Hatch Screens

[Bill Bischoff]

Hi folks,

I am getting ready to make some screens for my opening hatches.  I was going to make a big cover out of bug screen and just drape it over the open hatches, but then I thought that I would be wasting a lot of material.  I am hoping someone can give me a better idea or two, especially if they have already made or bought screens.  Failing that, would somebody please give me the inside size of the two different opening hatches?  Five are 24" by 24" om the outside, and two are 24" by 29".

Thanks in advance. 

Cheers, Bill

[Rhapsody]

Used home made screens on my CSY 33.
Build frames of thin wood and attach with snap buttons to the inside of the hatch framing.
Glue on screen material from any outdoor-world store. Cover seams with blue masking tape for a semi-finished look on the bottom side.
Same with the companion-way door, but the screen frames were varnished teak for a better look.
Had great ventilation through the boat with all these screens.
The glue-on screen and tape to cover was because the thin mosquito screens will break sooner or later and you need to replace.
Keep a roll of screen material on the boat, a chisel to clear off old glue and screen, and a tube of glue and you can repair at anchor in 1/2 hr.
Don't have any pictures as I sold the boat almost 2 years ago, but pretty low tech and should be easy to make over a weekend.

[Soggy Paws]

We took a bit different tack.  We used the same fiberglass mosquito screen material but sewed a piece of nylon strap around the correct perimeter on one side and velcro on the other side.  Then we glued the opposite velcro piece on the underside of the hatch trim.  When in use the screen is velcroed to the underside of the hatch trim.  When not in use it hangs folded in half along the back edge of the hatch.  Simple, light weight, inexpensive.  they need to be redone about every 5 years.

The two companionway hatch screens are done with a teak trim around the perimeter and fit in the hatch board grooves.  The companionway top sliding hatch slides back over them leaving no gap.

Dave 

[Rhapsody]

The two companionway hatch screens are done with a teak trim around the perimeter and fit in the hatch board grooves.  The companionway top sliding hatch slides back over them leaving no gap.

Yup, exact same set-up I had...

[Bill Bischoff]

Thanks guys, great information.  Doing a search I found that the interior specs on the 24" square hatches is 18.25" per side, which is roughly 5.75 inches less than the outside measurement.  I was hoping to make up some screens while at home to bring down with me.  This should get me close anyway.

Thanks again and cheers, Bill

[Soggy Geek]

Here is a link to a picture of one of our companionway screens, with our "low security" 1/2-inch mesh.  What you can't see well is that it also backed up with mosquito mesh.

http://svsoggypaws.com/images/workshop/SecurityScreen-Closeup.jpg

Sherry

[svsurprise]

Read your post this morning while drinking my coffee and took the opportunity to measure the inside dimensions of the hatches on my 44' WO.  For the butterfly hatches the dimensions were 17" X 23", the square hatches 17" X 17" and the main companionway 24 3/4" X 27 5/8".  The teak trim around each hatch is about 1 1/2" wide. 

The screens on my boat were fiberglass mesh with Velcro all around, most of it stapled.  I removed it all when I refinished the trim.  My plans are for either no-see'um mesh or fiberglass screen mesh with a 1 1/2" border of sunbrella sewed on with SS snaps in each corner.  Seemed to work well on a previous boat. 

Don

[Bill Bischoff]

Sherry, thanks for the picture.  I like the low tech deterent screen.  That's all I need, just something to let me know something is going on, with the benefit of bug protection.  Don, thanks for the measurements.  I will make some screen up before heading back to the boat in May.

Cheers everybody, Bill

[Matthew Balch]

Hi Bill.  I just had a chance to measure the openings on my hatches.  My screens are covering the wood trim and are affrxed with velcro.  The outside measurements of the wood trim are as follows:  the square hatches are 19.5 inches by 19.5 inches.  The two larger hatches are 25.5 inches by 19.5 inches.  This would be the full size of the screen with the velcro sewn in around the inside perimeter.  Hope this helps.  Matthew

[Bill Bischoff]

Matthew, thanks for the measurements.  I just found that I had measured and recorded the inside dimensions of my hatches.  They are 18" by 18" for the square ones and 18" by 24" for the longer ones.  I just made up screens that will fasten from below with Velcro around the edges, as some of you have suggested.  Hopefully they will fit when I get to the boat in a couple of weeks.

Thanks everybody for your input.

Cheers, Bill