DIY Heat Shrink - Large Boat - Mast up

[Derek Rowell]

Never done it before but I'm ready to go - bought the Dr. Shrink kit and all the goodies - I've watched his new video CD a hundred times. He covers a small sailboat with the mast up. The technique is to use two sections of film (fore and aft) overlapped at the mast and heat-sealed together. Looks real simple when he does it but the problem is that he could reach over the side of the boat all the way to to the mast in order to heat-seal the fore and aft sections. On a bigger boat you can't do that, and somehow I will have to work with the heat gun from the mast outwards on each side while I am on deck. As I see it I will lay out the aft film first and tape around the mast, cutting in for the shrouds. Then I'll do the forward section, but roll (scrunch) it back up to within 2-3ft of the mast, so that I can work on the join from the fore-deck. I'll then tape and heat-seal the two sections around the shrouds, and then unroll the film to cut and fit around the forestay and bow.It was suggested on the CSBB board that I use a single sheet, and split it along the centerline from the mast forward, then overlap, tape and seal the centerline forward of the mast. Somehow that seems to be not as strong, and the effects of the seam coming apart along the heat-seal would be much more severe.Any other suggestions? Now if this New England weather would just cooperate ;D ...

 

[Don Berger]

need some help?

DerekWe keep our 40.5 at Brewers in Warwick so we're likely not too far away. I have no experience but would be happy to help as that would give me some experience in case I do my own next winter. If your interested, let me know off line and I'll try to arrange my schedle accordingly.Don email - K1vsk@cox.net

 

[Derek Rowell]

Don... I am at Brewers also!!

... on Dock 6 - I'll email you!Derek

 

[Daryl]

Experience w/Shrinkwrap (long)

I have done several sailboats/year for the past four years mast up. Rather than buy the (expensive) kit I get the plastic and tape wholesale. I use cheap poly rope, twine or wire for strapping at the bottom. I always do it using 2 pieces. I usually set up a wood ridge pole but have done several with rope from the stays to the mast to make the peak. I cut each piece 2' longer than necessary and make slices at the mast and shrouds. Then the two will overlap 4'. I use tape and heat to bond them together. Sometimes I am lucky and can stand on a neighbors boat to reach the top. I also use and extension ladder. Occasionally I have taken the heat gun inside to make final fit but don't recommend this. Each time you do one of these you'll get better at it.Tuck the plastic under a line you have set up around the sides of the hull and melt it together. Then add a few straps under the bottom before you shrink the top. Cold temperature doesn't seem to bother my 150,000 BTV Shrinkfast gun but rain or wind can make shrinking the film difficult or impossible. Add plenty of vents at the end.wholesale plastic at Kellogg supply is about $1/ft for 20' wide film in 150' rolls