Why not use the side slots in the boom for attaching the cover by sliding these in? This way you have two covers adding flexibility in use (e.g. one sided sun cover)...
You could use the tracks down the sides of the boom to make a spiffy split tarp. Secure one end in the track and tension the other to the life lines. You can add velcro or ties so you can roll it up and secure it to the boom when not in use for easy convenient storage 😊. Happy sailing
Dear Matt, We have on our boom, for exactly the same reason as you indicate in your video, two rails fixt/pop rivet (port and starboard) in the rails fits a string like the string of the genova to which fabric can be sewn. With this you can create a tent from the mast to the end of the boom. I think this solves your problem.
Hi Mats. An idea for the saloon tent: you could make a tent out of two parts and mount them on the sides on the boom using a slide in groove (isn’t there already one?). If there isn’t a groove, you could mount a aluminium profile on the sides. I would make the tent so long that it also includes the cockpit, providing more shade during the day than the current cockpit tent. With a width as wide as the boat. To keep walking in the gangway somewhat possible maybe some (flexible?) tentpoles could be used to lift the ends up instead, but depends on canvas weight. From the hard sprayhood on forward the tent could also get narrower, leaving more walking space for the gangway, but keeping the glass of the sprayhood in the shade. Not yet on our sailboat, but I’m thinking on something similar but integrated into a stackpack and with zippers instead of a profile on the boom.
Really loved the special moment with Ava's surprise. I like the mix of DIY and unscripted camera moments. Super cool video once again! About to avoid Fischer Panda forever... This is how they treat their customers while under warranty? Shame on them!
We love the 747/757 Caframo fans. They are pretty cheap in boat money -like $50 from da fender. You should put that old fan up in the technical compartment and continue to replace your old fans with the Caframos as they wear out. Boat fans only last a few years in constant use as full-time cruisers. We have one over the stove that we need to replace every couple of years but it lives a hard life and is usually running 24/7 when it is hot on since that location in the galley is perfect for boosting airflow through our boat the way it is laid out. We have to replace the fan blade more often than that because if we forget to turn it on when we are cooking with a lot of heat the blade actually shrinks and curls up from the heat and we are always banging pots and cooking utensils into it while running and that cracks the little safety bumpers and turns them into sharp serrated blades instead of safety blades.
As for the cover in front of the mast I would recommend a frame of telescopic tent poles made out of fiberglass. As for fixing the frame on deck there are several types of plastic bases specially made for them available as well. Lightweight, easy to mount/dismount and for storage.
Hi Mads, BOOM TENT, attach a sail track to each side of the boom with 2mm spacers under to allow for webbing ties when you roll it up and secure it to the boom. if you want a few photos of mine .... its 5m long and 2.2m wide each side and ties normally over the top hand rail to the deck fittings. it has many advantages as its made from the reinforced dodger material and is like new 10years later. It has had no problems in 80kph winds and it weather vanes the boat too, allowing the whole deck and widows to stay cool even in the heaviest rains in tropical Australia.
Thought the same. A two part tent... More sophisticated might be to use a zip attached by the bolt rope semi-permanently installed along the boom, then the tent sides can just zip on and off with ease.
Hi Mads, well as i see it for the cover. It seems that you have all the important attachment points in place. difficult to explain, and exactly see on video, but i'll try. Two possibilities 1 see. one is a tarp/piramid setup perpendicular to the boat axe. For this you will need to suspend a ridgepole of let say 1 meter. a short tarp is seems. But from that and with only canvas you flair out. Basic model of an A-frame tent front and back. The hatch can be opened almost to the rodkicker. alsmost full. Second option is a 3 , not 4 sided piramid, with to the aft an more open vestibule. There might be need for the hatch to open more than you point out, for a in the canvas build sleeve for a rod. Imagine....and try out later with a piece of cord tied to the points what the outline will be. the ridgeline follow the line: 1st attachment: the between the low and highest pulley on Rodkicker. from there upwards along the rod to point attachment rodkicker-boom, next attachmentpoint for the ridgeline is the pulley of the preventor. You see the lines from that most forward preventor pulley? from the rigdline, follow those lines. as low as you want it. From there it is back to the front to the first point. That is the basic shape. on which you can vary in hight and with the hatch. Build in sleeves for a rod, is often used in tents, to widen a headroom with an extra panel where a just point will be to narrow. Rods are made of 8-10mm DAC 7075 aluminium tubular rods. but hard wood will do fine. Some considerations: your first tarp style cover is a rectangle. The problem with seems is that they have less stretch than the main plane. While the seem is tensioned the main plane will sag. with rain and a low slope water piles up on the plane before the seam and can't run off. causing more sagging. specially cloth with or from synthetic fiber .Only if special cotton will tension when wet. Hence that is why cotton tents are so nice. breath wen hot and closes (after a first mist) when wet. just for the fun of it and why i like old dutch tents from 1950-1980, so much.... for the strongest tents all planes are cut in the way hat the direction of the strongest yarns in the cloth are in the direction of tension. Not the most economic but will hold in force 10bft. To prevent sagging , google "catanary cut" This is often to much but 3-5 cm inwards per meter will do. When you put small curve in all the otherwise strait lines you tension the whole plane always and is always taught. If your canvas is partially cotton don't touch the inside (or put hatch against it) when it rains. Than there it will start leaking. A bit of canvas inspiration and you can adapt for under the boom: home.planet.nl/~hmeijs/NTT/VendexEiger.htm home.planet.nl/~hmeijs/NTT/Schouten2.htm etc. Good Luck measuring!
My comment on the canvas project. You can do it the same way as the other one. The exception would be to put it your loops in the top like you did on the ends of the other one. Get some velcro to attach it to the boom (like you would do for cable management). Stretch the ends over to where you want them attached and you have it done.
I had a similar issue. I had a sturdy cover running mast to end of boom. Like u the only way to create a cover that withstands wind and deflects rain is to go over the boom. So as to accommodate my main that sits flaked over the boom, I cut a slit fore and aft from mast back about 4 feet and reinforced that slit. In ur case the main furler line would sit in the slit. Of course not rain proof but perfect for sun and the slit is very narrow. You could easily add a velcro flap around the furler. The key is to use the boom to stabilize whatever u do. And don’t turn ur hatch bec underway you will scoop salt spray inside. I can send photos if needed. Also my cover goes almost to lifelines so headroom limited on cabin top. Cockpit is fine. I live in Fla, not on the boat, so usage differs. Cheers
Happy wife - happy Life! - all the best. And please let us Germans know if we should drop by Fischer Panda any time soon to do some convincing. Paderborn is only a short drive for most living in the north of the country. 🙂
Glad I don’t have a Fischer Panda generator then! I’ve had 2 Onan diesel generators now, and found them to be very reliable with just basic servicing - highly recommend 👍
When I used to be a mast and boom builder, we sometimes fitted aluminium bolt rope extrusion tracks to the sides of the boom. This allows you to slide in a fabric with a sewn in bolt rope on each side of the boom. Then this fabric can be tied off on the lifelines.
One of the best advantages we found that came with moving into a bigger boat was never having to deal with the Fischer Panda genset again. They're a remarkably compact and reasonably quiet product. But, Fischer Panda dominates that small boat market without much, if any, competition forcing them to improve quality and customer service. We have a Cummins now and it's an absolute dream both from a performance and customer service standpoint.
maybe Fischer Panda is scared of shipping cost all over the world in the modern age.? backing the customer makes everyone love love you in the end. Good luck with it.
Yup, tarp over the boom, 1/2 sewn and the other half velcro. For added support on velcro seam, just add straps on both sides of velcro for support to allow tensioning. U guys rock!!! Luv your vids!!!!
Looking forward to the solar video. Fisher panda was promoted as the "great brand" back in the 90's, and all I recall was problem after problem. Imagine how many little honda's you could have bought and even shipped for the price of that junk.
Hi mate I made a roll out cover on either side of the boom on a rope track. Sewed a zip on the top and bottom about 100mm so when rolled up stayed on boom. Worked really well for us 5 years cruising in Asia. Made the boat so much cooler.
Hello mads! I have an idea for your front hatch tent cover... If you haven't solved it by now o.O. My inspiration comes from camping in a swamp of bumblebee sized mosquitos. Picture the "privacy shade" zipped onto the mesh windows of a tent and you'll have the concept. Now combine it with an accordion (if that's your music taste), shake it to flavor in a large bottle until presto: You get a window "cover" that opens with the window. This makes no sense... You could 'engineer' some DIY covers that fold inside (does that make sense?).oh well, thanks for the fun problem to solve :)!
Classic, Ava, “Shall I put my finger in it?” Lol. As for the cover over the saloon. Can you utilise the channels on the side of the boom? Could have two awnings that fit in that channel somehow and you could have something like fibreglass tent poles sewn in the outer edge and when not needed you could roll up and have straps to tie it to the boom. Means you can have just one out if needed. Andy UK
If you want to make a tarp without wrinkles you need it to be a catenary cut instead of a rectangle. Each length of the tarp should be cut with a slight arch resembling a suspension bridge. If you laid it flat it would look like an animal hide. When pulled from the corners and supported with a ridgeline in the middle you won't have any wrinkles. We used these a lot for hammock camping.
Over our center hatch under the boom, we fabricated a three-side reversible canvas hood. Base attached with bolt rope. Face forward for ventilation or aft in light rain. Small batten in top hem tied off to boom. Top was slanted 30 degrees. Bullet proof. Will try to send picture.
Two covers, one port side, one starboard, from the sides of the boom to the life lines. On the top side, one tarp will have an short extension that goes over the boom (aft of the main clew) that attaches to velcro on the oteh side so that the hatch is covered too. More work but i think you are more than up to it. Bonus work, for work attachment you may try making attachment ring that fit to the side grooves of the boom. Cheers.
Fasten 2 d-rings, or other such loop to your boom, for and aft. Then you can attach a bit of line. Now the ridge to your shade is set. Thanks for all the great episodez
We used a hatch scoop. They have different configurations and the hatch orientation and size does affect the efficacy of some scoops. But they low lots of fresh air and kept out rain.
My 2 cents for the canvas over the cockpit would be to start at the mast , one side of the boom full canvas then cut slots (openings from the side to the boom) where needed. You can velcro or straps to hold that canvas side together. Beautiful job on the forward canvas. You could add some flexible soft solar panels to this canvas but I would highly recommend a shutoff switch for windy days.
I like this idea and would go with Velcroed straps toward the mast side. The "use the side track" idea seems workable too but maybe a bit fussy (but then maybe it will have a higher spiffy rating?). In either case keep with the KISS principle.
I have seen large rectangular covers in the med that have a split around the in mast gubbins that is split along the centre line 1/3 or so from the front. The front is placed from the mast backwards. Clips are added to remake the central connection at the mast. You could add a clip(s) to remake the central part under the in mast gubbins. Then as per your other cover tangs to rope to the guardwires. You might need to add material to make an overlapping flat part to avoid rain getting in / past this central split (or a big zip?). These covers tend to be quite large. However they do offer great shade and also keep rain / mist off and I think worth well when up. Lighter material helps putting them on and storage but may not work well for longevity.
Hi, Channel Rail Flange / aluminum or plastic mounted along the boom and your shades are securely attached, you can store them rolled in or remove and put below decks.
We have an Alu "C" form strip riveted to each side of our boom that lets us slide on a cover with a bolt rope stitched into it, Super easy to put up and down, and you can choose to have either or both sides up.
Hi Mads and Ava, thanks for the great videos you create every week. Mads, I am really interested in your electrical system diagram. I sent a comment in the video where you asked for suggestions, so I appreciate if you considered that. I follow you since the very beginning, and my boat exists almost because of you and your videos 🙂 On this one you mentioned you are doing something related to that for upcoming videos. In my refit process, I am about to start cabling, I have just all the items in their boxes, so it will be really helpful to see how you connected everything together. Like the alternator / dc to dc charger / ac charger / Solar panels - MPPT / Starter and service batteries, and so on. Again, great work guys, thanks for all the value you add to the nautical community. Cheers from Argentina.
Make a cover to go over the boom but with a strong plastic zip and aft facing rain deflector flap over the zip so that the cover can fit around the mainsail's boom traveller. A small amount of rain might pass through where the cover fits round the traveller but not enough to be a problem - hopefully!!
I would make a hole for rod kicker keep canvas under the boom and turn snaps for the seam attach to mast and first attachment point aft. I miss a history lesson from Ava this week!
Hi, well and truly stitched up on this one , for the better no leak and a better air flow . What keeps life happy ? a list of things to do . Enjoy your selves . 😉👍👍
Great video! Make that awning to follow your kicker angle. Maybe zipper down the center. When not raining, unzipped, and raised up, zipped and lowered when raining. Sounds good on paper, huh😊
Purchased one of these on Amazon recently and they work great. 12 hours on a charge. You can move them to where you need them (including into the cockpit). Like it so well I just bought two more. You can charge them off your DC system using USB plugs. Koonie 10000mAh Rechargeable Portable, 8-Inch Battery Operated Clip on Fan, USB, 4 Speeds, Strong Airflow, Sturdy Clamp for Office Desk Golf Car Outdoor Travel Camping Tent Gym Treadmill, Black
On the deck hatches. A wedge shaped double layer mesh insert. Very short on height ( only the maximum height of the opening of the hatch itself. Held in place by Velcro or snaps. Shape set by either metal or plastic rod.
Looking forward to the electrical video next week. I have only heard bad things about Fischer Panda. My boat had a defunct Fischer Panda when I bought it. When I googled the specific model it was nothing but horror stories.
From Raleigh North Carolina here. I absolutely love your videos and look forward to them every week. You and Ava are spectacular wonderful wonderful videos that I enjoy watching.
Simplest way is usually the best way.. use two tarps over the boom. one in back part of the boom up to the slide and another from the mast back to the slide overlapping the back tarp. this will give you a larger shaded area over the deck... and fix the gen set yourself... the dealer there may let you swap out a part to try.
Modify a umbrella and hang it in the boom with some bungy-cord to fix it in place. Ava returned to the boat and got a new fan.. and Mads got a happy wife
Re: The aft hatch - I would look again at your first proposal in draping a tent over the boom. Maybe have a zipped slot or velcro or poppers to snug up either side of the furling main sheets. Everything else about your initial idea looks simple and very do-able! I am sure you will find a spiffy solution.
I highly recommend a larger cover of the main deck to help with keeping the sun off the deck. Saw something that attaches to each side of the boom (slot?) and extends to the lifelines on each side. I know you have insulation, but just having shade over the entire deck cannot help but help with temperature. During the summers in the Annapolis area I would motor around with the shade and it really made a big difference. Obviously you cannot have it up when sailing, but when motoring or at anchor/mooring, having all that shade is a wonderful thing.
Mads. Does your Boom have a groove on Each Side ? If so you take one side of your Cloth make a Hem so you insert in the Groove add dowel Rod into the Hem ( like you do for a SpinnerSail. ) sorry not good typing. Then when sailing roll each side up and Velcro to Boom .
The two of you are genuinely, positively a pleasure to see going about your day while bobbing in the Caribbean! Really enjoy the show …and what else is up your sleeve to make the wife happy! Tks 👍🇨🇦
Use a mast head halyard as single top attachment, with cover coming down from above the boom to deck cleats or stanchions at multiple corners. Aft end could use a caribiner connection to topping lift or it’s attachment for additional security.
For the tent above the salon - make a piece of canvas with a "gash", so you can pull it over the boom but around the attachment of the block that pulls out the main. You could extend one side of the "gash" with some more fabric and some velcro strips so basically you put the tent on the aft part of the boom, then just close the rest over the part forward of the block.
I think the more area of the saloon overhead you can shade, the cooler you will be. How about draping over the boom with some kind of hole and slot for the lines/blocks with a velcro closure? Also, you're right about night comfort. In spite of the insulation, you were getting radiant heat off the deck from heating up during the day. The "tent" you built is an excellent solution. Something similar has been used by Sahara Desert dwellers for thousands of years, they pitch a tent and then cover it with another, with a ventilated air space between. This prevents that radiant heat.
My shade runs from the mast to the end of the boom. You have gotten a lot of good suggestions what I did not see was was the way mine is rigged. I fasten a line from my arch forward to my shrouds. Then my shade goes over the boom and over these lines and then down to attach to the life lines on each side of the boat. These lines are sewn into my shade but can be separate. I also have a furling mast and my shade is split in this area and comes back together with common sense fasteners (twist toggles).
Use the old fan in the technical compartment. Maybe use longer webbing to attach the awning to the boom at several points. Remember, there are multiple things in that shading the deck and stopping rain from coming in are both important.
I notice you have a groove along the side of the boom. Can you fit sail toggles in that? You may be able to use them to mount a shade on each side. There are some boom mounted awnings similar to those on 4x4 vehicles, just smaller. We have always used Caframo fans for 10 years now. The Caframo Sirocco 3 is the one you should have bought. They are way better than the ones you fitted, use less power, have 3 speeds and an electronic timer. I would go without food for a day rather than go without our Sirocco fans.
Shocking response (or lack of it) from Fischer Panda. We’re planning our next boat fitout list and I don’t think a Fischer Panda Genset will be included if their warranty is as bad as it seems.
Hi Guys. We made a boom tent for Impavidus using a canvas from a DIY store. We have in mast furling. 3m x 4m.Canvas, 6 Eyelets, one in each corner and one each side in the centre of the outer edges. We had to move the boom car forward by adjusting it's position fixings. The first 1m of the tent behind the mast is held together with strong velcro forward of the boom car. Then stitched double and hemed all the rest of the boom length. It runs from close to the mast to over the Sprayhood/Dodger. Works a treat. No Rain and plenty of air flow. BTW Fisher Pander have a number of Facebook sites around the world. I wonder how they would manage a few posts to these sites in the public domain...... Just saying. Sail Safe Guys, Ant & Cid.
I recently installed a tent that came with the boat, covers most of the boat, in two parts, connect the two parts by mast/ shrouds. It's white, takes down the temperature a couple degrees, at least now it is not hotter in the boat than outside.
for the aft hatch "tent": would a slit at the ridge of the tent with a zipper deep enough to account for the location of the tack block in the boom. Installing process would be to drape the tent over the boom with the zipper/slit forward. Pull the zipper seam together (forward of the tack block) and zip up. Might be worth adding a collar on the tent where the tack block goes through the tent to help with rain dropping through.
Fix a plastic bolt rope groove along both sides of the boom the full length of the boom, then make two panels one for each side with bolt ropes to fit. Panels should be made to extend to the life lines, you may need 4 Bungay each side to take wind shock loads. When sailing either remove or roll them up and securely fix to the boom until needed again.
Attach a hose fitting to the middle of the sun cover and you can use it to collect rain water. We had that on our boat and it helped a lot when the water maker was broken.
Had almist the same issue. Tarp that goes under the boom that i stitched together between the main sheet and the vang. From the vang the the mast it is split but I put some eyes on it and just connected it together using bungee and caribiner. Same for the other side. There will be a split under the boom so wont be completely waterproof but the sun will be less.
go ahead and go over the boom.. but use snaps or velcro to wrap around permanent sections on the boom, also going over the boom will leave room to see under the tent while in the cockpit area
I needed a fan in my v-birth and got the same model as your new fans. I also did the finger test. Unfortunately, I somehow got +/- reversed, so it was spinning backwards! It hurt!!! The protective bumper is on the leading edge, not the trailing one. I re-did the wiring in the correct direction after nursing my finger.
Hi Guys, I live on my boat and have awnings providing shade and protection all year around. I also have insulated ' dead lights' that I insert into the portlights during the day which provide great insulation against the sun in Summer and the cold/ humidity in Winter. Strongly recommend that you try this out on Athena.
A collapsible canvas box with mesh around the bottom up an inch, maybe two. Use some pvc or other material for the frame. Make the “box”, make the frame, slide frame into box and flip over. Secure down as see fit. Scott
Caframo makes a good cheap fan. But usually the motor has a cheap sintered bronze bearing, it will not last forever. You might want to keep a spare in the tech room, that you can grab if the one in the cabin dies.
Use a zipper in the salon cover so you can drape it over the boom. The zipper would run from the mast back to the opening for the main fueler. Also turn the hatch around. A boat at anchor almost always faces the wind, so a forward facing hatch will catch a lot more air.
It's kinda difficult to explain but i think of you have 3 lashing points you can hang the center of the tent with elastics on the boom and than the four corners you do almost the same as with the tent in the front
Hi Mads, Hi Ava, they say an image is worth a thousand words so I'll save you the words and I sent you an image on your facebook explaining a possible solution. Nothing too complicated, just a simple pup-tent design with an aluminum or wooden dowel that could be stretched from the mast. At very least I hope it sets you closer to the final idea! Cheers! Evan
Mads I would do a full deck awning. It makes it a pain to get around the deck but gives great shade and airflow. You'd have to cut out around the mast and halyards, and put in some flaps to cover those gaps maybe with a little snap or ten to hold it together and use a line to tension it like the Spinnaker line. I looked at a westsail 43 in Honolulu once that had such a awning and it made a considerable difference according to the owners. I like your choice of fabric color as it will keep things cooler too. Sunbrella makes a product called phifertex that gives great shade while promoting airflow, maybe once you get into the States you can get it from Sailrite. $22 per yard. Put the hella fan in the technical compartment.
Hi Mads and Ava. What percentage of shade is your shade cloth? Is it working well? My wife and I need the same thing on our sailboat. We love your videos!
For the center hatch, if it's just sun you want to block, make a plastic reinforced fabric frame a couple of inches wide with velcro on the outer edges that can be adhered to the inside of the hatch frame. Then stitch two inch wide, black fabric strips, fore and aft, a couple of inches apart. It will have minimal hinderance to air flow and only allow the sun in when it's near noon. Even that can be avoided by adding port to starboard webbing, making a 'Grate'. If it's mostly about rain, a collapsible 'Louver' box can be set over the hatch when at anchor. Kind of like the vents they once used atop barns...😅
there has to be some clips or something that will allow you to use to indention on the side of the main boom, you would have to make a tarp for each side but would allow to only use one side if needed
You could mount a plug in or hard wired window unit air conditioner in front of a hatch and use some material to funnel the cool air into the hatch. Sew an all weather cover with tie down grommets to go over the ac unit when not in use.
Suggest over the boom. The sail will be stowed at anchor, so you just need a bubble stitched in over the traveling hardware and shade the most area from the sun. In the future a reflective material (think space blanket) might be sandwiched between the canvas and a lighter fabric (less the bubble). The amount you can feel the sun while under your cover is a good indication on how transparent the cover is to the infrared portion of solar heating. The IR reflective material will help with that so you can be a bit cooler. Note: Most white paints and the fiberglass is transparent enough to solar infrared that the wood in the ceiling is almost heated directly by the sun, so even just the canvas is a big help.
Mads what was the name of the stainless steel cleaner polish that you raved about? I have been watching your UA-cam channel since the begining and have loved every vid. Great job...
Surely the replaced fan could be used to cool the technical room. Great video as always, makes my Sunday!
Agree. A fan venting to the outside would be best.
But if you can keep the sun off your decks the boat will stay cooler
Why not use the side slots in the boom for attaching the cover by sliding these in? This way you have two covers adding flexibility in use (e.g. one sided sun cover)...
Time for a new intro Mads. Actually, I like just having the wave sound at the beginning.
You could use the tracks down the sides of the boom to make a spiffy split tarp. Secure one end in the track and tension the other to the life lines. You can add velcro or ties so you can roll it up and secure it to the boom when not in use for easy convenient storage 😊. Happy sailing
I should have read before commenting. Your description is MUCH better than how attempted to describe it.
This is the way.
I love that
Dear Matt,
We have on our boom, for exactly the same reason as you indicate in your video, two rails fixt/pop rivet (port and starboard) in the rails fits a string like the string of the genova to which fabric can be sewn. With this you can create a tent from the mast to the end of the boom. I think this solves your problem.
Hi Mats. An idea for the saloon tent: you could make a tent out of two parts and mount them on the sides on the boom using a slide in groove (isn’t there already one?). If there isn’t a groove, you could mount a aluminium profile on the sides.
I would make the tent so long that it also includes the cockpit, providing more shade during the day than the current cockpit tent. With a width as wide as the boat. To keep walking in the gangway somewhat possible maybe some (flexible?) tentpoles could be used to lift the ends up instead, but depends on canvas weight. From the hard sprayhood on forward the tent could also get narrower, leaving more walking space for the gangway, but keeping the glass of the sprayhood in the shade.
Not yet on our sailboat, but I’m thinking on something similar but integrated into a stackpack and with zippers instead of a profile on the boom.
Really loved the special moment with Ava's surprise. I like the mix of DIY and unscripted camera moments. Super cool video once again!
About to avoid Fischer Panda forever... This is how they treat their customers while under warranty? Shame on them!
We love the 747/757 Caframo fans. They are pretty cheap in boat money -like $50 from da fender. You should put that old fan up in the technical compartment and continue to replace your old fans with the Caframos as they wear out. Boat fans only last a few years in constant use as full-time cruisers. We have one over the stove that we need to replace every couple of years but it lives a hard life and is usually running 24/7 when it is hot on since that location in the galley is perfect for boosting airflow through our boat the way it is laid out. We have to replace the fan blade more often than that because if we forget to turn it on when we are cooking with a lot of heat the blade actually shrinks and curls up from the heat and we are always banging pots and cooking utensils into it while running and that cracks the little safety bumpers and turns them into sharp serrated blades instead of safety blades.
As for the cover in front of the mast I would recommend a frame of telescopic tent poles made out of fiberglass. As for fixing the frame on deck there are several types of plastic bases specially made for them available as well. Lightweight, easy to mount/dismount and for storage.
put the old fan by the water maker i have never miss a show for at least 3 years, thanks to both of you
Hi Mads, BOOM TENT, attach a sail track to each side of the boom with 2mm spacers under to allow for webbing ties when you roll it up and secure it to the boom. if you want a few photos of mine .... its 5m long and 2.2m wide each side and ties normally over the top hand rail to the deck fittings. it has many advantages as its made from the reinforced dodger material and is like new 10years later. It has had no problems in 80kph winds and it weather vanes the boat too, allowing the whole deck and widows to stay cool even in the heaviest rains in tropical Australia.
To make a cover for the saloon hatch, use the tracks on the side of the boom with a boltrope in the canvas.
That's what Delos has on their boom. Seems to work well.
Thought the same. A two part tent... More sophisticated might be to use a zip attached by the bolt rope semi-permanently installed along the boom, then the tent sides can just zip on and off with ease.
Oh come on! Are you seriously expecting us to believe that when Ava leaves the boat she'll return and be surprised that Mads has done something? 😆
Hatches opening forward let in maximum breeze, it makes a huge difference. Cheers Sail on.
Hi Mads, well as i see it for the cover. It seems that you have all the important attachment points in place. difficult to explain, and exactly see on video, but i'll try.
Two possibilities 1 see. one is a tarp/piramid setup perpendicular to the boat axe. For this you will need to suspend a ridgepole of let say 1 meter. a short tarp is seems. But from that and with only canvas you flair out. Basic model of an A-frame tent front and back. The hatch can be opened almost to the rodkicker. alsmost full.
Second option is a 3 , not 4 sided piramid, with to the aft an more open vestibule. There might be need for the hatch to open more than you point out, for a in the canvas build sleeve for a rod.
Imagine....and try out later with a piece of cord tied to the points what the outline will be.
the ridgeline follow the line: 1st attachment: the between the low and highest pulley on Rodkicker. from there upwards along the rod to point attachment rodkicker-boom, next attachmentpoint for the ridgeline is the pulley of the preventor.
You see the lines from that most forward preventor pulley? from the rigdline, follow those lines. as low as you want it. From there it is back to the front to the first point.
That is the basic shape. on which you can vary in hight and with the hatch. Build in sleeves for a rod, is often used in tents, to widen a headroom with an extra panel where a just point will be to narrow. Rods are made of 8-10mm DAC 7075 aluminium tubular rods. but hard wood will do fine.
Some considerations: your first tarp style cover is a rectangle. The problem with seems is that they have less stretch than the main plane. While the seem is tensioned the main plane will sag. with rain and a low slope water piles up on the plane before the seam and can't run off. causing more sagging. specially cloth with or from synthetic fiber .Only if special cotton will tension when wet. Hence that is why cotton tents are so nice. breath wen hot and closes (after a first mist) when wet. just for the fun of it and why i like old dutch tents from 1950-1980, so much.... for the strongest tents all planes are cut in the way hat the direction of the strongest yarns in the cloth are in the direction of tension. Not the most economic but will hold in force 10bft.
To prevent sagging , google "catanary cut" This is often to much but 3-5 cm inwards per meter will do. When you put small curve in all the otherwise strait lines you tension the whole plane always and is always taught. If your canvas is partially cotton don't touch the inside (or put hatch against it) when it rains. Than there it will start leaking.
A bit of canvas inspiration and you can adapt for under the boom: home.planet.nl/~hmeijs/NTT/VendexEiger.htm
home.planet.nl/~hmeijs/NTT/Schouten2.htm
etc.
Good Luck measuring!
My comment on the canvas project. You can do it the same way as the other one. The exception would be to put it your loops in the top like you did on the ends of the other one. Get some velcro to attach it to the boom (like you would do for cable management). Stretch the ends over to where you want them attached and you have it done.
I had a similar issue. I had a sturdy cover running mast to end of boom. Like u the only way to create a cover that withstands wind and deflects rain is to go over the boom. So as to accommodate my main that sits flaked over the boom, I cut a slit fore and aft from mast back about 4 feet and reinforced that slit. In ur case the main furler line would sit in the slit. Of course not rain proof but perfect for sun and the slit is very narrow. You could easily add a velcro flap around the furler. The key is to use the boom to stabilize whatever u do. And don’t turn ur hatch bec underway you will scoop salt spray inside. I can send photos if needed. Also my cover goes almost to lifelines so headroom limited on cabin top. Cockpit is fine. I live in Fla, not on the boat, so usage differs.
Cheers
Happy wife - happy Life! - all the best. And please let us Germans know if we should drop by Fischer Panda any time soon to do some convincing. Paderborn is only a short drive for most living in the north of the country. 🙂
Glad I don’t have a Fischer Panda generator then!
I’ve had 2 Onan diesel generators now, and found them to be very reliable with just basic servicing - highly recommend 👍
When I used to be a mast and boom builder, we sometimes fitted aluminium bolt rope extrusion tracks to the sides of the boom. This allows you to slide in a fabric with a sewn in bolt rope on each side of the boom. Then this fabric can be tied off on the lifelines.
One of the best advantages we found that came with moving into a bigger boat was never having to deal with the Fischer Panda genset again. They're a remarkably compact and reasonably quiet product. But, Fischer Panda dominates that small boat market without much, if any, competition forcing them to improve quality and customer service. We have a Cummins now and it's an absolute dream both from a performance and customer service standpoint.
Their day will come.
maybe Fischer Panda is scared of shipping cost all over the world in the modern age.? backing the customer makes everyone love love you in the end. Good luck with it.
Yup, tarp over the boom, 1/2 sewn and the other half velcro. For added support on velcro seam, just add straps on both sides of velcro for support to allow tensioning. U guys rock!!! Luv your vids!!!!
Looking forward to the solar video. Fisher panda was promoted as the "great brand" back in the 90's, and all I recall was problem after problem. Imagine how many little honda's you could have bought and even shipped for the price of that junk.
Hi mate I made a roll out cover on either side of the boom on a rope track. Sewed a zip on the top and bottom about 100mm so when rolled up stayed on boom. Worked really well for us 5 years cruising in Asia. Made the boat so much cooler.
Hello mads! I have an idea for your front hatch tent cover... If you haven't solved it by now o.O. My inspiration comes from camping in a swamp of bumblebee sized mosquitos. Picture the "privacy shade" zipped onto the mesh windows of a tent and you'll have the concept. Now combine it with an accordion (if that's your music taste), shake it to flavor in a large bottle until presto: You get a window "cover" that opens with the window. This makes no sense... You could 'engineer' some DIY covers that fold inside (does that make sense?).oh well, thanks for the fun problem to solve :)!
ahhhh! that explains it my friend..... in Germany many people say that it is a customer service desert. soooo ... good luck! i hope it works out fast!
Classic, Ava, “Shall I put my finger in it?” Lol. As for the cover over the saloon. Can you utilise the channels on the side of the boom? Could have two awnings that fit in that channel somehow and you could have something like fibreglass tent poles sewn in the outer edge and when not needed you could roll up and have straps to tie it to the boom. Means you can have just one out if needed. Andy UK
If you want to make a tarp without wrinkles you need it to be a catenary cut instead of a rectangle. Each length of the tarp should be cut with a slight arch resembling a suspension bridge. If you laid it flat it would look like an animal hide. When pulled from the corners and supported with a ridgeline in the middle you won't have any wrinkles. We used these a lot for hammock camping.
It’s always good to keep the Admiral happy.
Over our center hatch under the boom, we fabricated a three-side reversible canvas hood. Base attached with bolt rope. Face forward for ventilation or aft in light rain. Small batten in top hem tied off to boom. Top was slanted 30 degrees. Bullet proof. Will try to send picture.
I bought two of those fans last week. They are great. Thank you.
Two covers, one port side, one starboard, from the sides of the boom to the life lines. On the top side, one tarp will have an short extension that goes over the boom (aft of the main clew) that attaches to velcro on the oteh side so that the hatch is covered too. More work but i think you are more than up to it. Bonus work, for work attachment you may try making attachment ring that fit to the side grooves of the boom. Cheers.
Those Caframo fans are awesome! We had two on our boat when we got it and I am currently installing five more :-)
Mads, just keep it low tech and drape a tarp over the boom and reefing line, KISS!
This will also cool off the main cabin, cheers! 😎🍻
Fasten 2 d-rings, or other such loop to your boom, for and aft. Then you can attach a bit of line. Now the ridge to your shade is set. Thanks for all the great episodez
We used a hatch scoop. They have different configurations and the hatch orientation and size does affect the efficacy of some scoops. But they low lots of fresh air and kept out rain.
My 2 cents for the canvas over the cockpit would be to start at the mast , one side of the boom full canvas then cut slots (openings from the side to the boom) where needed. You can velcro or straps to hold that canvas side together.
Beautiful job on the forward canvas. You could add some flexible soft solar panels to this canvas but I would highly recommend a shutoff switch for windy days.
I vote for a zipper instead of velcro.
I like this idea and would go with Velcroed straps toward the mast side. The "use the side track" idea seems workable too but maybe a bit fussy (but then maybe it will have a higher spiffy rating?). In either case keep with the KISS principle.
you could always do what campers use. we use a silicon spray to cover our tents. usually works for a year and then re-spray.
I have seen large rectangular covers in the med that have a split around the in mast gubbins that is split along the centre line 1/3 or so from the front. The front is placed from the mast backwards. Clips are added to remake the central connection at the mast. You could add a clip(s) to remake the central part under the in mast gubbins. Then as per your other cover tangs to rope to the guardwires. You might need to add material to make an overlapping flat part to avoid rain getting in / past this central split (or a big zip?).
These covers tend to be quite large. However they do offer great shade and also keep rain / mist off and I think worth well when up. Lighter material helps putting them on and storage but may not work well for longevity.
Hi, Channel Rail
Flange / aluminum or plastic mounted along the boom and your shades are securely attached, you can store them rolled in or remove and put below decks.
We have an Alu "C" form strip riveted to each side of our boom that lets us slide on a cover with a bolt rope stitched into it, Super easy to put up and down, and you can choose to have either or both sides up.
Hi Mads and Ava, thanks for the great videos you create every week.
Mads, I am really interested in your electrical system diagram. I sent a comment in the video where you asked for suggestions, so I appreciate if you considered that.
I follow you since the very beginning, and my boat exists almost because of you and your videos 🙂
On this one you mentioned you are doing something related to that for upcoming videos. In my refit process, I am about to start cabling, I have just all the items in their boxes, so it will be really helpful to see how you connected everything together. Like the alternator / dc to dc charger / ac charger / Solar panels - MPPT / Starter and service batteries, and so on.
Again, great work guys, thanks for all the value you add to the nautical community.
Cheers from Argentina.
Make a cover to go over the boom but with a strong plastic zip and aft facing rain deflector flap over the zip so that the cover can fit around the mainsail's boom traveller. A small amount of rain might pass through where the cover fits round the traveller but not enough to be a problem - hopefully!!
I would make a hole for rod kicker keep canvas under the boom and turn snaps for the seam attach to mast and first attachment point aft. I miss a history lesson from Ava this week!
Stay safe and healthy and we'll see you next week.
Hi, well and truly stitched up on this one , for the better no leak and a better air flow . What keeps life happy ? a list of things to do . Enjoy your selves . 😉👍👍
Great video! Make that awning to follow your kicker angle. Maybe zipper down the center.
When not raining, unzipped, and raised up, zipped and lowered when raining. Sounds good on paper, huh😊
Make a tarp that goes over the boom. That's how most people keep sun off the saloon deck.
Put a cut and snaps where you have to work around the rigging.
and install a gusset to stop rain going in the cutout
Good idea untill it gets windy.
Agree with all the above. Over the boom, split to work around rigging, snaps/Velcro and gusset.
@@henrymorgan3982Ours is good to 40 knots.
Purchased one of these on Amazon recently and they work great. 12 hours on a charge. You can move them to where you need them (including into the cockpit). Like it so well I just bought two more. You can charge them off your DC system using USB plugs.
Koonie 10000mAh Rechargeable Portable, 8-Inch Battery Operated Clip on Fan, USB, 4 Speeds, Strong Airflow, Sturdy Clamp for Office Desk Golf Car Outdoor Travel Camping Tent Gym Treadmill, Black
Seems that your boom has a sliding track ... A perfect solution for a shade and you can choose which side (or both) to shade/protect
On the deck hatches. A wedge shaped double layer mesh insert. Very short on height ( only the maximum height of the opening of the hatch itself. Held in place by Velcro or snaps. Shape set by either metal or plastic rod.
Looking forward to the electrical video next week. I have only heard bad things about Fischer Panda. My boat had a defunct Fischer Panda when I bought it. When I googled the specific model it was nothing but horror stories.
From Raleigh North Carolina here. I absolutely love your videos and look forward to them every week. You and Ava are spectacular wonderful wonderful videos that I enjoy watching.
Simplest way is usually the best way.. use two tarps over the boom. one in back part of the boom up to the slide and another from the mast back to the slide overlapping the back tarp. this will give you a larger shaded area over the deck... and fix the gen set yourself... the dealer there may let you swap out a part to try.
Modify a umbrella and hang it in the boom with some bungy-cord to fix it in place.
Ava returned to the boat and got a new fan.. and Mads got a happy wife
Re: The aft hatch - I would look again at your first proposal in draping a tent over the boom. Maybe have a zipped slot or velcro or poppers to snug up either side of the furling main sheets. Everything else about your initial idea looks simple and very do-able! I am sure you will find a spiffy solution.
Glorious, glorious sewing!
Great Video, thanks Mads And, its such a nice end of the Video to see you and Ava enjoying each others company so much!
Lol! Happy Sail Wife, Happy Sail Life!
I highly recommend a larger cover of the main deck to help with keeping the sun off the deck. Saw something that attaches to each side of the boom (slot?) and extends to the lifelines on each side. I know you have insulation, but just having shade over the entire deck cannot help but help with temperature. During the summers in the Annapolis area I would motor around with the shade and it really made a big difference. Obviously you cannot have it up when sailing, but when motoring or at anchor/mooring, having all that shade is a wonderful thing.
I look forward to these every week, you guys seem like you are having a great time.
Mads. Does your Boom have a groove on Each Side ? If so you take one side of your Cloth make a Hem so you insert in the Groove add dowel Rod into the Hem ( like you do for a SpinnerSail. ) sorry not good typing. Then when sailing roll each side up and Velcro to Boom .
The two of you are genuinely, positively a pleasure to see going about your day while bobbing in the Caribbean! Really enjoy the show …and what else is up your sleeve to make the wife happy! Tks 👍🇨🇦
Outland Hatch Covers great for stopping heat along with other benefits. Stops heat right on the surface and keeps sun out.
Use a mast head halyard as single top attachment, with cover coming down from above the boom to deck cleats or stanchions at multiple corners. Aft end could use a caribiner connection to topping lift or it’s attachment for additional security.
For the tent above the salon - make a piece of canvas with a "gash", so you can pull it over the boom but around the attachment of the block that pulls out the main. You could extend one side of the "gash" with some more fabric and some velcro strips so basically you put the tent on the aft part of the boom, then just close the rest over the part forward of the block.
I think the more area of the saloon overhead you can shade, the cooler you will be. How about draping over the boom with some kind of hole and slot for the lines/blocks with a velcro closure? Also, you're right about night comfort. In spite of the insulation, you were getting radiant heat off the deck from heating up during the day. The "tent" you built is an excellent solution. Something similar has been used by Sahara Desert dwellers for thousands of years, they pitch a tent and then cover it with another, with a ventilated air space between. This prevents that radiant heat.
My shade runs from the mast to the end of the boom. You have gotten a lot of good suggestions what I did not see was was the way mine is rigged. I fasten a line from my arch forward to my shrouds. Then my shade goes over the boom and over these lines and then down to attach to the life lines on each side of the boat. These lines are sewn into my shade but can be separate. I also have a furling mast and my shade is split in this area and comes back together with common sense fasteners (twist toggles).
Use the old fan in the technical compartment. Maybe use longer webbing to attach the awning to the boom at several points. Remember, there are multiple things in that shading the deck and stopping rain from coming in are both important.
I notice you have a groove along the side of the boom. Can you fit sail toggles in that? You may be able to use them to mount a shade on each side. There are some boom mounted awnings similar to those on 4x4 vehicles, just smaller. We have always used Caframo fans for 10 years now. The Caframo Sirocco 3 is the one you should have bought. They are way better than the ones you fitted, use less power, have 3 speeds and an electronic timer. I would go without food for a day rather than go without our Sirocco fans.
Shocking response (or lack of it) from Fischer Panda. We’re planning our next boat fitout list and I don’t think a Fischer Panda Genset will be included if their warranty is as bad as it seems.
Hi Guys. We made a boom tent for Impavidus using a canvas from a DIY store. We have in mast furling. 3m x 4m.Canvas, 6 Eyelets, one in each corner and one each side in the centre of the outer edges. We had to move the boom car forward by adjusting it's position fixings. The first 1m of the tent behind the mast is held together with strong velcro forward of the boom car. Then stitched double and hemed all the rest of the boom length. It runs from close to the mast to over the Sprayhood/Dodger. Works a treat. No Rain and plenty of air flow. BTW Fisher Pander have a number of Facebook sites around the world. I wonder how they would manage a few posts to these sites in the public domain...... Just saying. Sail Safe Guys, Ant & Cid.
I recently installed a tent that came with the boat, covers most of the boat, in two parts, connect the two parts by mast/ shrouds. It's white, takes down the temperature a couple degrees, at least now it is not hotter in the boat than outside.
Use the boom for youtent. Sew a loop in the center. You can put grommets in the loop to tie up to the boom.
Great work as usual Mads, but what happened to the air conditioner in there ? 👍👍⛵
for the aft hatch "tent": would a slit at the ridge of the tent with a zipper deep enough to account for the location of the tack block in the boom. Installing process would be to drape the tent over the boom with the zipper/slit forward. Pull the zipper seam together (forward of the tack block) and zip up. Might be worth adding a collar on the tent where the tack block goes through the tent to help with rain dropping through.
Fix a plastic bolt rope groove along both sides of the boom the full length of the boom, then make two panels one for each side with bolt ropes to fit. Panels should be made to extend to the life lines, you may need 4 Bungay each side to take wind shock loads. When sailing either remove or roll them up and securely fix to the boom until needed again.
Boom seems to have slots on both sides. Could they be used to slide some kind of canvas profile into the grooves?
Attach a hose fitting to the middle of the sun cover and you can use it to collect rain water. We had that on our boat and it helped a lot when the water maker was broken.
Had almist the same issue. Tarp that goes under the boom that i stitched together between the main sheet and the vang. From the vang the the mast it is split but I put some eyes on it and just connected it together using bungee and caribiner. Same for the other side. There will be a split under the boom so wont be completely waterproof but the sun will be less.
go ahead and go over the boom.. but use snaps or velcro to wrap around permanent sections on the boom, also going over the boom will leave room to see under the tent while in the cockpit area
I needed a fan in my v-birth and got the same model as your new fans. I also did the finger test. Unfortunately, I somehow got +/- reversed, so it was spinning backwards! It hurt!!! The protective bumper is on the leading edge, not the trailing one. I re-did the wiring in the correct direction after nursing my finger.
Hi Guys, I live on my boat and have awnings providing shade and protection all year around. I also have insulated ' dead lights' that I insert into the portlights during the day which provide great insulation against the sun in Summer and the cold/ humidity in Winter. Strongly recommend that you try this out on Athena.
A collapsible canvas box with mesh around the bottom up an inch, maybe two. Use some pvc or other material for the frame. Make the “box”, make the frame, slide frame into box and flip over. Secure down as see fit. Scott
Caframo makes a good cheap fan. But usually the motor has a cheap sintered bronze bearing, it will not last forever. You might want to keep a spare in the tech room, that you can grab if the one in the cabin dies.
Use a zipper in the salon cover so you can drape it over the boom. The zipper would run from the mast back to the opening for the main fueler. Also turn the hatch around. A boat at anchor almost always faces the wind, so a forward facing hatch will catch a lot more air.
Your videos are always a great start to the week. I always look forward to your next adventures.
It's kinda difficult to explain but i think of you have 3 lashing points you can hang the center of the tent with elastics on the boom and than the four corners you do almost the same as with the tent in the front
Hi Mads, Hi Ava, they say an image is worth a thousand words so I'll save you the words and I sent you an image on your facebook explaining a possible solution. Nothing too complicated, just a simple pup-tent design with an aluminum or wooden dowel that could be stretched from the mast. At very least I hope it sets you closer to the final idea! Cheers! Evan
Either a.) two tents with one on both sides of the boom or b.) One big tent with a slot cut in the middle (with a flap) to accommodate the apparatus.
Mads I would do a full deck awning. It makes it a pain to get around the deck but gives great shade and airflow.
You'd have to cut out around the mast and halyards, and put in some flaps to cover those gaps maybe with a little snap or ten to hold it together and use a line to tension it like the Spinnaker line.
I looked at a westsail 43 in Honolulu once that had such a awning and it made a considerable difference according to the owners.
I like your choice of fabric color as it will keep things cooler too. Sunbrella makes a product called phifertex that gives great shade while promoting airflow, maybe once you get into the States you can get it from Sailrite. $22 per yard.
Put the hella fan in the technical compartment.
Hi Mads and Ava. What percentage of shade is your shade cloth? Is it working well? My wife and I need the same thing on our sailboat. We love your videos!
For the center hatch, if it's just sun you want to block, make a plastic reinforced fabric frame a couple of inches wide with velcro on the outer edges that can be adhered to the inside of the hatch frame. Then stitch two inch wide, black fabric strips, fore and aft, a couple of inches apart. It will have minimal hinderance to air flow and only allow the sun in when it's near noon. Even that can be avoided by adding port to starboard webbing, making a 'Grate'. If it's mostly about rain, a collapsible 'Louver' box can be set over the hatch when at anchor. Kind of like the vents they once used atop barns...😅
That was a cute ending.
there has to be some clips or something that will allow you to use to indention on the side of the main boom, you would have to make a tarp for each side but would allow to only use one side if needed
Love that sewing machine!
You could mount a plug in or hard wired window unit air conditioner in front of a hatch and use some material to funnel the cool air into the hatch. Sew an all weather cover with tie down grommets to go over the ac unit when not in use.
Suggest over the boom. The sail will be stowed at anchor, so you just need a bubble stitched in over the traveling hardware and shade the most area from the sun. In the future a reflective material (think space blanket) might be sandwiched between the canvas and a lighter fabric (less the bubble). The amount you can feel the sun while under your cover is a good indication on how transparent the cover is to the infrared portion of solar heating. The IR reflective material will help with that so you can be a bit cooler.
Note: Most white paints and the fiberglass is transparent enough to solar infrared that the wood in the ceiling is almost heated directly by the sun, so even just the canvas is a big help.
Mads what was the name of the stainless steel cleaner polish that you raved about? I have been watching your UA-cam channel since the begining and have loved every vid. Great job...
Mads Is is very inorring to hear you complaniting about rain så sku du prøve vejret Skive!!! Tak for de goe videoer KH Klaus
It seems your spare fan can cool the technical compartment, what do you think ?