Investing in a reusable winter cover is a sound environmental choice and a practical way to facilitate winter maintenance on your boat.
Over the past few decades, more and more boats in Canada have been put away for the winter under shrink wrap. Properly applied, shrink wrap seals the boat from water and intrusion by creatures, its slippery surface sheds snow (when we get it), and it resists wind and sun all winter.
Shrink wrap can also be recycled quite effectively, and some shrink wrap suppliers have created programs to gather used wrap to ensure that it’s recycled and not disposed of in a landfill site.
Unfortunately, not every shrink wrap user is aware of this recycling opportunity. We saw a large quantity of it being stuffed into the back of a garbage truck at a yacht club this spring.
Before the advent of shrink wrap, we used to keep boats stored inside or under a canvas cover. Inside storage will always be best but it is hard to find and invariably expensive. That is why shrink wrap caught on so fast and has become so successful, although “shrink” isn’t the only new material to come along.
Recently, we’ve had a number of conversations with Nat Genco. The topic that caught our interest was the fact that he produces high-quality reusable winter boat covers that offer an alternative to shrink wrapping.
The material Genco uses is a coated polyester which is light, strong and very durable. It was first used as far back as the 1970s for covering snowmobiles, and it doesn’t rot the way traditional canvas eventually does.
For the environmentally conscious boater, these new, lightweight coated polyester covers typically enjoy a 10 to 12-year lifespan (some last up to 15 years) – and that alone represents a big reduction in environmental impact.
An equally important reason to choose a reusable cover is that it can facilitate access to the boat to do winter projects, whereas a shrink-wrapped boat is generally inaccessible until spring.
We think the smart boat owner plans ahead at this time of year, working with their marina or yard to determine what maintenance and upkeep needs to be done over the winter to ensure that the boat is going to perform to expectations all next summer. It makes sense to get the work done this winter when you are not using the boat. A reusable cover can really help facilitate that.
Some marinas can build a zipper into the shrink wrap on a larger boat, but a zipper can become a significant additional cost when shrink-wrapping a cottage-size boat. We rarely see wrappers with zipper access.
The reusable cover is also fastened differently. As Nat explained, “It’s an easy job to untie the cover, peel it back and replace it later. We generally supply loops every three feet and webbing or line to tie it tight. To keep it tight, we hang sand bags or water bottles, six pounds each. The tension keeps the cover from moving.”
He showed us a very clever wooden frame. Genco offers hardware to make the frame quickly and easily, using just a drill and saw.
The covers have vents that are sewn in, and you can specify custom features like points for lines to pass through, special shapes to go over superstructure and more. Doing this with shrink would require a lot of skill by the technician and obviously much more labour, given that shrink is a one-time-use product.
On covers for bigger boats, Genco fits seven vents and a door, but even smaller boat covers can have a door that is big enough for a man to bring in tools and work inside.
The framework can facilitate more air circulation to reduce the effects of condensation. There are solar-powered vents available to boost air circulation, too.
Nat pointed out that marinas using inexperienced help can safely use these covers. There’s no skill required to fit them, as there is in using tape and a torch to get the right tension on shrink wrap without burning the gelcoat.
So, while the reusable cover costs more initially, Nat claims that an owner will get a payback on the investment in just three years, and from then on, they are saving money as well as reducing their environmental footprint.
The advantage of winter access for service is a no-brainer. But consider also that easy winter access can facilitate showing the boat if you decide to sell or trade up.
Finally, a few brave souls actually leave their boat in the water under the reusable cover and live there! Sufficient air circulation can be engineered in, and the zippered access door can be robust enough to withstand regular use.
While we thank Genco Marine for sharing these ideas, there are many custom canvas shops and marinas which can create a cover for your boat. It may mean a little more effort and a little higher cost, but getting easy access to do winter projects and keeping some shrink out of a landfill site makes it seem both a practical choice and sound environmental practice.
By Andy Adams
Destinations
Thornbury on Georgian Bay
Jennifer Harker
To borrow a line from Monty Python, “and now, for something completely different”.
Normally, our boating adventures are spent weaving our way amongst the picturesque backdrop of the 30,000 Islands of eastern Georgian Bay aboard our Sea Ray Sundancer 268. This time we’ve traded power for sail as friends welcome us aboard their 38-foot Irwin for the Canada Day long weekend.
We’ve set our sights on a decidedly different destination for this journey, charting a course for Thornbury. This small town, located in the southern reaches of Nottawasaga Bay, is an oft-overlooked area of Georgian Bay - but it shouldn’t be. Although we’ve explored this shoreline on countless road trips, this will be our first visit from the waterside.
Read more about the Thornbury on Georgian Bay...
Lifestyle
The Ins and Outs of Working on a Superyacht
By Marianne Scott
An estimated 10,000 yachts measuring 100 feet or more are afloat on the world’s oceans. They congregate in places like Monaco, St. Tropez, Fort Lauderdale, Antibes, and Antigua. Some yachts are used for private luxury cruising - Oman Sultan Qaboos, for example, shares Al Said, his 508-foot yacht, only with his 65 guests (and 140-member crew). Other big yachts offer opulent charters serving paying guests. Many yachts move between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean following the seasons.
Read more about the Superyachts...
Boat Reviews
Cruisers Yachts Cantius 46
The Cantius 46 is the latest evolution of Cruisers Yachts’ Cantius line – now there are five models from 42 to 60 feet. The new Cantius 46 is a great example of “easy boating” the way Volvo Penta imagined it and how Cruisers Yachts has executed it. The idea is that you just come on board, unlock the glass doors, fire it up, cast off, and enjoy - alone, with a spouse, or with a huge group.
Since the first Cantius model was introduced, Cruisers Yachts has continued to refine the concept for ever-greater convenience, more clever and innovative features, and also greater performance.
Read more about the Cantius 46...
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410
By, Zuzana Prochazka
The revolution continues – with a twist
The Jeanneau 410 is the eighth generation of the Sun Odyssey line, but even with that long history and umpteen years of tweaks and iterations, what the French builder has done in the latest revamp will make you say, “Wait, what?”
Last year, Jeanneau turned the sailboat deck layout on its ear with the introduction of their Sun Odyssey 490 and 440, and the concept of the ‘walk-around deck’.
Read More about the Odyssey 410...
Marine Products
Canadian Yachting 2019 Gear Guide
Watch for a tsunami of innovative new boating products in the chandlery this year, as accessory manufacturers battle for your attention and dollars.
This past decade has been a real up-and-down ride for the companies who make boating equipment. When the recession hit in 2008/2009, new product development for most manufacturers ground to a sharp halt as they focused on more pressing issues, like simply keeping the lights on. It took a few years for the economy to stabilize and for the first handful of new items to begin slowly trickling out to market. For guys like me who make a living writing about new boating gear, those were pretty lean years, let me tell you.
Read more about this years' Gear Guide....
AGM VS Flooded Batteries - What you need to know
You most likely operate your vessel with batteries that are rechargeable. Rechargeable batteries account for nearly half of worldwide battery sales. Within the rechargeable battery category, there are many different types of chemistries that are used. The most proven type of chemistry is the lead acid chemistry.
Wet cell or “flooded” batteries and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries are both considered lead batteries and contain an electrolyte solution which causes a chemical reaction and produces electrons. These batteries are recharged when put in contact with a reverse current. But, given the way they are designed, they each have their own pros and cons and these variations should be considered before use.
Read more about AGM and flooded batteries...