Mosquitos on board

Feb 19, 2008
292
Catalina Capri 18 ann arbor
Hi All,

Only day sailed so far, first overnight cruise coming up. The drop board and compaionway hatch combination do not look mosquito proof to me.

Do you employ some kind of screen or additional protection? I don't really want to spray myself with Cutters before bed, although we will probably spend the evening in the cockpit or on shore, so I might just end up sprayed.

You know those people that mosquitoes seem to love more than most . . . I'm one of them!

John
 
Feb 19, 2008
292
Catalina Capri 18 ann arbor
@kloudie1 , I've got one of those, they are pretty great.
@Dave Groshong , those look perfect. Not at all what I was imagining. Mostly I was thinking with the hatch boards in place and the hatch shut, there are still some cracks where daylight can get in. I think Mosquitos could as well.

I'm assuming I can easily get in and out of the cabin with this screen in place?
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,400
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Lights draw them. They also do not hunt far over water. So...
  1. Get up at dawn and go to bed early.
  2. Anchor at least 100 yards from shore. 200 yards is better.
These two steps help a lot. Anchor far enough out and you won't need screens.
 
May 4, 2018
23
Catalina 25 SV Colorado
We light up one of those Citronella candles and keep in inside, the outdoor type candle in a little bucket as its stable and won't tip over. Keeps the bugs out and give some soft light too. Works for us.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
On The Mac we just used some netting we bought at the local surplus store.
The Hunter has screens over all of the windows and lites, and the PO sewed up a nice one that snaps over the companionway and hatch area.
I'm mosquito bait. People invite me over so I draw the bloodsuckers away from them.
 

Fred

.
Sep 27, 2008
493
Catalina 28 mkii 745 Ottawa, Ontario, CA
We bought bed netting from IKEA, lay it over the entire companionway and snap the companion way cover (canvas) over it to keep it in place. The netting is thin enough not to affect the snap performance. The netting is big enough so that you can bunch it up to block the gutters on the H26. We can leave the screen draped over the entryway for the evening to prevent ingress of mosquitoes. This inexpensive solution has well worked for us for the last 5 years cruising in the Georgian Bay area (prime mosquito area). And yes we get up early and retreat to the cabin at sundown. The "real" SBO solution does look nice though.
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Mosquitos are attracted by CO2 (from your breath). My vote is the screens SBO sells.

I haven't analyzed those coils or thermocell but I'm curious whether they contain chemicals that might be harmful. Citronella has been around for as long as I can remember, but so has tobacco. I don't know if citronella vapor is safe to breath. Seems to me there are plenty of chemicals and pollutants in our lives, and I'm not anxious to breath any more than I have to.
 
Jun 1, 2015
217
Macgregor 26d Trailer Estates, Fl
Tried thermocell. Watched a mosquito fly directly through the vapor with no impact.

I have a screen that I bought at REI. Goes from the front of the pop top over the Bimini. This works,, but the setup can be frustrating. It was less than $10.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Mosquitos are attracted by CO2 (from your breath). My vote is the screens SBO sells.

I haven't analyzed those coils or thermocell but I'm curious whether they contain chemicals that might be harmful. Citronella has been around for as long as I can remember, but so has tobacco. I don't know if citronella vapor is safe to breath. Seems to me there are plenty of chemicals and pollutants in our lives, and I'm not anxious to breath any more than I have to.
Sorry I thought this was kinda funny. Anyone looking for Captain Larry, he'll be the guy turning blue. You're right about the CO2 so I taint my breath with garlic. Doesn't work for mosquitos but it does work for other pests.
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Sorry I thought this was kinda funny. Anyone looking for Captain Larry, he'll be the guy turning blue. You're right about the CO2 so I taint my breath with garlic. Doesn't work for mosquitos but it does work for other pests.
;)