Association Forum - Hatch Screen

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Hatch Screen

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Steve Raffel
Captain

Member Avatar

262 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/02/2005 : 17:39:40

Recently, I was at a boat show. There was a booth showing an Oceanair hatch screen. It looks like it would work well on the forward hatch thought it is pricy. I was wondering whether anyone has installed this item.

Steve Raffel
C 250 WK #408

Edited by - on

cathluk
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
513 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2005 : 19:47:46

We haven't gotten that fancy. We just used velcro & flexible screen. Put velcro around the hatch inside then sew the other half of the velcro to the screen (cut to size). It's easy to store (folds up) & it works.

Edited by - on

Steve Raffel
Captain

Members Avatar

262 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2005 : 15:22:07

I tried that but instead of sewing the velcro to the screen I just stuck the velcro to the screen. The velcro kept peeling off the screen. Did you use velcro all around the screen or just in spots?

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2005 : 19:50:17

The wife made a screen for the forward hatch. She took measurments of the hatch fully opened and laid out the screen to those angles and sewed it up. I supplied some SS bullet fishing weights and she made up a sleeve long enough to go all around the bottom of the screen and just big enough to put the weights in. The screen goes over the hatch and the weights hold it there.

Edited by - on

Bubba
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
542 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2005 : 20:18:32

I put velcro around the hatch and stitched velcro to some no-see-um netting. It worked great initially, but now a few months later (and with little use) the velcro tape is peeling off from around the hatch.

Cathy (or anyone else), have you had any problem with the velcro peeling from around the hatch? I relied on the adhesive backed velcro tape. Any kind of glue that will hold this stuff better?

Edited by - on

Steve Raffel
Captain

Members Avatar

262 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2005 : 21:06:20

My wife is questioning what kind of stitching should be used on the velcro. Did you stitch it with a machine or by hand? Did you sew it once in the middle or down each side?

I was thinking of using epoxy to hold the velcro to the liner. Perhaps, that would work on the screen too.

Edited by - on

cathluk
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
513 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2005 : 21:20:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Steve Raffel
 I tried that but instead of sewing the velcro to the screen I just stuck the velcro to the screen. The velcro kept peeling off the screen. Did you use velcro all around the screen or just in spots?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I did that first - it lasted for about a year then I got sick of sticking the velcro back on. I simply hand sewed the corners & a spot in the middle of each side. If you had a heavy duty needle for your sewing machine that would work too.

Edited by - on

Bubba
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
542 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2005 : 19:58:51

I stitched the fuzzy velcro tape to the screen - running a stitch down each side of the tape. I put some thin flat nylon webbing on the opposite side with the screen sandwiched in between. I'm sure it was overkill, but I was using no-see-um netting which isn't very sturdy, so I felt the need to reinforce it.

Edited by - on

Steve Raffel
Captain

Members Avatar

262 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2005 : 20:40:22

Where did you buy the no-see-netting and did you stitch the velcro by had or with a machine?

Edited by - on

sailgal
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
400 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2005 : 11:51:05

I went the same route as Tompotter, I find in the middle of the night I can pop my head up to check my anchor location without disturbing the screen. It was a lot more work to sew, but I can also adjust the hatch and take a peek outside with no effort.
I sewed in stainless chain to weigh down the edges.

Edited by - on

coldducks
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
342 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2005 : 08:43:17

i made a screen for the companionway door this summer, but i could not figure out how to make the screen for the front hatch. thank you for the idea to add weights or chains in the pocket around the edges. that sounds like a perfect solution, because i too have found that velcro, or anything else you try to stick does not stay very long because of all the humidity. for those of you who asked how to sew the screening, i had no problem sewing it with my regular sewing machine, with a regular needle. i found the screening material at my local fabric store, very inexpensive and easy to work with.

Edited by - on

Bubba
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
542 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2005 : 20:56:14

I bought no-see-um netting by the yard through the REI website. Stitching it on a sewing machine was pretty easy.

My new plan is to follow the others and make a weighted net to toss over the hatch. The velcro holds fine - I just wish the adhesive did. Until Suzie mentioned it, I hadn't thought abut the convenience of being able to pop my head through the hatch without disturbing the screen.

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2005 : 13:24:29

I found the no-see-um screen at our local HD and used the stick on velcro. Have not had a problem with it coming off yet, but the one thing it does is block out about 50% of the air that my wind chute is pushing down the hatch. Presently working on finding a 5K BTU heat pump and 1K watt generator to replace it all.

Edited by - on

tmark
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
15 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2005 : 23:57:07

I have this from Cruising Resources. http://www.sogeman.com/html/pbugbusters_en.html

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2005 : 10:53:13

I got one of those bugbusters for the companionway. Works really nice. The wife used the same principles to make the one for the forward hatch.

Edited by - Tom Potter on 10/21/2005 10:53:59

tmark
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
15 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2005 : 13:05:34

Following the rabbit trail I see West Marine sells the "Bug Screens"

Edited by - on

zebra50
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 10/22/2005 : 09:37:04

I have a vent/fan purchased from West Marine, with a solar battery on the hatch and the screen is a snap on. Both work great.

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 10/22/2005 : 23:10:16

On my forward hatch screen I just used the stickum velcro, but the main hatch screen sits in the channels and rolls up for storage.

Rolled up for storage

Installed in the hatch

It is made with 5/16 dowels and 3/8 plastic tubing. The tubing supplies the pressure to hold it firmly against all surfaces. It is not my idea, I found it in one of my old sailing mags., but it works great and is cheap.

Edited by - frog0911 on 10/22/2005 23:14:52

sailgal
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
400 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2005 : 17:36:22

I made a screen to fit my companionway. I used the starboard door as my sizing model and used wood to create the frame with screen stapled to it. During the heat of the day, or during light rain I can use the screen but keep the hatch closed with the sunbrella cover in place but folded under.

Edited by - on

Bubba
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
542 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2005 : 20:58:45

Two great ideas, and five months before the bugs come back. I can do this!

Edited by - on

coldducks
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
342 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2005 : 21:29:56

your screens look great. ours is the same, but we made ours to fit with the pop top up. we velcro the top to the bar that holds up the pop top and have a dowel at the bottom. it folds up the same way, but we have the advantage of the head room of the pop top. someday we are going to get a digital camera..and post the pictures..

Edited by - on

Steve Raffel
Captain

Members Avatar

262 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2005 : 17:19:31

Terry, how satisfied are you with the Bug Buster? Did you buy the 25x25 version?

Edited by - on

tmark
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
15 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2005 : 18:44:49

Yep, I have the 25 x 25 and I like it a lot. We have fits of meat bees. It keeps them out so it gets a thumps up here. It also has that peek-out-ability and stows neatly. I'm not very handy so I bow to already made stuff.

Edited by - on

Steve Raffel
Captain

Members Avatar

262 Posts

Response Posted - 10/30/2005 : 21:04:55

Terry, thanks for your suggestion. I bought one this weekend and it seems like the easiest solution. Our boat is out of the water until May but I tested it in the boatyard. Like you I am not handy so this is a good solution.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.