To Shrinkwrap or not???

[southerncross]

We purchased our boat August 2013 from a man who never covered the boat in the winter. He claimed that the boat needed to breath and otherwise would cause mold. In the past we always shrinkwrapped our Sea Ray. So upon the former's advice we drapped a tarp and used several bungie cords to secure. Needless to say,this winter in Long Island has been a tough one and we are constantly dislodging the snow and ice from
the vessel.
The boat sits next to our Sea Ray( which is available still ) tightly wrapped and the the Albin is floppin in the breeze......
Has mold been an issue with others who use shrinkwrap? Any advice will be appreciated.

[Cape Codder]

When we bought the boat in 2006 (2003 model) it had some, not a lot of mildew under hatches etc. We've "shrinked" for,the past 6 years. We use 10 vents, keep every door/hatch open, and run a West Marine air circulator all winter, as well a trickle charger for the batteries.
Minimal if any mildew. The first spring clean-up is washing virtually everything washable with white vinegar solution to remove any hint of it. ( 1 gal water, 1 quart vinegar, 1 teaspoon Joy or Dawn) It cleans everything well, and harmless to anything, and will remove ANY mildew.
Cape Cod this winter has been blasted by Mother Nature with howling winds, and plenty of snow/rain/freezing temps down to about 0. The shrink has held beautifully with no issues. No snow build-up.
We have a zipper door on both port and starboard side (we simply re-use them for several years) and last peek inside.....everything was fine. When weather permits, I'll open both doors on sunny weekends and let the fresh air inside, (if we ever have a sunny weekend!)
Tarps also work well if installed with proper framework (pain in the a$&) and tie downs, but usually need some adjustment over time (not for me).

[RobS]

You can cut as many vents in the shrinkwrap as you want for cross ventilation and air flow. I cut them in on vertical surfaces so air will flow through but minimal moisture from snow or rain gets in. And leave what you cut so it acts like a flap door. Triangles pointed down seem to work best. Plus moisture control products placed down below are an option. I am normally on the boat weekly in the winter so she gets more than the needed fresh air. Between snow load and chafing I would be more concerned about the damage from the tarp than any mildew you "might" get from shrinkwrap.

[Pitou]

Anyone that has problems with mold from shrink wrapping is not properly venting the boat.

To minimize winter cover maintenance I shrink and vent. The more vents the better. Leave some deck hatches open too. Like Rob I tend to visit the boat often and in the past utilized an access door. I also place small Damp Rid buckets throughout the bilges and cabin spaces, though they've never accumulated any visible moisture. I've been following this formula for the past 17 years without ever a mold issue.

With the new 31 this year I chose to just cover the cockpit by wrapping a perimeter band around the rooftop and using preservation tape to attach the rest of the cover to and above the rub rail I am tight as a drum and utilize vents across the top to the rear of the pilothouse / DIY at $75 . I now access through the transom door which does allow some cross venting while keeping the weather out. The Dr Shrink waterproof vents get cut out and reused each year / can't tell you how many years I've used the same ones ... just tape them back on. Rob's method of vertical slices can be beefed up with a strip of shrink tape applied before cutting. This works well too.

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[Nepidae]

I'm a little late to the party on this one but I do have some additional information to add (for next year).

As you can see we have a 43 Sundeck, the first year I shrink wrapped her, cost @ $600.00. The next year I was going to do the same thing, the cost was going to be $1,000.00. This didn't seem to be a good way to continue so I found a cover maker who has made a cover we have used for 3 seasons now, cost @ $1,600.00. He feels it should go 8 seasons, (we are in the SW corner of Pennsylvania for the winter).

I can only state that my experience with HF Fisher & Sons in Delanco, NJ has been nothing but exceptional. He needed to make several modifications to the cover after we purchased it and did so at no additional expense, 1 year traveling to Maryland where we wintered 1 season to pick up the cover make the modifications and return it the next winter.

I have never had a mold, insect or other problem with his cover. He can be reached at 800.624.2868.

I have no financial interest in this company, just endorsing a great company.