I need to do something about the sun and the rain when hold up.
Obviously a tarp set up is cheap and could be easy 
Whats everyone's experience with this?
Id like to run a full length tarp...?
Yes...I know....im going to end a floating tent but
Its getting hot in here
Boom tent!! Way to go.
Set it like a sail and if it blows up a bit you can leave it where it is.
Having been an ower of a 23ft boat I really appreciate the need to get out of both the rain and sun above deck.... that said I've looked jealously at some fab batterned "tents", and they have to be the way to go.... although more expensive! We started with a tarp tied down over the boom (horrid and didn't really work, but was cheap), we then bought a boom tent from Whitworths (this was better but still not great). In the end we up graded the boat, but if we still had the old girl we'd have a batterned device by now!
My advice is dont save the pennies, spend money on a propper purpose designed batterned boom tent. You'll save movey in the end and not have to suffer inferior and hard to install equipment.
ChopesBro,
Take a stroll around a marina. You will get a huge variation of ideas and see how they work. Ask questions of the owners for their opinion.
Thanks for the replies.
Good advice about not doing it on the cheap.
May have to compromise halfway ( boom tent ).
We were thinking about trying to make something ourselves out of a tarp.
Still am....but its good to read different opinions and consider the advice
We do it rough. ...but I still want something thats function and looks kinda good
Ok. We will be making our own
Some idiots decision to buy a mega anchor leaves the bank acct empty
P.s and she just loves to sew...its her thang...it relaxes her and its our boat...so why not put our ideas and energy into it?
Sooooo....ideas about designs?
Anybody got a link too patterns ( my argument about where we lay said pattern out given we live on a 26ft got the reply)..." there is always a solution" , love it
It will have be made out of recycled tarp....green....I dont think im vain ? But
I like my little ship to look its best so seriously unhappy. ..whats the best cloth to use?
Given we only have a domestic sewing machine ( but the operator knows her stuff!)
I guess what I love best about boats....is you can build and design stuff yourself. ... can be really badly designed. ..lol...so thats why I ask advice
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Dinghy-cruising-boom-tent-ideas/
www.google.com.au/search?q=sail+boat+boom+tent&espv=2&biw=2560&bih=1017&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjEkIrWk5bLAhXEUZQKHbOuD70QsAQIIg
Its still for sale to Ramona 
yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/alden-55-centerboard-yacht/45403
Acrylic canvas will be the easiest to sew. I have a cover that came with the boat that I have never used. It's basically a rectangle shaped version of a junk sail but the battens are parallel. Fits under the boom and rigs like Gravy7's above. I would have the battens about 40cm apart. rolls up nice and tidy. If I was going to be sitting about in the tropics I would sew up a triangular cover for the bow section as well and an air scoop for the front hatch. You need an air gap over the hull and the breeze needs to be able to flow straight through.
Missus just made one for our boat. She has a domestic sewing machine too. She used Sunbrella material, rectangular in shape.
she attached two rope ties to the front edge to go around the mast and one at the back to tie at the back of the boom. She sewed
a nylon string 3mm? into the hem all round. At each corner and at the centre of each side, sewed in a reinforcing patch. To these
she sewed loops made of seat belt webbing we robbed off an abandoned childs car seat...rather than use eyelets witch tend to pull
out in a decent blow. Each loop was sewn on with a 'D' ring attached, bought second hand from a local bits and pieces shop. Plus
she sewed a reinforcing strip along the centre of the boom tent where it rests on the boom.......easy.
