Bad, Bad, Bad Smell

Jun 26, 2016
21
Hunter 1979 Hunter 27 Cherubini Roswell
So...just completed the sale on the 27' Hunter pictured. Everything moved happily along until......my wife stepped down into the cabin and there was a strong odor of sewage. It gets even more complicated because she will not be open to trying any of the sort of chemicals commonly used in a toilet for RV's and so forth. So now I'm a little worried. The seller assured us that it could be pumped out, but for some reason, I have a feeling that isn't going to solve the whole problem.

I have no idea how the head works on this sailboat.

1. Is there a book like Heads for Dummies or something that will explain how the whole thing works?

2. Does anyone know of any alternatives to chemicals commonly used?

3. Any other suggestions (like possibly removing the head and plugging the whole thing up, opting, instead, for something like a composting toilet of the sort shown here https://www.tinyhousesinside.com/pr...8C2s-_BKLi2WBkMVnu5yHR_q8UUwT6JyBoCTSrw_wcB)?

I don't want to get too hung up on the composting toilet, so would prefer topic mainly on getting rid of the smell.
 

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Jan 7, 2011
4,723
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Peggy, the "Head Mistress", has a good book on marine head odors. I am sure she will provide a link to the book.

Some of the things to check/do:
1) check the vent line and vent fitting to make sure the tank is getting adequate ventilation. The fitting on the outside of the hull is easily plugged by insects, mud daubers, and the like. Hose could be plugged or kinked, so no air flow. The tank MUST have ventilation.

2 ) find the holding tank, and if you can tell if it is empty. If plastic, you can normally hold a flashlight against the top, and look at the side wall to see if you can discern the waste level.

3) pump out the tank, and flush it with water, then pump out again. You may need to do this several times. You can add ice cubes and sail the boat around to "agitate" the tank. I added some laundry detergent (not too much) when flushing the tank.

4) buy Peggy's book ( she will move this to #1 I imagine :)

Congrats on the new boat!

Greg
 
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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
Peggie Hall's is the book you need ........get it here from the sbo store...she may be along shortly and have some things to tell you ....congrats on your new boat
 
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Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
And you get me with the book! It's available from the online store on this site...see the link my signature. And btw, the title is "Get Rid of Boat Odors." But it's also a comprehensive "marine toilets and holding tanks 101" manual that will also teach you how to operate and maintain your toilet.

Now to address your problem:

I have no idea how the head works on this sailboat.
I can send you a link to the owners manual when I know the make/model/approx age. If you don't know, post a photo of the PUMP (all toilet bowls look alike)...top view and side.

Everything moved happily along until......my wife stepped down into the cabin and there was a strong odor of sewage.
It's very unlikely that the holding tank is the culprit. 'Cuz the tank is rarely if ever the source of odor INSIDE the boat. Why? Because unless the tank is leaking, odor from inside the tank has only one place to go: out the tank vent! So while frequent pumpouts, increased ventilation, various tank products may or may not have any impact at all on odor out the tank vent, using any or all of them to try to eliminate odor inside the boat is only chasing your tail …you’ll never catch it.

Permeated sanitation hoses are the most common source of sewer odor inside a boat, but there are others. A wet dirty bilge can make a whole boat smell like a swamp or even a sewer. And there are others, all described in my book. And I'll be glad to help you sort it all out one-on-one in more detail than is practical in a forum. And once we do, yes...there are excellent alternatives to toxic tank chemicals that work WITH nature to PREVENT odor instead of trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to kill it.
 
Jun 26, 2016
21
Hunter 1979 Hunter 27 Cherubini Roswell
Wow! This is more specific than I ever imagined the topic could be! Thank you each and all! Peggy, the boat is a 1979 Hunter Cherubini (https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/boa/5612486144.html). Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the pump, but will try to get some this weekend.

Again, thank you!!!

P.S. I almost purchased a Victoria 26 weeks earlier. To my knowledge, there are precisely three of these boats left, so I'm extremely happy, knowing that there are so many years of accumulated experience on these Hunters, that I opted for a more common boat instead.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Dana, most boats- even home made- use the same basic parts. Heads, sinks, motors... the whole schmeer. Newer boats benefit from newer technology, but that can usually be retrofitted into older boats. All the same, congrats on the purchase. Your good mates on this site will help you through it. Believe me, you are not the first with this problem. AND, I have no doubt someone will ask you for the contact info on that Victoria!
 
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Jun 26, 2016
21
Hunter 1979 Hunter 27 Cherubini Roswell
Peggie, your comment above about a wet dirty bilge now has me a little concerned, because I was quite certain--up until now--that the problem had, entirely, to do with the head.

The boat was painted inside and out which has made me slightly quizzical, but I'd never thought to ask any further about it. Do you think--given the paintwork--that this boat was possibly swamped at some point? It's in Georgia, and the red clay would badly discolor a boat, I'm certain. And, if so, what concerns would you share with me about it? Would this situation also be covered in your book (which I ordered a bit ago)?
 
Jun 26, 2016
21
Hunter 1979 Hunter 27 Cherubini Roswell
Nice score Dana. Which outboard did you elect to keep?
I decided on the Evinrude because I didn't want to mess with electric start and also the Mercury seemed too big given the very little bit I'd be using it to get in and out of the slip.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Along w/ replacing any permeated hoses, I'd recommend stripping the fabric off the interior cushions and machine washing them. If the cushions cannot be stripped, then wash or clean 'em whole and let them air out for a day or two. Wash other interior surfaces with soap, such as Simple Green, and let the boat air out for a few days. When I first got the Bavaria it had head odors that had permeated into some of the cushions. No longer.:biggrin:
 
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Jun 26, 2016
21
Hunter 1979 Hunter 27 Cherubini Roswell
Dana, if the boat had ever been swamped, there'd be a lot more signs of it that just a sewer odor...so I don't think that's likely to be an issue.
Got it. The seller is a super guy, and appears to have worked extremely hard to make the boat attractive and functional. I just get a little nervous when purchasing anything beyond mere nominal value. I appreciate the reassurance on that one!
 

bshock

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Jan 18, 2013
126
Beneteau 361 Sandusky Harbor Marina
Congrats on the boat! Wifey and I bought our first "big" boat only a few years ago and there was a strong head/sewer smell. After buying Peggy's book and applying the appropriate practices, we now have a sweet smelling boat. With the exception of a few places (under the head sink and in the storage areas under the seats which are on the same side as the head), and I'm thinking it's simply because the stinky air in those places have permeated those compartment walls. I have since discovered that a handful of bars of normal Irish Spring soap (no need to remove them from their boxes) does a good job of masking that odor, and i'm hoping it will eventually permeate the walls and take over from the stinkiness that was there before. Just an idea I thought I'd share. Good luck!
 
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LuzSD

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Feb 21, 2009
1,009
Catalina 30 San Diego/ Dana Point, Ca.
Dana, did the boat smell this way when you first looked at it? From what you write it sounds like this is new since you purchased and brought your wife down to see it.
Has it always been in the water? Does the bilge have water standing in it? Has it always?
I know some think nothing of water in their bilge but we worked for a year to get ours to be dry and after a downpour we dry it out every time. It's a super dry boat inside and I think that's a big contributor. It's also odor free thanks to all the head advise I've gotten here in this forum.
 
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zeehag

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Mar 26, 2009
3,198
1976 formosa 41 yankee clipper santa barbara. ca.(not there)
first thing i would do would be pump many gallons of ambient water thru the head. standing water stinks. brackish water smells like rotting eggs. when water of any kind stands it gets worse.
if that didnt fix the stink, i go to the bilges and inspect em for wet areas. it could be resulting from showering, skin cells reek when in standing water.
i noticed boats with only occasional use stink moreso than do boats in which the systems are kept flushed with fresher ambient water, fresh or salt. makes a huge difference. the water that stands inside the drains for sinks is another culprit.
as i am sitting in a marina in salt water, i can tell when i have a fesh water ingress--the stink of brackish water wafts upward along one place in the dinette. seems to be the area from which most of the smelly things on board this boat vent... yummmmmmm
it is a good diagnostics tool. helps to know the smell of chemistry.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
we now have a sweet smelling boat. With the exception of a few places (under the head sink and in the storage areas under the seats which are on the same side as the head),
Instead of only masking the odor, why not completely eliminate it for good? And there is a product that will do that: PureAyre PureAyre Available from a bunch of places, including Amazon (the household version works as well as any of the others for this). I'd also buy a GOOD quality pump up garden sprayer jug.

VERY IMPORTANT: you cannot eliminate any odor unless/until you first eliminate the SOURCE of that odor...'cuz as long as the source exists it will continue to generate new odor.

So after you're sure that area is clean and the source of your odor has been removed--that residual odor is all that remains--spray a fine mist of PureAyre onto every surface and into every nook and cranny. Then DO NOT RINSE! Just leave that area open to let it dry for 24 hours. Odor will be gone for good unless you missed a spot or didn't remove all the source. Cushions and soft goods: remove covers and clean or replace...spray foam FROM BOTH SIDES with enough to penetrate to the middle. Put out in the sun to dry all day. Same for musty stinky foulies and PFDs...spray with PureAyre, out in the sun to dry. Even eliminates diesel odors, but only after the diesel spill(s) have been cleaned up...and it's also safe for use around food, btw.
 
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Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
first thing i would do would be pump many gallons of ambient water thru the head. standing water stinks. brackish water smells like rotting eggs. when water of any kind stands it gets worse.
Karen, read my first reply and also note where he's located. He's in the cleanest Corps of Engineers fresh water lake in the US (which is surprising because it also has the most boat traffic annually)...so brackish water isn't his problem, and even if it were, odor from stagnant water in the toilet is confined to the head...his whole boat stinks.
 
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bgary

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Sep 17, 2015
53
1985 Ericson 32-III Everett
(Where do I find the book? Looked in SBO store, didn't find...)

never mind, found the link in Peggie's signature....