt some holes in the plastic, at least I always do. Two+ inch holes can be used as vent holes by taping a triangular piece of plastic over the hole with the bottom flared out. Larger holes can be fixed by taping a piece of scrap plastic over the hole and heating it. Smaller holes can be fixed by taping over them.
10. Vents - If you are a pro and don't have any holes for vents, simply heat the torch so the end is hot, turn the torch off and pierce the plastic where you want a vent. You will have a perfect round hole for the vent. I suggest 6-10 vents for a 38 foot boat. Tape a triangle over each hole and you have vents. You can also purchase plastic vents that pierce the plastic and are secured with tape.
11. The door - Once the shrinking is complete, tape the door on to the plastic. Carefully heat the shrink tape thus securing the door. Unzip the door and cut the plastic to the desired hole size.
12. Remove the tape from the fuel vent.
13. From inside the shrink "tent", be sure the two pieces of plastic are will secured to eachother at the mast and around the shrouds. Patch any other holes with tape.
14. Take a long winters nap. Spring will arrive in less than 6 months.
Wow, this ended up longer than I thought; hope it helps.
Tom
