Not really asking a question here: just a story. I've been working on our 2005 Hunter 306 most days for the last month or so after it sat on land for 3 1/2 years. From sitting, there was about an inch of water in some parts of the bilge which rotted the plywood backing discs for 3 thru-hulls, so replacing those has been one of the big projects. But this particular story is about funky boat smell.
Our boat has had a not-so-fresh smell for many years, especially after it's been closed up. After sitting on jack stands for a few years, it was a bit worse, but not much worse. Not exactly intolerable, but I was looking forward to seeing if I could find and eliminate it. With all the fetid bilge water (which I cleaned up the first day back at the boat in early April), I assumed the smell was probably from the bilge or the area between hull and liner. I was working on replacing the macerator, and intended to address the entire sanitary system as well, so I hadn't really tried too hard yet to isolate where the smell was coming from. Too busy working on thru-hulls and other projects for a few weeks.
This week, I finally got around to dealing with the hoses for the head-to-holding-to-macerator. First, I stuck my head into some of the lockers which have openings to the area between hull and hull liner: surprisingly, the odor was somewhere between nothing and a slight musty smell! Barely anything. I did the hot rag test on the 16-year-old heavy black 1" hose between macerator and thru-hull: no smell to speak of! (A little rubber smell, but nothing at all bad, which is surprising considering that sewage can sit in this hose, in theory.) Then I finally managed to remove the cheap white 1.5" sanitary hose from holding tank to macerator. Didn't even have to do the rag test: it was awful. The very sharp, rank smell that I had been smelling for years when opening up the boat.
Anyway, in the whole run from head to tank to macerator, there are only three shorter-than-1-foot bits of white hose, with a 6-foot length of PVC pipe taking up most of the distance under the aft cabin. So I bought 3 feet of Raritan Saniflex hose (like $19 per foot), and will replace the 3 hose runs shortly. Just today, I got the final bit of old stinky white hose removed from the boat (not so easy a job), so I'm really looking forward to seeing what it smells like tomorrow. I also ordered a new Raritan Superflush head, which I doubt will affect the smell much, but should be better on maintenance.
I sure hope the PVC pipe is ok, since I can't see getting that out without moving the engine. Which isn't happening.
Our boat has had a not-so-fresh smell for many years, especially after it's been closed up. After sitting on jack stands for a few years, it was a bit worse, but not much worse. Not exactly intolerable, but I was looking forward to seeing if I could find and eliminate it. With all the fetid bilge water (which I cleaned up the first day back at the boat in early April), I assumed the smell was probably from the bilge or the area between hull and liner. I was working on replacing the macerator, and intended to address the entire sanitary system as well, so I hadn't really tried too hard yet to isolate where the smell was coming from. Too busy working on thru-hulls and other projects for a few weeks.
This week, I finally got around to dealing with the hoses for the head-to-holding-to-macerator. First, I stuck my head into some of the lockers which have openings to the area between hull and hull liner: surprisingly, the odor was somewhere between nothing and a slight musty smell! Barely anything. I did the hot rag test on the 16-year-old heavy black 1" hose between macerator and thru-hull: no smell to speak of! (A little rubber smell, but nothing at all bad, which is surprising considering that sewage can sit in this hose, in theory.) Then I finally managed to remove the cheap white 1.5" sanitary hose from holding tank to macerator. Didn't even have to do the rag test: it was awful. The very sharp, rank smell that I had been smelling for years when opening up the boat.
Anyway, in the whole run from head to tank to macerator, there are only three shorter-than-1-foot bits of white hose, with a 6-foot length of PVC pipe taking up most of the distance under the aft cabin. So I bought 3 feet of Raritan Saniflex hose (like $19 per foot), and will replace the 3 hose runs shortly. Just today, I got the final bit of old stinky white hose removed from the boat (not so easy a job), so I'm really looking forward to seeing what it smells like tomorrow. I also ordered a new Raritan Superflush head, which I doubt will affect the smell much, but should be better on maintenance.
I sure hope the PVC pipe is ok, since I can't see getting that out without moving the engine. Which isn't happening.