Shrink Wrap obtained today

[hoddinr]

Picked up a 1000 foot roll of shrink wrap about 30 inches (?) wide to wrap the boom and sail on Nomad today before and after traveling from Tampa to Pensacola for the Florida 120 raid.

Paul at Masthead Enterprises had recommended it, saying that the sail and cover takes a beating after 12 hours on the road. 

It was only $19 at Home Depot in the packaging dept in front of the registers.

Ron Hoddinott

[capt_nemo]

hoddinr,

Shrink Wrap is probably a good idea. Would keep things clean also.

However, I've found that a "Hurricane Wrap" with a light line repeatedly "hitched" snugly around sail and cover, from mast to boom end, keeps everything reasonably tight for Interstate Speeds.

capt_nemo

[hoddinr]

The Hurricane wrap you describe, Capt Nemo, is a good one.  But for the longer distances - 1000 miles or more, like I'm doing next week, we'll see how the plastic wrap works.

Thanks,
Ron

[Jon898]

The SunCat may be a different configuration, but I found that the tang on the mast for the forestay of my Picnic Cat was a chafe point when trailering at speed.  If you leave the sail and sailcover on, I'd recommend padding the tang to prevent getting a hole in the sailcover.  The shrinkwrap will probably eliminate the problem by itself, but it may be worth a belt-and-suspenders approach.  I didn't pad between Indiana and North Carolina and ended up having to replace the sailcover (not too upset as it was at the end of its life anyway after 12 years).

[capt_nemo]

Jon898,

A valid observation indeed.

I too noticed the potential for chafe in way of the forestay tang, and for that reason pad it quite well before putting my White Polytarp Cover on the boat at all times when not in use. The mast serves well as a ridge pole for my cover.

Apparently you apply the sailcover over BOTH mast AND main sail bent on the boom. I do not do that on my Sun Cat.

capt_nemo

[hoddinr]

I tried to put the 30 in wide plastic wrap on the boom/sail/sailcover today, but it didn't work.  Hard to get it between the mast and boom and it didn't stick well.  Perhaps I have the wrong stuff, and maybe it has to be done with the mast up.  Oh well.  Back to the "Hurricane Wrap."

Ron

[Craig]

Think you got the wrong stuff! I use 2" wide "Saran" wrap(like the stuff you use in the kitchen) NOT shrink wrap. Comes in rolls from Lowes & Home Depot. Simply wrap around the sail, pulling tight. Finish off the ends with duct tape to prevent unwrapping. I use it for trailing and as a "Hurricane Wrap". If I am expecting a real hurricane I will use a rope "hurricane wrap" over top of everything just to be sure of the integrity of the wrap. The 30" shrink wrap would be almost impossible to deal with and would have to be heat shrunk with a heat gun. Not a great scenario!

[hoddinr]

Craig,

I went to Loews, or Home Depot to get it, and it was like "Saran" wrap.  But it was such a huge roll (1000 feet) that I couldn't wrap it around the boom because of the closeness of the mast in the hinged down position. 

You really used wrap 2 inches wide?

Ron

[Jon898]

I've used stuff like this for other purposes, and the handle dispenser makes it really easy to use: http://www.lowes.com/pd_167749-51820-167749-D___?productId=50192327&pl=1&Ntt=stretch+wrap.  Don't know if it would fit between the mast and the sail/boom/gaff (as noted above, I bind the mast/sail/boom/gaff together under the sailcover on the PC).

[Craig]

That's the stuff! I went out to the garage and checked the width and it is 5"(not 2"). Very easy to use as Jon says. Has many other uses such as keeping rolled up material(maps, rugs, etc) rolled up.

[hoddinr]

Well, that would have worked!

I made the 950 mile trip from Largo to Pensacola and return with no wrap around the sail cover, and it doesn't look any worse for wear.  Of course I keep the speed down under 60 MPH.

The FL 120 featured 2 SunCats.  The other one was from St. Mary's Ga, sailed by Mike Howell.  He sailed farther than I did, but didn't finish the event either.

I burned myself with hot coffee on Thursday morning, and then lost my iPhone overboard so decided to quit while I was behind. 

Things that worked :  New Ray Marine Auto Pilot, and Solar Shower by Duckworks.  Oh.. and the trailer.