Mosquito proofing

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nimbusgb

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thinking about how to address the hassle of mosquitos whilst aboard in Greece.

I hate sleeping with the coils burning, a candle or continuously spraying toxic chemicals about and in Greece it is pretty much necessary to sleep with all the ports and hatches open in summer.

I was wondering what the best approach is to keep the little blighters off during the night. Make up 'screens' for all the ports, vents and hatches or simply rig a mosquito net tent over each berth the way it's done ashore in Africa and the tropics.

The problem with screens is a/ storing them b/ they always tend to get in the way of closing ports and hatches and c/ getting them made up in the first place.

A net tent can be rigged in seconds and seems to tick all the boxes.
 
The port light and hatch screens don't have to be rigid and difficult to store. They can be made from mosquito net with Velcro stitched around the edges. Other side of Velcro can have self adhesive backing. You need to make a template for the companionway entrance to get the right size and profile.
The deck hatches can be fitted like this inside the frame, so if does rain the hatches can be closed without having to remove the screens.
Just had a year with mine in the med and they worked very well.
 
We made up frames in plastic covered wire from coat hangers and covered these with a double wrap of netting.Simply taped the joins in the formed wire shapes.They lasted 10 years.Every opening in the boat has to have a screen.Even the mushroom vents.
For the companionway light slats such as dinghy battens sewn in at intervals will make a light removable screen.Just make the slats wider than the companionway opening and this should help.Avoid gaps, they find these!
Coils lit are good for outdoors.
We have a tent also, but have only had to use it once in Port Napoleon Rhone area as the blighters are more numerous there.
Consuming vast amounts of garlic is supposed to help?
Us whatever repellant the locals use, as they know best.
 
Cheapest solution is to spray yourself with Peaceful Sleep and then put a mosquito net over the bunk.

If you are lucky enough to have Lewmar port lights they sell screens that can be left in all the time. You fit them from inside, but they are on the outside so don't stop you opening the port light
 
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We have a mixture of purpose fitted and homemade mosquito screens.

For the companionway hatch I made a net by a taking a large piece of mosquito netting which is hemmed all round the edge and inserted a piece of chain into the hem. You just throw it over the hatch and the weight of the chain holds it in position. It's a bit tricky to put on from inside the boat but you soon get the knack.

I have seen this type of mosquito net used on coachroof hatches too, where you make a sort of tent with a chain round the botton edge and drop it over the open hatch. Useful in the Med when it's hot.

Look around for the mosquito netting. Some specialist suppliers charge a fortune. I got some in John Lewis at a reasonable price.
 
For the fore and aft cabin hatches we have caravan cassette blinds with fly screens built in. For the main hatch we have a circular springy cirle thing covered with mesh that we can persuade to cover the vertical section of the main hatch. The dorade vents also have a mesh screen.
 
nimbusgb said:
. . . The problem with screens is a/ storing them b/ they always tend to get in the way of closing ports and hatches and c/ getting them made up in the first place.

A net tent can be rigged in seconds and seems to tick all the boxes.
Click to expand...

I bought mine from e-Bay, cheap as chips. Just search on e-Bay for "Mosquito Netting" :p
 
nimbusgb said:
thinking about how to address the hassle of mosquitos whilst aboard in Greece.

I hate sleeping with the coils burning, a candle or continuously spraying toxic chemicals about and in Greece it is pretty much necessary to sleep with all the ports and hatches open in summer.

I was wondering what the best approach is to keep the little blighters off during the night. Make up 'screens' for all the ports, vents and hatches or simply rig a mosquito net tent over each berth the way it's done ashore in Africa and the tropics.

The problem with screens is a/ storing them b/ they always tend to get in the way of closing ports and hatches and c/ getting them made up in the first place.

A net tent can be rigged in seconds and seems to tick all the boxes.
Click to expand...

Yes agree with you. We did actually make our own nets up for all hatches, they can be left on but still not easy. A double mosquito tent fits the forward berth well and we leave it up the whole time. As we spend most of the time sitting in the cockpit in the evenings seemed little point in trying to mosquito proof the whole of the boat.
 
Thanks for the ideas. I react badly to topical mozzie repellent. Last time I burned those coils I was quite ill after a couple of days. Breathing in sprays like Baygon have a similar effect.

For the main companionway I have a lightweight ply 'washboard' with the centre cut out and a piece of screen material fixed into the hole. Just drop it in to the slot and close the top perspex slide. I was thinking of a similar piece for the top slide but stowage keeps cropping up.

4 dorade ventilators have netting installed.

6 lewmar ports - might make up some frames that drop in from the outside. Similar to main hatch - ply frame and netting over it. Can close the port if it rains without removing the outside screen.

4 small hatches - Easiest solution I have come across is a ply frame quite a bit bigger than the hatch with a 'basket' of net attached. The ply frame drops over the hatch which can still be operated from inside the boat. They store flat with the netting basket folded. ( same sort of idea as chain and mozzie net. )

Forward hatch - we normally have a wind scoop in place - I'm going to cover the open section with mozzie net.

Last of all I'm going to get a mozzi net 'tent' for each berth. Nothing is guaranteed to keep me awake more effectively than a night raid by mozzies.

Still have to get someone to sew up sides to the cockpit tent that are made of mozzie net.
 
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nimbusgb said:
thinking about how to address the hassle of mosquitos whilst aboard in Greece.

I hate sleeping with the coils burning, a candle or continuously spraying toxic chemicals about and in Greece it is pretty much necessary to sleep with all the ports and hatches open in summer.

I was wondering what the best approach is to keep the little blighters off during the night. Make up 'screens' for all the ports, vents and hatches or simply rig a mosquito net tent over each berth the way it's done ashore in Africa and the tropics.

The problem with screens is a/ storing them b/ they always tend to get in the way of closing ports and hatches and c/ getting them made up in the first place.

A net tent can be rigged in seconds and seems to tick all the boxes.
Click to expand...

Some friends who live in the Florida boondocks-Gulf side- have two or three devices that attract and kill insects,especialy mozzies. I went round with him one evening to check them. In total,from the two in use he removed almost 12 ounces of dead mozzies and others from the devices. He said they use CO2 as an attractor-thats what mozzies home in on-and tempt them into a killing chamber. They were battery powered as I recall. Might be worth a google. While traveling in Wisconsin near Lake Michegan we saw a six foot plastic model of a mozzie over a bar counter. "Whats that for?" I asked. "Why son- thats the mosquito-State Bird of Wisconsin............. "
 
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