Boat Smells!

[Breezy1]

I'm going to do a deep cleaning, inspection, hose replacement etc and attempt to elminate the smell before putting all the cushions and other permeable gear on the boat. My wife is does alot of kitten rescues and I'm a huge fan of enzymatic cleaners so Odoban and a few others we've tried work quite well.
Thanks to everyone! This was an awesome experience for my first time on the forum!!
I'll keep you posted.

 

[Capt Robbie]

Brezzy;
Try using about five bags of plain old charcoal from the hardware store. Same as you would use fobarbecue. Make sure it’s just plain charcoal,
no lighter fluid quick start !
Use a hammer and smash up the bricks into smaller one inch chunks. Then line a cardboard box with a plastic garbage bag and place the charcoal chunks into it. Place the charcoal filled boxes all throughout the boat.

example: v-berth, hanging lockers, galley, main cabin, storage locker, leave them in the boat until you recommission in the spring. The charcoal will absorb 90% of the Oder in the boat, then simply throw them away in the spring.

I place on bag in the main cabin every winter to prevent the boat from getting that musty smell from being closed up during the winter layup.

Along with the bag of charcoal I also place a colander over a five gallon bucket and add calcium chips into the colander. This helps to keep the moisture out of the boat.
the calcium absorbs the moisture and it then drips down into the bucket.

hope this helps !

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Thanks to everyone! This was an awesome experience for my first time on the forum!!

It was a gratifying pleasure to see you develop a successful plan of attack to this problem. Congrats.

Many people who write in about sequential problems like this one have already developed an upside down , demented idea about how they will attack this problem and regardless of what members say, proceed on with their idiotic ideas only to see them fail.

In case you get the idea that we're geniuses with things such as permeated sewage hoses, you're quite mistaken. What you're looking at is many hundreds of hours of hands on experience as to what do work and what don't work.

 

[kjretlaw]

We had the smell when I bought my 326, it was lightly used but still had the head smell. It's most likely the sanitation hose, which is 13' long. Replaced the hose and while you've got everything open replace the vent hose as well. I used the Trident 101 and it was a PIA to make the turn between the hull and floor to make it up to the head output. We bought a gallon of the PureAyre and sprayed down every inch of the bilge. Best of luck.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I hope you thoroughly cleaned the bilge first, 'cuz Pure Ayre is not a cleaning product and only works when used as directed. The directions are in my book and I've posted them on sbo.com several times, but not in this thread. So here they are:

How to use PureAyre:
You can never eliminate any odor unless you first eliminate the source...'cuz as long as the source continues to exist, it'll continue to generate new odor. So first you have to find and fix any leak or replace the stinky hoses, then thoroughly clean the site, including every nook and cranny ...a good scrubbing with detergent and water. Mop up an excess water and let the air dry till it's at least only damp...no standing puddles. Now you're ready to eliminate the residual odor. Use PureAyre full strength...I'd use pump garden spray jug set to a fine mist. Spray every surface, nook and cranny...just a light spray. Do NOT rinse...just let it dry with hatches open so that plenty of fresh air can circulate. If the soft goods in the cabin have picked up the odor, just spraying it on the surface won't do much...you need to spray enough on carpets and rugs to penetrate to the backing...enough to penetrate cushions to the middle from both sides..not enough to make 'em drippy, just enough to get into the cushion....you'll prob'ly have to remove the covers and send 'em to be cleaned. Again, just let everything dry. If you still have any odor, you missed a spot.

A spray bottle won't go very far...plus, it's cheaper in the long run to buy it by the gallon to use as needed. Just remember to store it in cool a cool place.

--Peggie

 

[obxjeff]

if you have ever opened a house septic tank you will know freshwater doesn't smell too nice and promotes lots of biological odors. ever walked into a cabin after being closed up for a while, very musty smelling. what about a diesel truck's oily engine compartment with a leaking fuel line, or the smell of a scummy pond (bilge), and then consider our boats are sealed up like a petri dish.

doubt it's a one-source issue,

to add to the list, painting a dirty bilge that you can't get totally clean will help too.

Thank you everyone - lots of good ideas here.