Boat Smells!

[Breezy1]

Hi,
I'm totally new to this forum but I'm stoked because I just bought a 326 Hunter at the end of the season!!
Love the boat but it smells like the blue chemicals used in Porta-johns......It has permeated EVERTYTHING on the boat....cushions, surfaces etc.

I've pumped and rinsed out the head....no smells there. Talked with the previous owner and he used that stuff in the head for the past 8 years.
I don't want ANY smells in my boat. I've taken all the cushions off and will clean them over the winter.

I kept the air moving with fans and one porthole open, yet no change. I'll probably check the waste line for seepage and replace that in the spring. Does anyone have any other tips or tricks or experienced this same thing?

Kindest Regards!

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Keep the air flow moving. Most on this forum recommend Odorlos for the head. I've recently switched over to West marine ExterminOdor. @Peggie Hall HeadMistress would PureAyre be good for this application?

 

[Breezy1]

Thanks! I'll check both of those out for next season. Did you chose the ExterminOdor over Odorlos because it works better or maybe more available??

I'm kinda thinking that the odor it just collected in any porous materials and that has to be eliminated before it actually goes away. A friend swears by Febreeze as a good odor eliminator.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Hi,


I've pumped and rinsed out the head....no smells there. Talked with the previous owner and he used that stuff in the head for the past 8 years.



Kindest Regards!

three likely causes:
1. Whatever the “blue stuff” the PO used prevented aerobic decomposition of the waste in the holding tank,
2. the tank vent is blocked,
3. the tank or lines are permeated and need replacement.
what is the “blue stuff”?

 

[ggrizzard]

I recommend calling the Stanley Steamer guys (or similar) for your cushions.
They can clean AND deodorize them in about two hours, at a fair price.
They will be totally dry in 1 hour.
I just had mine done and it's a noticeable improvement.
(not affiliated in any way).

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Thanks! I'll check both of those out for next season. Did you chose the ExterminOdor over Odorlos because it works better or maybe more available??

I'm kinda thinking that the odor it just collected in any porous materials and that has to be eliminated before it actually goes away. A friend swears by Febreeze as a good odor eliminator.

If you use too much Febreeze you'll grow to hate the smell of it. I had been using Oderlos for a couple of years. It was a lot better than the blue stuff. There was some urine in the tank when it went into storage a couple years ago. The yard put the ExterminOdor in there and to my surprise it didn't smell at all. I put the same stuff in this winter and three weeks later it smells minty. We'll see how it smells after the mint smell disappears.

PureAyre is enzymatic so hopefully it will eat away at whatever is causing the smell. It worked on fabric (I replaced the foam inside the cushion) and a spinnaker when my previous head sprung a leak. I also soaked most items in Oxyclean for about a month before using PureAyre. I'm sure others that are more knowledgeable of this product will chime in

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Thanks! I'll check both of those out for next season. Did you chose the ExterminOdor over Odorlos because it works better or maybe more available??

I'm kinda thinking that the odor it just collected in any porous materials and that has to be eliminated before it actually goes away. A friend swears by Febreeze as a good odor eliminator.

Remember the old cliche - treat the disease, not the symptoms.
Unless you identify and fix the cause, no amount of perfume will fix it.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

. I'll probably check the waste line for seepage and replace that in the spring.

That holds a strong probability as the source as originally quoted by @Don S/V ILLusion .

We are continuously schooled by a most delightful woman who enlightens us on the evils of odour penetration through the walls of old and/or inferior sanitary hoses. The source of the odour has always been identified as sewage and the smell gives it away.

I see no reason why the source of your odour penetration couldn't be from the "blue stuff" which the previous owner religiously added in great concentration to the head system. In this case, the hoses are passing the minty smell which overpowers the sewage smell.

If your sewage hoses are not a top notch brand such as Trident Premium or Raritan Saniflex, replace after 5 years. If they are a top notch brand, replace after 10 years or when an odour is FIRST noticed.

If the PO of the boat was such a shining star as to try to eliminate odours with minty mouthwash (could have been, who knows?) you can bet the hoses have never been changed since the boat was new. Replace every last hose connected to the head system

 

[Breezy1]

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to reply to each comment but I am "liking" them and posting a reply for everyone here.
These are all some really great ideas. And I totally agree with eliminating the source. I certainly don't want to replace one minty smell with some other flower smell or whatever. I don't want ANY smells lol.

My first step when I open the boat next will be to inspect and likely replace the waste line. I'm pretty sure it has never been touched for the life of the boat.
Regarding the cushions, I've brought them all home and I'm going to test one cushion cover in the washing machine on gentle. My wife has had success with couch cushions in the past so this should be the same. Fingers crossed.

Any tips on deodorizing / cleaning the teak surfaces below?
Thanks again to all responses!

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to reply to each comment….

no need but nice to hear ifthe comments you receive are helpful

Any tips on deodorizing / cleaning the teak surfaces below?

doubt teak absorbs odors but an annual lemon oil application both preserves the wood and smells good.

 

[RitSim]

If you decide to do the cushions yourself in the spring-- remove the covers and clean (either dry clean, cold wash etc. ) as the material will allow. Soak the foam on your deck with a hose and then douse with a pail of Mr.clean with some bleach added. Stomp all over the cushions. Rinse well with a hose. Put the cushion into a garbage bag and suck down with a wet-vac. The cushions are now dewatered enough that they will air dry. Place on edge on the deck. If water accumulates on the lower edge, re-vac. Let the cushions dry. I have then cold washed my covers by hand and spin in the washer. Covers were placed onto the dry cushions while still damp to reduce shrinkage issues.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Welcome to sbo.com!

You MIGHT consider picking up a copy of my book "Get Rid of Boat Odors"...there's a link to it in my signature below (just click on the title)...or if you're not in the US, you can find it on Amazon. In addition to dealing with every source of odor on a boat and how to cure, or better yet PREVENT 'em, it's also a comprehensive "marine toilets and sanitation systems 101" manual that explains the US laws, describes all the types of systems and how they work, and will help you learn how to operate and maintain your system to prevent 99% of problems instead of having to cure 'em. And it describes in detail how to use a product called PureAyre to eliminate all the residual odors. It's the only product I've ever found that eliminates ANY odor WHEN USED AS DIRECTED.

There's simple way to find out if permeated hoses are your culprit: wet CLEAN rags in HOT water--as hot as you can handle. Wring them out and use a clean rag for every section of every hose. When they cool, remove each rag and smell it...if you can smell anything on the rag, that hose needs to be replaced...replacement is the only cure for permeated hoses. Raritan SaniFlex RaritanSaniFlex hose is the top rated sanitation hose because it has a 10 warranty against odor permeation and has the added advantage of being so flexible it can be bent almost as tight as a hairpin without kinking, which makes re-hosing jobs a LOT easier. Don't be spooked by the list price...you can find it for about $10/ft.

And I'm always glad to answer questions

--Peggie
The "delightful??" woman who's continuously schooled sbo.com members on everything to do with sanitation systems and odor elimination for 25 years!

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

describes in detail how to use a product called PureAyre to eliminate all the residual odors. It's the only product I've ever found that eliminates ANY odor WHEN USED AS DIRECTED.

This product even stands up to my OCD (or CDO as we insist on keeping things in order).

The "delightful??" woman

Calls it as I reads it .

 

[Breezy1]

Put the cushion into a garbage bag and suck down with a wet-vac. The cushions are now dewatered enough that they will air dry.

The garbage bag idea is brilliant! Like one of those space saver bags. I've never thought of that. Thank you

 

[Breezy1]

no need but nice to hear ifthe comments you receive are helpful
Yes I totally agree.....feedback is always nice.

doubt teak absorbs odors but an annual lemon oil application both preserves the wood and smells good.

I've heard that is a good thing to do, I'll probably wipe away any "film" or whatever that probably has some accumulation first.

 

[Hollyberry]

Seems all boats have a distinctive smell, some worse than others, ill maintained ones worst of all (mold, rot, spilled fuel etc) We all seem to get used to them while aboard (until your bring some boat gear home.....)
However, over the years I've been on several Hunters across several model years, that really had a distinctly 'ureic' smell that was difficult to remove. One couple we know sold the boat after all efforts (including ozonaters) ultimately failed. - They did buy another bigger Hunter that did not exhibit such a stubborn smell.
I wonder if there's some particular component used in construction (glues, resins etc) that emanates that particular smell. Not Hunter bashing here, there are models I quite like, but have not noticed quite the same odor on others..

In a semi related story, we once had a racing jib that was stored in a tube bag - the sail smelled like cat pee every time you took it out of the bag for the first couple of years....

 

[ggrizzard]

You should read Peggy's book!

 

[Tin Kicker]

The two biggest things you can do are to get the fabrics and cushions off for the winter, and to keep air moving through the boat. When cleaning the cushions I used OdoBan from Home Depot, as it is what is used for pet stains due to neutralizing the enzymes and being a mold killer. The idea of using the plastic bag is one I need to remember. Soaked cushions take days in the sun to dry completely.

I found the sources of waste odors hidden in numerous places, which only became apparent when the stool, tank, and hoses were removed. This photo is AFTER I'd washed out the compartment and note the brown on the white hose where it goes beneath the deck.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

which only became apparent when the stool, tank, and hoses were removed.

What is the function of :
- the corrugated white hose ?
- the black hose ?

 

[dkinzer]

When I got my first RV with a holding tank (~35 years ago) I used the usual blue formaldehyde-based holding tank chemical. I found that it worked fairly well until we got into a hot spell and the odor built upon itself until it was nigh well intolerable.

A number of year ago, I happened across the holding tank treatment called "Happy Camper" which is enzyme based. I switched to using it (after the multiple rinses required to remove traces of formaldehyde) and I have become a believer.

I just a year ago transitioned from RVing to boating and I plan to have the Happy Camper bio treatment aboard just as I have on my RVs for many years.

Not sponsored - just a very satisfied customer.

HAPPY CAMPERS RV Holding Tank Treatment

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