Winter cover with the shipping cover

[Clowell50]

So last year I shrink wrapped my Ar-240 and parked it at my house. I placed a bunch of moisture bags inside the boat and it stored fantastic over the winter. I was wondering if anyone in snowy winter states stores their boat using a shipping cover for winter. I figured with the vents and with the poles will stay nice and taught around the boat. I am in Maine for reference.

 

[Damsroy]

I'm in CT and stored my boat outside at the marina on trailer with the shipping cover.
My shipping cover covers the majority of the hull well below the water line. I also put some damp-rid buckets.
No problem whatsoever. Boat was clean and dry when i opened it up to dewinterize it. We didn't have a lot of snow this year but i really think that even with a lot of snow this would work flawlessly.

 

[Ronnie]

I don’t live in a place where it snows but have used a shipping cover as an outdoor winter cover many times. The soft inner liner of the shipping cover absorbs water like a sponge if/when it gets wet mold can develop quickly. One year water leaked in through the Velcro openings for the tower, when I took the cover off at the start of the season the liner was covered in mold and some of it transferred to the Tops of the seats.

One thing that sucks about the shipping cover is that yamaha doesn’t sell them. They come with their boats, so if you want one you have to go to a private party which can charge what they want. I paid close to $300 for my current shipping cover, not bad compared to a $700 canvas cover but not inexpensive either.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Ronnie I wonder if your experience would of been different if you lived in a place that had freezing weather? With respect to the Mold growth?

 

[Canuckjetboater]

So last year I shrink wrapped my Ar-240 and parked it at my house. I placed a bunch of moisture bags inside the boat and it stored fantastic over the winter. I was wondering if anyone in snowy winter states stores their boat using a shipping cover for winter. I figured with the vents and with the poles will stay nice and taught around the boat. I am in Maine for reference.

@Clowell50 ....please clarify. If you are referring to the black Yamaha cover with poles and perimeter ratchet strap that many of us refer to as the trailering/storage cover that could be okay depending if you keep the snow load off. But, if you are referring to the covers that the boats leave the Yamaha factory with that could be a different story. They are not designed for long term storage just shipping. I have seen examples, first hand, videos and pictures of boat interiors virtually ruined by mould/mildew because these covers did not breathe enough for long term storage. I think you may be referring to the trailering cover in which case it depends on how assiduously you keep snow drifts off it, in my opinion.

 

[Clowell50]

I have seen some of the shipping covers that's come.from the factor that appear to have vents at the top to allow for air flow. That's why I was wondering. When shrink wrapped they install vents but if the covers will not to enough to allow air flow and mold will be an issue then that would be an easy answer.

 

[Daren and Heather]

I can vouch that the 2020 shipping covers have vents at the top, just like the mooring covers do. I'm in Minnesota and have the same dilemma that @Clowell50 has.

I have a noobie question that maybe someone knows the answer to...

When you shrinkwrap, do they shrinkwrap OVER the cover?

If so, which cover would be better to shrinkwrap over? The mooring cover, or the shipping cover? I would prefer to use the shipping cover and shrinkwrap over it, and keep the mooring cover stored inside my house to make it last a bit longer.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

When you shrinkwrap, do they shrinkwrap OVER the cover?

@Daren and Heather .....anyone who tries to shrink wrap over a cover should have that torch applied to his (you fill in the word).....the short answer NO.

 

[Daren and Heather]

Lol, well that answers that for me.

 

[Ronnie]

@Ronnie I wonder if your experience would of been different if you lived in a place that had freezing weather? With respect to the Mold growth?

I don’t know but if given the choice between living in a place that can sometimes be freezing cold or dealing with a moldy cover I will take the mold 24/7/365.

 

[Clowell50]

I can vouch that the 2020 shipping covers have vents at the top, just like the mooring covers do. I'm in Minnesota and have the same dilemma that @Clowell50 has.

I have a noobie question that maybe someone knows the answer to...

When you shrinkwrap, do they shrinkwrap OVER the cover?

If so, which cover would be better to shrinkwrap over? The mooring cover, or the shipping cover? I would prefer to use the shipping cover and shrinkwrap over it, and keep the mooring cover stored inside my house to make it last a bit longer.

So the guy that shrink wraps my boat uses 1x2 boards to make a frame that goes down the center of the boat just over top of the windshield with the tower in the lowered position. He then puts the shrink wrap over that.

 

[Clowell50]

I don’t live in a place where it snows but have used a shipping cover as an outdoor winter cover many times. The soft inner liner of the shipping cover absorbs water like a sponge if/when it gets wet mold can develop quickly. One year water leaked in through the Velcro openings for the tower, when I took the cover off at the start of the season the liner was covered in mold and some of it transferred to the Tops of the seats.

One thing that sucks about the shipping cover is that yamaha doesn’t sell them. They come with their boats, so if you want one you have to go to a private party which can charge what they want. I paid close to $300 for my current shipping cover, not bad compared to a $700 canvas cover but not inexpensive either.

Do people in California actually have to winterize if your not in the mountains?

 

[Damsroy]

The shipping covers I have seen have the built in vents similar to the one on the deluxe mooring cover (I have both type of cover)

 

[HangOutdoors]

I don’t know but if given the choice between living in a place that can sometimes be freezing cold or dealing with a moldy cover I will take the mold 24/7/365.

That wasn't my point or even the direction I was heading in. I was wondering if it was colder where it would be freezing would that inhibit the mold growth? Looking to be educated on the topic and such things as temperature, mold growth, moisture and covering the boat for long periods of time.

 

[Ronnie]

Do people in California actually have to winterize if your not in the mountains?

I don’t do anything but full the tank and stabilize the fuel. I used to fog the engine but so no difference in performance when I didn’t fog them so I stopped altogether. There are places that have extreme weather but not many, at the same time it’s not all beaches and sunny days either.

 

[Evil Sports]

I would advise against using the shipping cover in place of shrink wrap. 90% chance you will not be happy with the result in the spring, now you have a real mess to deal with.

 

[Ronnie]

That wasn't my point or even the direction I was heading in. I was wondering if it was colder where it would be freezing would that inhibit the mold growth? Looking to be educated on the topic and such things as temperature, mold growth, moisture and covering the boat for long periods of time.

Again I don’t know, it’s not like I can control the weather I store my boat in. If I could store it inside or under a hard cover/car port I would.

You raise an interesting question though especially in regard to the storage cover. In addition to having water get to the inner liner via the tower openings I’ve had shipping covers develop cracks in them, I assumed it was just what happens when the plastic deteriorates over time but cold weather and/or exposure to the sun may be the root cause of the problem or may be accelerating the process.
In any case I think the shipping cover is a great outdoor storage cover but I only expect them to survive 3 off seasons outdoors and I’d rather sacrifice this “cheap cover” instead of an expensive canvas version. I can’t justify shrink wrapping my boat even if it only cost $100 per year, I would feel more limited on using my boat on the spur of the moment and a shipping cover should always last me at least a two seasons v. Having to buy, install, remove and throw away shrink wrap annually.

 

[Clowell50]

That wasn't my point or even the direction I was heading in. I was wondering if it was colder where it would be freezing would that inhibit the mold growth? Looking to be educated on the topic and such things as temperature, mold growth, moisture and covering the boat for long periods of time.

For us in Maine it's not so much the frosty snowy season I would worry about. It's the freezing rain and sleet season on either side of the deep freeze where there is plenty of water but it's not freezing and could cause mold. I opened my boat up this year at the end of April and the 4 large water collectors I put in were full and that was with it shrink wrapped and plenty of circulation.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Ronnie Makes sense. I got two quotes this evening on shrink wrapping. $180 and $220 and they will come to the house. Also put vents in. Not really sure what I am going to do. Shrinkwrap, inside heated storage, Get rid of the Admiral and move down to the keys..... It's all a bit much to think about as I am covered in dust and dirt from demoing the kitchen and the temperatures are dropping into the 50's outside and my boating season is over..... smh

 

[Clowell50]

Again I don’t know, it’s not like I can control the weather I store my boat in. If I could store it inside or under a hard cover/car port I would.

You raise an interesting question though especially in regard to the storage cover. In addition to having water get to the inner liner via the tower openings I’ve had shipping covers develop cracks in them, I assumed it was just what happens when the plastic deteriorates over time but cold weather and/or exposure to the sun may be the root cause of the problem or may be accelerating the process.
In any case I think the shipping cover is a great outdoor storage cover but I only expect them to survive 3 off seasons outdoors and I’d rather sacrifice this “cheap cover” instead of an expensive canvas version. I can’t justify shrink wrapping my boat even if it only cost $100 per year, I would feel more limited on using my boat on the spur of the moment and a shipping cover should always last me at least a two seasons v. Having to buy, install, remove and throw away shrink wrap annually.

It's usually around $350 for me to shrink wrap my boat. That being said here in Maine it's pretty much my only option as there won't be any spur of the moments frozen lake ice outings lol. I was hoping maybe if I bought a shipping cover I could get away with not shrink wrapping it and maybe using it for a 3 or 4 of years before having to get another one.