By the SunSkipper team · Updated
The short answer
Most cruising sailors use two kinds of shade. A bimini covers the cockpit and can stay up while you sail. For a day at anchor they add a second shade over another part of the boat: a boom tent over the cabin top, an awning hung from a halyard, or a foredeck shade over the bow. Choose by where you want to spend the day, and how quickly you want to rig it and stow it again.
The four kinds of sailboat shade
Bimini
Most cruising yachts have one. It keeps the helm and cockpit in shade, but the cockpit is also the way below and the busiest place on board.
Boom tent
Covers a large area and keeps the cabin cooler. It hangs from the boom, so headroom follows the boom and it has to come off before you sail.
Awning or shade sail on a halyard
Flexible and often home-made. A loose sail can flog and need re-trimming when the wind picks up.
Foredeck shade (such as SunSkipper)
Puts shade over the widest, quietest open space on board. SunSkipper is tensioned, needs no tools or permanent fittings, and packs into one bag.
Side by side
| Shade | What it shades | When you can use it | How it attaches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bimini | The cockpit | At anchor and under way | Permanent frame and fittings |
| Boom tent | Cockpit and cabin top, under the boom | At anchor only | Drapes over the boom, ties to the rails |
| Awning or shade sail on a halyard | Wherever it is hung | At anchor only | A halyard, lines and sometimes poles |
| Foredeck shade (such as SunSkipper) | The foredeck, forward of the mast | At anchor, on a mooring or in the marina | Hooks to the forestay, straps to the stanchions |
How to choose
- Where do you spend the day at anchor? If everyone ends up on the foredeck, shade the foredeck. If you live in the cockpit and want the cabin cooler, a boom tent covers both.
- How often do you move? If you hop between anchorages, pick shade that goes up and comes down in minutes and stows in a locker.
- What can you attach to? Some shades need a boom, a spare halyard or extra fittings. Check what your rig has before you buy.
- How windy are your anchorages? A loose sail can flap and need re-trimming as the wind picks up. A shade held taut is quieter and stays put better.
Staying cool at anchor
- Shade the places people actually sit or lie, not just the helm.
- Keep air moving: open hatches and leave a gap under the shade so the breeze can pass.
- At anchor a boat usually lies head to wind, so a shade over the bow sits in the breeze.
- Take every at-anchor shade down before you get under way.