Screens:

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
The sun's setting.
ERR sunrise 2019.jpg


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.

Hatchway screen morning dew.jpg


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.

Screens upper sliding_.jpg


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.

Screens companionway.jpg


Small item, bugs but they can spoil a night at anchor.

Got bugs where you sail? What do you use to keep them out?
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
As we were about to head out the door to bring Second Star home from Buffalo along the Erie Canal, I had an AHA! moment. We would be spending 4 days traversing NY on the Canal which goes through swamps and wetlands and we did not have companionway screens. This would not be an issue, except it was the first week of July in 2014.

A trip to the basement, a piece of fiberglass screen, some scrap wood, and of course duct tape and we had our screen. It has served us well since that trip although my wife often complains about it. It works, it was inexpensive, and it stores easily. :)

IMG_1330.jpeg




IMG_1336.jpeg
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
Tom, aeolus, too, came with a full set of screens for all three hatches. i'm sure that they were made by the molich boat yard. still in good shape.
my two forward hatches. have bouble hinges. i can have the hatchs cover hinged either forward or aft. i always have them hinged on the forward set to protect from spray or rain. my two forward hatches always suck the air/heat out of the cabin. the cool night air then comes in through the main hatch.
 
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Feb 14, 2014
7,400
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Our boat came with full windows, hatches, companion way, etc.
Best of all...

Full cockpit No-see-em, zipped/snapped up to seal all, with the Dodger in place.:thumbup:
Jim...

PS: We even have a Blue light setting for the cockpit at night.;)
 

DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,691
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
My boat came with weighted fiberglass screens for each hatch. The cabin top hatches just drape over the open hatch, the main hatch is kind of like Dave's with the wooden stick except there are weights sewn in around the perimeter. The PO found a tent screen that drapes over the bimini as a cockpit screen. I haven't really tried that out yet, the bugs weren't that bad last summer.
I like the main hatch screen but the cabin top hatches are a bit challenging to deal with when the wind or rain picks up in the middle of the night.
 
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Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I like the main hatch screen but the cabin top hatches are a bit challenging to deal with when the wind or rain picks up in the middle of the night.
On my last boat I had screens like this that draped over the hatches. The hems had a section of chain on the bottom to weight them down. They kept the critters out and when it rained it was easy to pull the hatch shut and leave the screen on deck.
 
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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
I made a mesh screen panel and a plastic panel to fit the vertical part of the companionway. Both have a wood batten across the bottom for weight, but the tops have snaps to attach to the handle of the sliding hatchboard. The plastic one is great to keep the heat in on a chilly morning, but still allow that wonderful morning sunlight come in. Sorry, no pics at this time.
 
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Jul 1, 2010
962
Catalina 350 Lake Huron
We have hatch screens for all our hatches except the one over the vbirth. For that one and also the companionway we have Sogeman Bugbuster screens, which work well. We're currently having all new canvas made including a complete enclosure with screens. Should give us some more real estate to use when anchored and the sun goes down.

The mosquitoes up on the North Channel of Lake Huron are voracious and smart (for mosquitoes) so good screens are a must when we're up there. They don't compare, however, to the midge hatch when it happens on Lake Erie. We experienced that last summer. We were just about to enter the navigation channel of the Detroit River, when we went through a massive cloud of them. They were so thick we could hardly keep our eyes open. Our covid masks were handy just to breathe. The decks and seats were slippery with them within minutes. So gross...thank goodness they don't bite or I would have abandoned ship.
 
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DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,691
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
The hems had a section of chain on the bottom to weight them down.
A chain sounds like a good idea. Mine have little metal (could be lead!) beads in the hem. Works well since they conform to any surface but one sprung a leak and I started finding the beads on deck.
 
May 17, 2004
5,032
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
We have combination sunshade / screen fabrics in a rollaway housing for all our hatches. Something like this -
1612699870350.png


It’s a clever design - spring loaded rollers that you can unfurl to expose the screen or sunshade, with a magnetic latch to hold them in place.

I do want to build something for the companionway for warmer nights at anchor.
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Tom, aeolus, too, came with a full set of screens for all three hatches. i'm sure that they were made by the molich boat yard. still in good shape.
my two forward hatches. have bouble hinges. i can have the hatchs cover hinged either forward or aft. i always have them hinged on the forward set to protect from spray or rain. my two forward hatches always suck the air/heat out of the cabin. the cool night air then comes in through the main hatch.
Jon, does you Molich companionway have the same sliding screen overhead?

I do love the double hinges on the overhead hatches. We keep them aft facing unless it's really hot. A light rain overnight, you can leave them open.
 
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May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
on the main hatch, there is a sliding rectangular screen that stays in the hatch coaming and is pushed forward out of the way. the coaming is grooved for the screens to slide. then there is a square insert that lifts, then slides, into the hatch coaming to complete the screening of the entire space. the square is stored in the cockpit sail locker against the bulkhead. the 2 forward hatch screens stow in a rack on the overhead above the V berth.
there are two vertical hatch boards. the bottom is solid. the top is louvered board with the area screened with the same bronze screening. with the dorades on the cabin and the screen in the hatch boards there is nice venting when the boat is locked up. venting is good.

when i prepped the boat to compete in the chi-mac races back in the 90's i had to make a solid hatch board to to comply with the offshore racing rules. other than for racing i always us the original screened hatch board. i never worried about this slight opening from a safety stand point. hull integrity is safety rule #1, but i think molich had it figured out just fine.
the alden/halmatic/molich combo is an amazing vessel. a Duesenberg car would be a nice fit to drive down to the boat for a sail. plenty of room for the crew. :cool:
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
A chain sounds like a good idea. Mine have little metal (could be lead!) beads in the hem. Works well since they conform to any surface but one sprung a leak and I started finding the beads on deck.
This screens with the lead beads in the edges are made by Sogeman Home - Sogeman - Insect screens and hatch umbrellas for boat.. I use them on two overhead hatches and the companionway. Very easy and convenient, and they work well. We also have an Oceanair screen on one overhead like @Davidasailor26 shows in post 11 above. Those are the best, IMHO.