I love a 4-way windscoop for really improving the ventilation on a boat. Hook it up, and it just doesn’t matter how the boat swings with the tide in relation to the wind — you’ll always catch the breeze. Ditto if you’re at a dock.
And I’ve pointed out a few places where you can buy one. But what if you want to make your own (or the fact that you need a weird size means that making your own is the only option)?
I’m ashamed to admit that nearly a month ago, Tami Shelton sent me this photo of one she had made and I’m just now getting it posted. Her note said, “I fabricate these 4-way windscoops as per the directions in Karen Lipe’s great book, The Big Book of Boat Canvas.” The book is older (from 1991) and available on Amazon. Tami highly recommends it if you want to make your own windscoops!
I’ll admit that while I do sew, I never tried making a wind scoop and haven’t checked out the book. But from Tami’s photo, it looks like a great design and that Tami was well able to follow the instructions, so it looks like a winner. The design is slightly different from the commercially made ones that we used and appears sturdier.
Tami notes that it’s a little different to hang a 4-way scoop on a catamaran — on any boat, the basic design is to hang it from a halyard and then use a stabilizing line from the top of the scoop to keep it from falling towards the mast. On monohulls, this line is usually led to the forestay. On her catamaran, she led it to a stanchion to get the correct angle to keep the scoop upright.
If you’re in a climate that even the slightest bit warm in the summer, I just can’t recommend the 4-way wind scoops enough if you have an opening hatch to use one with. The added air flow makes a HUGE difference in keeping the inside of the boat cool. And if you can keep the air moving — and hence the hot air flowing out — it makes life in the galley an lot nicer!
Despite cruising in the Sea of Cortez in the hottest part of the year, I rarely changed my cooking habits to “keep the heat out of the boat” since I had such good ventilation. The value of good ventilation just can’t be overstated!
UPDATE: Tami made one of these for us as a boat-warming gift for Barefoot Gal! It is absolutely gorgeous and we can’t wait until we’re back aboard and can use it!
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Cheryl Geeting on Facebook says
Thanks for the info!
Debbie Weiss Luitweiler on Facebook says
I also have made one out of rip stop nylon for windbreakers. Works so good. I also made a half moon piece of nylon to go on the bottom from the inside and use it as a directional flow. On the aft captains quarters it would blow straight down to the floor. With the directional scoop added I could direct the flow across the bed and out the transom port holes. Or for the forward one I could direct the flow to the galley when cooking. 🙂
Nancy Maurer Rieckmann says
Wow, thats great.
Beti O'tan says
You do a lot for your readers!
Steve Bryant says
wish you could tell us a bit more about its construction
The Boat Galley says
Here’s the link: https://theboatgalley.com/make-a-4-way-windscoop/
Grace May says
That’s awesome and a great gesture.
Cindy Hodgins Smith says
Would love to have directions to make this….. Think you can get her to share?
The Boat Galley says
Here’s the info — she shared it last year 🙂 See, I said she was amazing! https://theboatgalley.com/make-a-4-way-windscoop/
Erik Nystuen says
I would sure like one of these! =)
Stephanie Hamilton says
That is sooooo cool! Het it? Cool? I crack me up…
Jane Jarratt says
I love Boat Galley! Could they send me one too!!
The Boat Galley says
Tami got the pattern from The Big Book of Boat Canvas: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0070380007/?tag=theboagal0a-20
Dianne Luttrell says
I would love to try to make one for our boat . Could you post or pm the how to’s ?
The Boat Galley says
Link: https://theboatgalley.com/make-a-4-way-windscoop/
Patty Makowski says
This is the best book ever. I always try to have 3 or 4 copies on board for gifts – everyone can find something in here. I also gave it to a store owner on Great Guana Cay many years ago, he was talking about making carry alls, and boat related stuff for the boaters that came in. You should have seen his smile! You can usually find gently used copies Thriftbooks and other sites. I. Love. This. Book!
Hans van Dam says
I dont understand this, people ask for the ‘how-to’, you send the link, but its the link to this article, which lacks the how-to 😀
Am I missing something? Greetings, Hans
Carolyn Shearlock says
This article provides a link for the book that contains the directions for the 4-way wind scoop plus many other things.
Anne says
I hope someone here can point me in the right direction. I made the scoop from the book. The only change I made, is that it is smaller in the top and bottom, because our hatches are only 22″. I made the other pieces correspondingly smaller, but it is the same height.
It doesn’t work. The air goes in, the scoop fills, but it doesn’t come out the bottom. Even with 10 knots of wind, you have to put your hand up to it to feel any air flow.
My husband thinks that maybe the lower sides (sorry, I don’t have the book here and don’t remember what she called the parts) are too tall and need to be cut down. I have no idea.
If anyone has any ideas, I am open to all suggestions!
michelle says
Hi all! I am curious on why there are walls at all. I don’t understand what the side panels on the bottom do, it just seems it would block air coming in. I can assume it creates a funnel maybe, but wouldn’t it work without the outer box on the bottom? If you’ve made one, can you comment on what they do and why the design works with them? Thanks!
Carolyn Shearlock says
Originally, I had the same question. Looking at it in use, I think without the walls, the back side would be outside the hatch and you’d lose a lot of the breeze.