Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
Anyone ever make a boom tent to cover the cockpit area? What fabric did you use? (Don't want to use a plastic tarp or canvas drop cloth.) How much fabric required? Any instructions will be appreciated along with photos.
Sorry no photos of mine but.. I was given a canopy that stretches from the mast to the backstay. It hangs under the boom. I have a standard rig and I only stand 5'-8" but there is plenty of headroom. It is flat with three horizontal bars. One at the mast, one just above the companionway, this one ties to the boom above it, and one at the backstay. It shades the cabin with the pop-top up and the most of the cockpit. Very welcome in the August doldrums and I stay on the boat 3-4 days a week all summer. Sort of like this one but under the boom.
I also made one with mooring pickup wands and a nylon tarp. It was nice because the fibre-glass wands would bend like a Conestoga wagon tarp. Again sorta like this except under the boom and the poles were pick-up wands. I'm sure the marina has plenty of old ones.
I had a boom tent fabricated out of Sunbrella fabric which I believe has a finished dimension of 12’9” long by 8’10” wide, and the color is “Toast” to match my bimini and mainsail covers. I had brass eyelets installed at the four corners and halfway down the longer edges. I’ve used it at the slip to prevent rain entering the cockpit and to protect the open companion way from sun and rain. I haven’t used it with supports like John G, but could use a few 1” x 8 ft PVC pipes like I use on my winter cover. The fabricators were Defender Industries when they were in Westchester, before they moved to Connecticut. Since then they stopped working in Sunbrella. You could contact The Sailors Tailor company to see whether they make them to order. I don’t use it all the time, but when I do I’m very glad to have it.
I also have a boom tent that came with my boat when I bought it. It is light weight canvas that covers the boom front to back. It gets tied to the stantions or rails. I only used it a few times then bought a Bimini. What I didn't like about it was the sides come down from the boom at a sharp angle so it would hit your head if you wanted to sit on the seats with your back against the bulkhead. Not much headroom unless you stay in the middle of the boat. Having some sort of pole system to support the sides up would fix that problem.
Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688 Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound
During some steady rain we had while cruising for a few days, I made a boom tent out of a 10' x 12' blue tarp that went along with the pop-top cover to keep us dry and happy.
JohnP 1978 C25 SR/FK "Gypsy" Mill Creek off the Magothy River, Chesapeake Bay Port Captain, northern Chesapeake Bay
Old spin from a smaller boat. It's a boom tent and a wind sock and an anchor sail . very light wind only. Early version in this image...
I rig it a little differently now, but very similar.
The previous owner had a nice waterproof canvas tent with two poles but I found it easier to use the one small spinnaker in a bag with lines on it and one pole. Easier to store onboard.
I run the head of the sail up the mast with the main halyard and clip the pole ends to the sail tack and clew and tie to the aft rail.
I'd like to get the head of the sail recut to fit this application better one day.
I keep thinking I'll see something like a rain fly with collapsible poles at REI or Campmor that would work, but no such luck yet.
Ray in Atlanta, Ga. "Lee Key" '84 Catalina 25 Standard Rig / Fin Keel
I works well, but it only goes as far as the end of the boom, so it doesn't shade the sun if it's from behind. When it's really hot, I've been known to clip towels or sheets from the end of the tent to the stern rail.
Hi I have tried a few over the boom styles but now use my Bimini for rain and shade . I had a sail maker sew a zip front and back of the bimini with 3 in of sunbrella on each of the other sides of the zips . I then at home sewed some clear to the front and some shade cloth to the rear .. so if I need shade I can zip in the shade cloth or rain I zip in the Clear I can also tilt the bimini forward to protect the hatch . Will try and get photo .. .. Winter here so not keen..
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.