The sun's setting.
Anchor is set(chk), halyards tied off(chk).... "OW!" -- slap!. Screens!!
From the Bahamas to Canada, nowhere I've sailed was completely bug-free. The witching hour for mosquitos is sun-down. On our first couple of coastal sailboats, we used various velcro screen arrangements. They were tedious and not long-lived. A few opening ports had screens but those too wore out or broke.
Our old boat came with screens which after 20 seasons, have been used regularly. The few old bronze opening ports have heavy bronze framed screens with bronze screening. Those appear unbreakable after 60 years.
We use two wooden overhead hatch screens that were built way back to fit the original hatches. The screens could be original as well. On a typical coastal Maine overnight, you can wake up to a fog as warm air settles on the cool water. The bronze screening gives illusion that it's keeping out the dew, but does not.
The best innovation that either the builders or a clever craftsmen later added is the companionway. A track was added below the hatch opening the house. A permanent sliding screen stores and rides inside that wooden track. A cut out (just aft in pic) allows one of three wooden bronze screened frames to be inserted.
This gives you the option to insert the two bronze screen panels in place of the boards and slide the cover over, for rain. But because we have a dodger above we use the 3 inserts. Once the upper one is slid down, the large overhead screen slides aft to screen the whole opening. That's been appreciated on hot windless nights.
Small item, bugs but they can spoil a night at anchor.
Got bugs where you sail? What do you use to keep them out?
Anchor is set(chk), halyards tied off(chk).... "OW!" -- slap!. Screens!!
From the Bahamas to Canada, nowhere I've sailed was completely bug-free. The witching hour for mosquitos is sun-down. On our first couple of coastal sailboats, we used various velcro screen arrangements. They were tedious and not long-lived. A few opening ports had screens but those too wore out or broke.
Our old boat came with screens which after 20 seasons, have been used regularly. The few old bronze opening ports have heavy bronze framed screens with bronze screening. Those appear unbreakable after 60 years.
We use two wooden overhead hatch screens that were built way back to fit the original hatches. The screens could be original as well. On a typical coastal Maine overnight, you can wake up to a fog as warm air settles on the cool water. The bronze screening gives illusion that it's keeping out the dew, but does not.
The best innovation that either the builders or a clever craftsmen later added is the companionway. A track was added below the hatch opening the house. A permanent sliding screen stores and rides inside that wooden track. A cut out (just aft in pic) allows one of three wooden bronze screened frames to be inserted.
This gives you the option to insert the two bronze screen panels in place of the boards and slide the cover over, for rain. But because we have a dodger above we use the 3 inserts. Once the upper one is slid down, the large overhead screen slides aft to screen the whole opening. That's been appreciated on hot windless nights.
Small item, bugs but they can spoil a night at anchor.
Got bugs where you sail? What do you use to keep them out?
