Hi Peter.I think both your point and Matt’s support my point that you design the tent for its purpose. Margaret Dye wrote she and Frank only put up their MK3 if staying somewhere more than one night. My canvas awning (based on a MK3) was up for three weeks over the summer as our outdoor dining room nowhere near the boat! And our first night testing it on water we did not need a tent at all it was so warm and still (it did provide privacy from the twelve or so yatchs who thought the same about our secret hideaway). I would folow Matt’s design because for me the whole point of sleeping in the boat is to be surrounded by good scenery as you go to bed and wake up.
My one curiosity is the best way to set up the rope girdle without any permanent fittings to the hull. Presumably you want any rain to run off the tent outside the hull and gunwhales so apart from the bow fitting and the aft points on the traveller I find I need two lengths of rope under the width of the hull to stop the girdle riding up (from its position under the lip of the gunwhales on the outside of the boat)…….is this the only way? Matt? Anyone?