I suggest doing what the navy calls a "fast cruise" - you pretend you're a hundred miles at sea while safely tied to the dock. You go through every drill you can think of: anchor, have a drink, make dinner, start the motor, reading a book, etc. until you find out that you'll want an anchor light, your drink tastes better with lime, dinner requires a can opener, starting the motor requires a gas hose, etc.. Don't ask me how I thought of those, but suffice it to say, I have forgotten many things! Spend at least a couple hours "living" on the boat thinking of stuff, and writing things down on your shopping list. Do this in the evening when the bugs are out, and perhaps sleep aboard that night (then write down you need better padding or you can't sleep). Better to find these things out with your car 50 yards away than when you're out in the wilds somewhere.
As a practical solution, and considering your location and boat size - some way to get out of the sun is critical. I suggest rigging a boom tent. When you're on your third hour of anchoring in the Alabama sun, you will feel like a chicken in a frying pan! Start with a small, cheap tarp (light in color). You want it open at the edges for ventilation, but it must pass over the boom and extend to the sides. Use some light line or shock cord to make a pup tent over your boom. If you don't have enough headroom over your seats, you can use a couple of small poles to lift the edges. This is much easier to rig when Home Depot is a mile away, than when you're dying of sunstroke off some island.
