To Shrink or not to Shrink???

ujk · #1 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011

To all liveaboards out there:
Am sure this subject has steered its way into the forum several times, but what is your latest view and experience(S)? Am liveaboard in NJ across from NYC - and what say you? To shrink or not to shrink for winter? Not talking about "third ear" either. LOL - though I've been told i could use one for taking the plunge to liveaboard especially during the winter! - Waterlily

cranki · #2 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011

I am about to move aboard myself in Southwestern CT. Talking to the folks who run the marina I am going into, it seems like almost everybody shrink wraps for the winter. I am definitely planning on it and am going with clear for maximum warmth. I plan to replace all the ports while undercover this winter.

killarney_sailor · #3 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011

We lived aboard at Liberty Landing in Jersey City for two winters and did not shrink wrap and did not miss it. A few comments:
- they would not let you do your own and the approved contractor was very expensive and was still doing boats in late January which makes little sense
- a significant majority of liveaboard boats were not shrink wrapped
- we had a full enclosure for our cockpit and that was a very nice feature since it gave us a 'mud room' on wet days and an extra room on sunny days (a good feature of shrink wrapping too
- we had good heating (Espar with 5 outlets) so insulation was not as much of an issue

ujk · #4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011

Uhmmm, it seems i am getting mixed reviews on shrink wrap. I will wait and see as there other factors to consider....Thanks and Good day mate, Killarney - do you ever sleep down under? It seems you're always up and about!!! :-)

treilley · #5 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011

Definitely shrink if you do not plan to do any frost-biting.

We take the mast down every year and shrink using clear. The entire deck is our winter sunroom.

ujk · #6 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011

Cool! Your weather is a wee colder than NJ? Also, debating whether to take the mast down. LHYC doesn't offer many services so nearest marina that I'd have to contact is Liberty (see Killarney). About when do you shrink? I'm thinking of covering it with Top Gun or Sunforger - which is my next thread...
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btw, is E.T. in there? LOL!

Siamese · #7 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011

"third ear"?

killarney_sailor · #8 (**permalink**) 10-17-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by ujk

Uhmmm, it seems i am getting mixed reviews on shrink wrap. I will wait and see as there other factors to consider....Thanks and Good day mate, Killarney - do you ever sleep down under? It seems you're always up and about!!! :-)

I have been in Toronto for a month for my son's wedding. Waiting in Vancouver for flight to Sydney and then back to Ainia in Brisbane.

DougSabbag · #9 (**permalink**) 10-18-2011

For whatever value. We were in Boston last winter with a Gulfstar 50 sailboat. Well, most of our neighbors were shrink wrapped, while we were not.

We were fine, with 2 cheap electric / ceramic space heaters.

I think the major factors involved are how big are your windows? And, do you have inner walls?

I noticed that M/V s have those large windows, and therefore seem to need all the insulation they can get. Likewise, without our inner teak walls, we would have been missing all that insulating effect.

And, we do not want to live like that. It is almost claustrophobic to be inside a plastic bag.
We enjoy looking outside, instead of being in a bag.

We experienced one of the 3 worst winters on record last year in Boston, yet we were comfy, holding to no less than 65 at the worst, and usually we were at 70 degrees, or more.

I should mention that we shut off the crews' quarters, and the bow cabin. So we were only heating the main salon, galley, and aft cabin, plus 2 heads.

We also "did the math" and they wanted over $1200 to wrap our boat, which would in no way be offset by whatever conceptual electric savings we could possibly attain.

So, for whatever value, there you go.

SVAuspicious · #10 (**permalink**) 10-18-2011

Five years aboard, never shrink wrapped in Annapolis MD. We don't stay cold as long as more northern climes but we do get as cold.

I use an oil-filled radiator to maintain a reasonable temperature and kick on the Espar in the mornings to get the boat up into the 70s.