simple or ingenious mosquito screens?

[LeeHound]

A simple mosquito screen that has an elastic frame so you can stick it in or remove it from the inner frame of a ceiling hatch seems to be non-existent. There are expensive complex systems from OceanAir and other companies, but a simple flexible screen that you can attach and detach by simply pushing it into the opening of the hatch under the handles from inside the boat? The only reasonbly priced screens that we have seen are such to be attached from the outside only. Does anybody know of a system/screens to be used from the inside, and how to get it? Or any other idea that worked for you?

[CapnHand]

Yes. The PO of my boat (bless his heart) made simple screens for the hatches. They come in halves with a slight gap and sit on a lip that runs around the inside of the hatch. I put them in one at a time and then press a piece of weatherstrip into the gap. He also made a set of screened boards for the companionway for good air flow below without having to put up with the wee beasties.

I'll try to get some pictures to post next time I'm at the boat.

[sailingdog]

I've seen them made using a piece of thin spring steel, like that found in automotive windshield shades or photographic light reflectors, that would do essentially what you're looking for. Don't know if they were homemade or commercial, but suspect the former, since the guy who had them tinkers quite a bit.

[Jotun]

This is even more ghetto, but I've seen a plain square of screen attached to the underside of the hatch with a large rubber band.

[Sailormon6]

The PO of my boat made some simple hatch screens by cutting a square of screen fabric to fit the opening. Then he attached adhesive backed velcro around the perimeter of the srceen and the hatch, and it works fairly well. As you can imagine, the velcro doesn't adhere as well to the screen fabric, so this spring I plan to cut a 2" wide strip of white duck fabric, fold it over, so that it's a one inch wide strip. Then I'll slip the edge of the screen fabric into the fold and sew it in place, so that the screen will have a 1" wide strip of white duck around its perimeter to reinforce it. Then I'll sew a strip of velcro to the duck. That should make the whole screen stronger, and prevent the velcro from pulling off.

[labatt]

Defender's no-seeum screen plus velcro... cheap, easy to install, remove and store, and it doesn't look too bad. Sailormon - good idea with the fabric!

[sailingdog]

And if you get the fabric in the color of the cabin overhead, it'll blend in real nice..

Personally, I would just get the two-inch wide velcro tape and fold it over the edge of the screen, and then sew it to the screen. That way you can put the screen up in either direction.

You can get the velcro in white, beige or black... depending on what color you want. The black is probably the most UV resistant.

[TrueBlue]

I made screen panels for my hatches, exactly as Sailormon6 described - with a folded 1-1/2" wide black nylon webbing hem, sewn to each black fiberglass screen panel perimeter. Hardware stores carry this strap material for DIY belt makers - the type used on duffle bags and PFD belts.

To one face I stitched a 3/4" velcro loop strip, the adhesive backed hook strip was then adhered to the hatch flange. This worked OK for a while, but eventually the adhesive Velcro strip pulls away from the hatch flange - due to the force needed to remove the screen panel. Velcro's grip is just too strong for the adhesive.

I never really liked the look of the Velcro tape with the screen panel removed anyway. I've been considering other methods for attachment of the panels - with no solutions yet.

[Kernix]

Aren't there different thicknesses of velcro where thin is easily removed?

I like the idea of making it yourself. What materiel is the hatch flange - metal? If so how about sewing small magnets every inch or so into the some border fabric?

[TrueBlue]

The hatches are extruded, anodized aluminum, but the interior hatch flange is either fiberglass or a molded PVC material. The magnet idea wouldn't work with aluminum of course . . . nor would it work with SS.