J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum Cruising Discussions Boom Tent

Has anyone made a custom boom tent or bought an existing mesh tarp, etc to serve as a boom tent while at dock or anchor. Curious of the size you have and any advice.

It's funny you should ask. I just got a new one as the one I inherited when I bought the boat was getting beat-up. Biggest mistake about the old one is that it did not go all the way back to the backstay. The new one goes all the way back and has pockets for 1/2 fiberglass rods. It also has a loop on the top for a halyard. It measures 9'4 across and tapers-in to 8'10" at the back. I'll post some photos when I get a chance.

Great thanks. All the way to the backstay is key

Brett, we designed and constructed this boom tent last year with some minor modification completed this year. Maybe a couple more to come. It spans from the mast to the backstay and follows the deck outline. There is a connection to the backstay, one to the mast and two in the center supported by the main halyard.

It has proved to be very successful in the heat of the summer this year and has had a noticable cooling effect on the deck. We recently (yesterday) added side panels. This will help when sitting in the cockpit after a day on the water having a cool beverage.

Wow Doug, that is quite the boom tent! Mine's a little more modest in size, but for summer use I like the way yours is going. After seeing a couple of these oversized versions, I'm wondering if I made a mistake with mine. Though mine will continue to function well keeping the weather off the boat when I put it away, I think I may have to make one of these really big ones out of an old main sail. The light colour and translucent qualities of the old dacron would make for a nice bright summer shelter. And the overhang will help with keeping rain off the decks. Where did you find the tent poles to support yours?

We got fiberglass from TSC(believe it or not). I used 2- 3/8 dia.rods.It is a little flimsy, but has worked very well. It has been through several weekends with 25 kt winds at the dock. We did have a little concern initally about using navy, but this has actually worked well as it tends to keep the heat from the deck.It may be a bit dark in the cockpit, but cool. It takes about 5 minutes to put up and about 10 minutes to put the side panels and back on. They are connected with velco and tied to the life line. This allows air in and if the wind gets too much, the velcro will let go and not the canopy.

jeez guys ... I thought my wrangler jeep was a pain in the a. and just ended up wearing goggles when it was raining with the top down.