Tom Lightbody wrote in
:

lovely consequence is watching the little buggers clambering around on
the outside, you on the inside w/ ack-ack handy: flying insect spray.



When you all get those screens and chemicals ready, I have the perfect
place for you to test your installations and defenses all summer:

29-05-26N by 80-56-25W, the marina at Inlet Harbor, which is a long way,
by the channel markers and ICW, from Ponce Inlet, FL. Coming from sea
down the inlet, go South with the markers and N up the Ponce De Leon Cut
until you run aground on its northern end. (Some nice guys in bassboats
will help haul you off...they did us.) From your grounding, look to the
East and you'll see the marina down another sand banked channel you'll
only drag, occasionally at 5'.

Spend the night on the face dock, and go to the great party at the
dockfront bar. Beautiful girls, unless the wife is along, of course.
You'll notice at the outdoor bar there are cans of OFF liberally
distributed for the patrons, probably to prevent stampedes to the parking
lot as the wave of Florida's Finest come in waves like German bombers to
the Blitz.

Now, about midnight, as you are eaten alive because the bar has closed,
reducing the available blood supply nature needs, turn on your cabin
light so you can see the installed mosquito screens. Thousands of huge
mosquitoes will be on the screens from spring to fall testing your
defenses. PRAY it doesn't RAIN! The locals warned me. Clear and warm
was just awful!

Now, if you have no leaks, whatsoever, these mosquitoes will be on the
OUTSIDE of the screen trying to get IN. Our defenses were abyssmal on
Lionheart. There were 80% MORE mosquitoes, already gorged, their sacks
full of blood, trying to get OUT! The screens were merely confusing
their EXIT.

Post your results so we'll know you're still ALIVE or if you need us to
send replacement blood, if you're too weak to go back to sea, where it's
reasonably safer.....

It doesn't say so on the maps or Google Earth, but the locals call this
place "Mosquito Bay" for a reason....

I slept on a table in the marina office after the security guard gave me
a giant OFF sprayer that failed and took pity on me. I have trouble
sleeping while being EATEN ALIVE!

Larry
GOD, DON'T SPRAY INSECTICIDE AT THEM! IT ONLY ****ES THEM OFF AS THEY
RADIO FOR REINFORCEMENTS!!

Screening and nettings work to some extent. The no-see-up netting I put
on all my portlights a few years ago is now degrading and falling
apart. Bummer... that was a lot of work. I keep PIC coils on board for
when it really gets bad. Those are the little green coils that smolder
for hours, releasing something that both repels them and kills any that
got inside. I bought a metal holder that allows them to be placed
anywhere, even hung from the overhead. Probably not the solution for
all times, but really works when things get bad. You can find them at
pretty much any camping store, or on the web I'm sure.

In article 1qIbh.9745$Kw2.4445@trndny05,
"NE Sailboat" wrote:

Last summer, along the coast of Maine, I was anchored in a couple of spots
that had mosquito's the size of turkeys.

I want to be prepared this summer .::: what do you all do about the
companionway to keep out the mosquitos?

I have been thinking of making a couple of companionway sliding screens ..
haven't figured out the method yet.

We've used velcro & netting for a decade or so. Getting in and out is a
bit of a PITA, but the necessary "flick" to get it closed from the
outside is fairly easy to learn.

We have two "grades": Mosquito/fly & no-seeums. The larger mesh gives
slightly better ventilation. BTW, we sometimes fly the wind scoop with
the screen on the forward hatch, tough to do well with the weighted
screening.

The weighted variant is easier, cheaper and faster, but it's not as
tight a seal.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/