Boat Shrink Wrapping

Sizing

To keep things simple, there are two basic measurements along with tucking and fusing that you will need to consider to determine the appropriately sized width of shrink wrap to best cover your boat - they are: 

• Above the Rail Measurement - On most traditional boats, there is a rub rail around the outer edge of the boat.  The "above the rail measurement" is the distance between the rubrail and the highest point on the boat where the shrinkwrap is expected to cover.

• Below the Rail Measurement - This measurement is based on your preference of how far below the rub rail your shrink wrap should cover.  Our preference is to cover every part of the boat above the waterline.  This "below the rail" measurement is best taken at the tallest point of the rub rail recommend 8".

• Tucking & Fusing - Plan to leave enough extra material to tuck the edge under the strap so that two layers of shrink wrap can be heat welded together to a secure installation.  The heat welding can be done with as little as 6 inches of overlap.  Remember that the smaller the overlap, the more careful you must be that the shrink wrap isn't moving as you pull to secure it.  With taller or wider boats, you might find yourself a bit short of material at the widest point of your boat - but don't worry!  It is easy enough to patch a small part of the wrap if the material falls short somewhere.  There should be enough excess material from the cutout made for the bow to use for the quick patch.  Remember to use the rule of overlapping 6 inches or more for all edges of your patch as well!

Formula – Required Shrinkwrap Width = (Above the Rail Measurement + Below the Rail Measurement + Tuck & Fusing) * 2

***Please notice the multiplication by 2 at the end of the formula!  The formula above will only provide enough shrinkwrap to securely cover half of your boat without the multiplication by 2 at the end of the formula.***

Boats under 25’ in length may consider measuring from stern to bow with a path above the highest point on the boat, then adding a minimum of 6 inches of tucking and fusing at both ends. This method allows you to pull the shrinkwrap sideways over the boat so that the width covers the boat's length.

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Venting 

It is imperative that every shrink wrap cover be properly ventilated to eliminate moisture, mildew, and condensation from forming under the cover.  The number of vents to use will vary according to the boat size.

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