Baby Gets New Window Screens

Nellie's New Screens

We weren't lucky enough to get factory window screens and it has been a struggle to come up with a good alternative. Particularly irksome are the little ports in the shower, head, and stateroom. An effective and inexpensive solution is to use the port's stainless ring to hold a screen in place (see picture).

The installation process is very straight forward. In fact, the hardest part of the job is removing the stainless ring. It is bedded in polysulfide but will yield with patience. I used a razor knife to cut the joint around the inside of the window. Then working around the inner circumference, with two screwdrivers and a putty knife, I gradually wedged the ring away from the cabin side. Two things to watch-out for, don't scratch the gel coat and don't bend the ring. With the ring off you'll note that the port itself is well bedded. If there are voids in the port's bedding, fix them now as I suggest the ring be reinstalled without bedding—it'll make replacing a damaged screen much easier. Use the ring as a template but cut the screen about 1/4" smaller. A thin layer of silicone caulk will secure the screen to the ring. After the caulk is dry reinstall the ring. As always, make sure to bed the screws.

I used $3 worth of aluminum screen, 18 x 16 mesh, for the four ports. At $60 a better choice might be stainless steel screening. Worth considering too is the size of the mesh. A 20 x 20 mesh will keep no-see-ums out.