simple or ingenious mosquito screens?

[TrueBlue]

The velcro idea is not working for me since I have teakframes on the undersides of the hatches and that would spoil the looks right away.

A screen for the pilothouse hatch presents a different challenge - since it is large and teak framed. Perhaps 2 wood framed halves, similar to CapnHand's solution, would be best here.

[kennya]

I have a press fit screen made of a wood frame and cabinet rollers, I used cedar for weight and four cabinet rollers to help hold the screen in place. Take a piece of cardboard larger than the hatch opening trace the inside of the hatch. This is your outside pattern for your frame. I cut two Ľ in thick and 1 and ˝ in depth to attach the screen. Lay the screen on one and screw the other to it with brass screws. This makes it easy to change the screen when needed. Attach your rollers for a firm fit . You can also use the same approach to make a screen for the hatch. I made mine the size of the bottom two boards keeping the top. This seems to help from damaging the screen when opening and closing the hatch. Keeps you bug free and cool.

[sailingdog]

TB, that pilothouse one is going to be a bit more interesting to find a solution for. A single piece curved wooden frame with spring loaded pins would work nicely, if you were willing to put four small detents into the teak of the frame.

[PalmettoSailor]

Gee, I'm glad I'm a "good enough" kind of guy. I cut a length of a worn out jibsheet to just fit the outside perimeter of my hatches and companionway, then sewed fiberglass screen around the rope. I used a strip of webbing on each side of the screen to give the stitching some purchase. I can deploy the hatch covers from inside if need be, but the companion way screen pretty much needs to be done from outside. The weight of the rope holds the screens in place with a "bug tight" seal without the worry of stick on velcro. If the wind is enough to worry about the screens moving, it's too windy to worry much about bugs.

Not nearly as attractive as the solutions proposed here, but they are effective, easy to make even for complex shapes, simple to use and can be rolled up to store.

[sailingdog]

Yes, but I think TB would become apoplectic and keel over if some one suggested that he do that on his very proper Nauticat...

[CapnHand]

LeeHound,

Sorry if these pictures don't look very good. I took the pictures with a cell phone. My hatches are trimmed in teak which makes a ledge around the inside of the hatch
http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/....php?file=1703

The screens are made in two halves
http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/....php?file=1706

so that they can be inserted into the hatch opening from below and they sit on the ledge made by the teak trim.
http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/....php?file=1707

They are easy to install, they work well and I think they look pretty good.

[LeeHound]

CapnHand, thanks a lot for suppying the pictures about the bug screens!
LeeHound