Boom tent

[ThereAndBack]

I intend to make a 'boom tent' type of cover. Can anyone tell me what type of fabric I should use? It is for both UK (rain protection) and Mediterranean (sun protection) use.

Having recently bought 200 metres of mooring warp from a commercial supplier at a fraction of marine/chandlery prices, I now realise that the obvious sources are not necessarily the best.

Please can anyone advise me what type of fabric I should be looking for? If anyone can suggest a (sensibly priced) supplier I will be very grateful.

Many thanks.

Alan

 

[bigwow]

I got mine from the local chap who makes curtain sides for artics, he got me something similar only thinner than the stuff he uses for the lorries. He also welded a hem and put in the eyelets.

 

[DinghyMan]

We're just making one using a mono tarp from Tarpaflex .

Idea is to use a 4m x 3m clear tarp, cut about 60cm down the middle from one end to allow for the topping lift, add some extra plastic eyelets and then bungee it to the guard wires along the 3m long boom. We're making ours to keep the rain off us.

Cost £26 inc delivery, eyelets, bungees etc Vs Compass24's one at £100.

 

[ThereAndBack]

<span style="color:blue"> [ QUOTE ]
I got mine from the local chap who makes curtain sides for artics, he got me something similar only thinner than the stuff he uses for the lorries. He also welded a hem and put in the eyelets.

[/ QUOTE ] </span>

Yes, I like it. That is the sort of lateral thinking that can save a man a lot of money. Thanks.

Other suggestions still most welcome.

Alan

 

[ThereAndBack]

<span style="color:blue"> [ QUOTE ]
We're just making one using a mono tarp from Tarpaflex .


[/ QUOTE ] </span>

Product looks good, but green: swimbo says no - and clear: may not make a good sunshade.

Have you seen a similar product in other colours?

Thanks

Alan

 

[jonjo]

I have used a custom made boom tent for two seasons. Here are a few observations:

1 - Not half as effective as a fully enclosed tailored awning which can be a real season cheater, but it only costs 1/10 to 1/4 the price.

2 - Take it well forward of the sprayhood to stop rain sliding in.

3 - Downside of point 2, squeezing between the sprayhood and guard rail attached boom tent when leaving the boat is a right pain. Think about fitting a side access panel far enough forward so that is is opposite the pontoon.

4 - Scaling up from point 3. When the tent is up it is nice to be able to let the sun in once a shower has passed or close off the wind on one side, so fit a large rollup panel each side and make sure it rolls high enough to see out from a standing position in the cockpit (assuming the boat is large enough for this).

5 - I chose an offwhite fabric. Does not show up every mildew stain but reflects light back in at night making the cockpit more convivial.

6 - The length at the guardrail should be longer than the ridge to allow the bottom edge to be tensioned.

 

[DinghyMan]

We went for the clear because its not really clear - its translucent, also we don't expect too much sun to be a problem..
I searched quite a few sites from a Google and found that a lot of the materials were almost as expensive as ready made marine products.
Tarpaflex also do some striped and super-white covers - striped my not go down too well but the super-white look suspiciously like the material we've seen on a few boats.
I've also seen some quite nice camouflage ones....

 

[Guest]

[ QUOTE ]
1 - Not half as effective as a fully enclosed tailored awning which can be a real season cheater

[/ QUOTE ]

I reckon the boom tent is in many ways better than the fully enclosed varieties that I've seen, as they can be great as sun shades in hot weather, not so conservatory-like, plenty of ventilation passing through, and simple and quick to put up and take down. I found mine provides a surprising amount of shelter in rainy weather too, and I like the fact that I don't have to look through plastic to see out. At anchor with the wind from ahead and the sprayhood up, the shelter is really excellent. So personally I would get (did get) a boom tent arrangement in preference to a more elaborate one.

[ QUOTE ]
2 - Take it well forward of the sprayhood to stop rain sliding in.

3 - Downside of point 2, squeezing between the sprayhood and guard rail attached boom tent when leaving the boat is a right pain. Think about fitting a side access panel far enough forward so that is is opposite the pontoon.

4 - Scaling up from point 3. When the tent is up it is nice to be able to let the sun in once a shower has passed or close off the wind on one side, so fit a large rollup panel each side and make sure it rolls high enough to see out from a standing position in the cockpit (assuming the boat is large enough for this).

[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed, though mine's attached to the guardrail by bungee with hooks on the end, which makes zip panels unnecessary. You can quickly unhook these and throw the side if you want to get past the sprayhood (in fact the bungee lets you squeeze past without doing that anyway if you're in a hurry and don't mind squeezing), and you can easily unclip one side, or part of it, and throw it up if you just want shelter from one side.

 

[Alfie168]

I nicked the blue polyprop boot protector out of the back of my wife's estate car. Its a bit dog eared, but with a bungy at each corner it works OK ish. Its free, and the wife doesn't appear to have noticed yet.

You can take the man out of Yorkshire..... etc etc

Tim

 

[Searush]

I've just picked up a spare used groundsheet from a camping shop for a fiver.

I have a tailor made main boom cover, but, as a ketch, this stops about 1/2 way down the cockpit. I plan to use the groundsheet over the mizzen boom & cut to fit around the mizzen mast & main topping lift to meet the main cover & thus cover the whole cockpit.

 

[jonjo]

[ QUOTE ]
I reckon the boom tent is in many ways better than the fully enclosed varieties that I've seen, as they can be great as sun shades in hot weather, not so conservatory-like, plenty of ventilation passing through, and simple and quick to put up and take down.

[/ QUOTE ]
I can think of other advantages, a boom tent is more likely to have standing headroom and extra space because it reaches out to the guardrails. However I recall recently been forced down below after dark as a cold wind nipped under the boom tent while on the adjacent boat the crew sat out all evening in their cockpit conservatory.

 

[Gunfleet]

If you sew narrow pockets in the end (and even middle!) you can slip in carbon fibre tent poles and then it keeps up a v good shape and doesn't go baggy.A little cord from the end of the cf pole to the guardrails and voila. Dead posh.

 

[Seagreen]

Currently researching this, and I'm opting for something called Oddessey OD10, which is all the rage for garden pop-up awnings. Light, waterproof (initially) and UV resistant, is also light vanilla cream in colour. Available for PointNorth and other suppliers. Also sewable on a larger domestic sewing machine. Folds up small, rot proof and you vcan hand sew loops into the corners or go and annoy your local sailmaker (I know, I used to be one) by asking them to bang in larger rings in the seams.

Anyway, thats what I'm doing.

 

[BrendanS]

If you want something that lasts, you can't get better than sunbrella material

 

[William_H]

The best style of shelter will depend on several factors. Firstly do you anchor or stay on a swing mooring hence always get the wind on the bow. If it is a swing mooring/anchor then it doesn't have to be as well supported as that for a mooring which may have the wind from any direction.

Secondly is it sun shelter or rain/wind shelter you want?

My experience has been with boom tent style cover for the mainsail and roipes. That is vital in our UV environment. I tried various cloth and found that none lasted very long. The wind is constantly flogging the cover causing chafe and wear. I ended up with proper polyester boat cover cloth which is UV resistant and very strong even then I have reverted to just a cover on the sail rather than trying to shelter the ropes on the cabin top. Now I realise this was for 24/7 usage and you only want occasional use but you want something pretty srong.

A sun shelter needs to have open sides to give a cooling breeze while a rain or wind shelter really needs more detailed enclosure and obviously be water proof.

So I would suggest you get the sewing machine out and try various fabrics. But do build 2 covers one for the sun must be white and one for the rain of water proof fabric. good luck olewill

 

[Bejasus]

Brendan is right to a point, however we looked at this really well and came up with one of these. . Last stood up to 30kt winds. A bit scary but it was still there the next morning.

 

[BrendanS]

They make covers of all sorts, what material though?

 

[Bejasus]

The material is Dacron. To be honest Sunbrella is great for cockpit canopies & Dodgers etc., but not so good if you want to roll it up and store it in a bag. The shadetree rolls up into a bag, complete with the poles etc, just like a tent. Since we got ours, everyone asks where we got it from, how much did it cost and such. It works. A little fiddly, but what wouldn't be. We had a canvas boom tent prior to this and in a blow it just ripped the eyes out eventually. With the shadetree in the med and moving anchorages, you should be able to leave it up. We are very pleased with it so far.

 

[CliveG]

We have recently made this one

The material is a breathable waterproof type that is normally used for making rain ware.
I got it from this chap on e-bay.
10m by 66" for £18 including delivery.

We stitched 2 widths together and made a slot to go round the topping lift.
we inserted eyelets around the edges to lace it to the guard rails
Since the photo we have added bungy cord and hooks to make fitting it easier.

As has been stated getting in and out of the cockpit is a bit difficult.

The photo was taken just after rain.
My son sat where he is through out the rain and stayed completely dry.

We have used the same material to make a mainsail cover.

 

[Seagreen]

[ QUOTE ]
you can't get better than sunbrella material

[/ QUOTE ]

Well actually, you can.

Sunbrella is actually a woven PU coated acrylic cloth made as a synthetic canvas alternative, which starts life quite stiff, and waterproof, but after a season of flogging in the wind and weather tends to lose its proofing and becomes quite porous, though a lot softer and malleable in the process.

There are other alternatives going by various trade names; there was (and i think, still is) a hardwearing fabric very waterproof and heavy called Top Gun (came out after that movie) which is great for covers but not for awnings.

My preference is for OD10 which is a very lightweight cream Coated polyester, which will do as a sun and rain awning, yet allowing light into the boat without casting a wierd green or blue gloom.

It all depends what you want to use the awning for. If its just a sun awning for occasional use you may as well get very light ripstop tent fabric - easy to sew, light and packs up small. If its a n occasional rain and sun awning, I'm opting for the OD10.

As for height clearance over the boom. Tricky one this. Get the awning as high as you can given that you have to secure it. If you want an awning higher than the boom, consider some form of aft gallows. All depends on the boat, really.