How to Make a Mainsail Cover Boom Tent

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Stay cool and shaded when you're at anchor or at the dock with a cockpit awning. We've devised a boom tent design that utilizes your mainsail cover to create a sheltered area over your companionway and extending to the cockpit. This is a very easy DIY and something even a beginner sewer will be able to tackle. Learn how to sew your own easy-to-install boom tent with this step-by-step, how-to video.

Video Chapters:

Taking Measurements – 0:47 min.
Cutting Fabric to Size – 2:15 min.
Creating Hems – 4:00 min.
Installing Spur Grommets – 9:22 min.
Installing Twist-Lock Fasteners – 10:12 min.
Attaching Panels to Sail Cover – 13:54 min.
Materials List – 15:14 min.

Materials List:

Marine canvas fabric (we used Sunbrella^® 60" Marine Grade fabric in Jockey Red #6003-0000)
Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas #129
PremoBond^®Tex 90 White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.) – #123337
#1 Spur Grommet 5/16" (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #26315
DOT^® Twist-Lock Fastener SnapRite^® Button Back Cloth‑to‑Cloth Set (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #777200
Leech Line Dacron^® 1/8" White – #21209

Tools List:

Soapstone Fabric Marking Pencil White – #102766
Sailrite^® Canvas Patterning Ruler – #107040
Sailrite^® Edge Hotknife Package (110V) – #103800
Sailrite^® Ultrafeed^® Collapsible Sewing Table – #104821
Sailrite^® Ultrafeed^® LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311602
Deluxe 5-1/2" Magnetic Sewing Guide – #103597
Sailrite^® Cutting Block & Die Holder – #121597
#1 Spur Grommet Die Set 5/16" – #18202
Sailrite^®#2 Hole Cutter 3/8" – #12548
Sailrite^® SnapRite^® Twist-Lock Die Kit – #104619
Sailrite^® Drill Hole Cutter 1/8" – #104482
Professional Rivet Tool – #103520
Tape Measure, Straightedge, Screwdriver, Hammer

How to Make a Mainsail Cover Boom Tent 2

This boom tent is made up of two fabric panels that attach to the bottom of a throated mainsail cover using the Twist-Lock fasteners already on the cover. The panels stretch and are tied to the lifelines to create a shaded area in your cockpit. Since this awning makes use of the sides of the sail cover too, it uses less fabric than other cockpit awning designs.

Depending on your designed size, you can make your own boom tent with just 3-4 yards of 60"-wide marine fabric. In the video, we used 4 yards of 60" Sunbrella^® Marine Grade fabric to create a boom tent for an Islander 37 sailboat. We recommend using the same material as the mainsail cover for the boom tent panels.

How to Make a Mainsail Cover Boom Tent 3

Watch the video to see just how simple it is to sew these panels and make a mainsail cover boom tent for yourself! Create this easy-to-sew project and enjoy a cool and shaded cockpit area on your boat!