Sleepless Nights, Mozzie Bites & Lessons Learned
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One of the very first lessons we ever learned on the water wasn’t about sailing, anchoring, or weather—it was about mosquitos.
Back on our very first boat, a Hunter 23, Love Handles, we decided to spend the night onboard for the very first time. She was tiny and basic (camping on water really!), but to us she was everything. We tucked into a calm mangrove river, kissed the kids goodnight in their sleeping bags, and sat together under the stars, stoked at the fact we’d finally done it—we’d anchored out as a family.
Then the wind died.
And the mozzies arrived.
We scrambled for a mozzie coil, hoping it would help, but by the time I peeked in on the kids it was too late. The roof above them was dotted with mosquitoes, and their sweet little faces—the only skin showing outside their bags—were being eaten alive.
That night was a baptism of fire into one of sailing’s most underestimated challenges. From that point on, mozzie-prevention became part of our everyday routine onboard.
How We Fight the Buzz
1. Anchor Smart
We’ve learned that where you anchor can make a huge difference. Being a little further off shore and catching a breeze dramatically reduces the chances of mozzies finding you. Of course, on those glassy, still nights they sometimes make it out regardless.
2. Mozzie-Proof the Boat
Screens are our secret weapon. We use mozzie screens for all the hatches and keep a large net that velcros over the main doorway. It folds away small but has saved us countless times—not just from mozzies, but from bees swarming in Mexico, too!
Twilight now means a mad dash to get everything sealed before the mozzies punch in for their night shift.
Yes, it gets stuffy with hatches closed and screens on… cue some family debates between those who never seem to get bitten and argue for airflow, and the rest of us who know the misery of a mozzie bite at 2am.
3. Other Tricks (Hit or Miss)
- USB blue-light zappers — sometimes they score one, but mostly gimmicky.
- Spraying cabins before bed — wipes out any lurking mozzies, but won’t stop fresh recruits flying in.
- Mozzie coils – semi-effective but leaving an ember burning on the boat and the strange smell they release, let's say we're not huge fans.
Beyond the Itch
The bites alone are bad enough, but out here there’s a bigger danger: mosquitos can carry malaria and dengue. Both are real risks in many tropical cruising grounds, and something that doesn’t get talked about as much as pirates or storms.
We dive into this side of the story in our recent episode, Hidden Dangers – Not What You’d Expect. If you’ve ever wondered what actually keeps sailors awake at night—it’s not always sharks.
Final Thoughts
From that chaotic first night on Love Handles to now, we’ve learned that sailing life comes with hidden challenges you don’t think about until you’re in the middle of them. Mozzies are tiny, but they can make life afloat pretty miserable—and sometimes even dangerous.
Our best advice? Plan for them before you even set the anchor.
And if you’ve got your own tried-and-true mozzie hacks, we’d love to hear them. Drop a comment below and let’s swap notes—because if there’s one thing sailors know, it’s that we’re always learning from each other out here.