Planning for the tropics

I don't mind the heat but I do hate for the sun to beat down and heat things up.  I had seen a picture of  a boom shade and had a first effort at one left by the previous owners so that was my post surgery project that I could work on a bit at a time at home.  It is free standing with attach points on the lifelines.  I used light weight backpacking tent poles and sewed in pockets to run them through.  The most expensive part of the project were the pocket pieces for the end of the poles.  Now that I see how they were made I can make any future ones myself.  It really cuts down on the amount of heat coming in our forward companionway.  It is a bit of an effort to set up but will be worth it when anchored for a day or more.

The boom tent from the front

Side view of boom shade

Our port light shades were getting grubby and the snaps weren't working so I took them home for rehab.

All cleaned up and back in place.  I bought new material and made the strips with new snaps to hold the folded shades in place.