Scamp tent DIY, motor, and mount

[Doug SC]

An SCA email article with a video (SCAMP DINGHY FULL TOUR, TIPS & TRICKS) and CB posting his cogitations of building a Scamp with lots of pictures provide the inspiration to finally make a canvas tent for Scamp 95.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJKFX1SmXEI

I had to replace the deteriorated boat cover that came with 95 and picked up a 10'X12' green canvas tarp. I use some aluminum tent poles from a old, long discarded backpacking tent arched across the beam and into the oarlocks to keep water from collecting on the tarp. It looked like a boat Tent in the making. Then I saw the video which looked much the same.

The outboard and motor bracket.

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Tent pole in the oarlocks.

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This is the 10'X12' green canvas tarp I picked up at harbor freight for a boat cover.

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This is the canvas tent with the bolt rope and track installed.

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Bolt rope and track attachment on the cabana top of the Scamp.

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The finished boat tent used as a tent.

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Tent used like a dodger/bimini.

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I didn't add a tent vent, but plan on adding no-see-um mesh screens at the open ports and where the tiller enters through the opening in the transom for ventilation. There are clear deck plates used as ports on this Scamp.

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So, I ordered 4 yards of #12/84" Cotton Canvas Duck (the widest they had) and 2 yards of #12/36" Cotton Canvas Duck from Big Duck Canvas.

 

I also ordered 5' Keder Awning Rope White 5/16", Flex-A-Rail White 90" Long, Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas (50 yds.), 60"Lenzip® #10 Black Separating Molded Tooth Zipper (Metal Double Pull Slider), Tex 90 (V-92) Beige UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.), Sailrite® Twist-Lock Eyelet Hole Cutter, and 20 Twist-Lock Fastener Cloth-to-Surface Set (Stainless Steel) all from Sailrite.

I am so, so at sewing! Even though it won't win any awards for the stitching it should serve me for what I want. I can't blame the old Singer for my lack of sewing experience. I did get marginally better as I went along.

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[Timm R Oday25]

Kudos on a well thought out and frugal project. I really do dig that sewing machine

[Norm L.]

I'm really impressed. So well thought out. The strongback hoop in the row locks is a great idea.

[Captain Kidd]

Good job! I like that bolt rope feature.

Just a thought: you might get some puddling in a rainstorm with the slack in your tent fabric. Any way to tighten it up a bit?

[Doug SC]

That is an astute observation, Captain. I have experience with dealing with the slack in boat covers.     With this tent in front of the pole the water does drain well. However, at the foot below where the zipper ends water could puddle. It isn't set in place in the photos, but I intend to tie a short line inside the tent from the center of the pole to a small horn cleat at the top of the cabana to tension the back half of the tent. Also, there is a curve to the transom that should help divert to either side of the tent rather than collect in a depression.

[Doug SC]

I can't take full credit for the tent design as I used several ideas from the video. In the link to the video, I posted at 26:40 they described the tent they had made. I took the bolt rope idea directly from that. Their basic design was much the same as the tarp and pole boat cover, I was using but refined into a very nicely made tent. I had to add a small section to the transom section as my material wasn't quite wide enough (84") to fully be make out of one piece of material. Big Duck Canvas was out of the 92" width so I ordered 2 yards of 36" canvas to have the extra material I would need.

You can see the added piece as forming a triangle from the transom to the bottom of the zipper flap.
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[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

Very nicely done!  I love those old sewing machines and have a couple.  They will sew through anything!