Does anyone know of a product that will get rid of the diesel smell in the cabin of a sailboat? I have been told that all sailboats smell that way but I can't believe that I'm the only one offended by it. Help!
Diesel odor abatement
- Thread starter deaconwayne
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The only sailboat that smell like diesel, are the ones that have fuel leaks. Find and fix the leaks.
It can only be diesel exhaust or raw fuel and I think if it stinks like you suggest it is raw fuel. Sadly, it does not take a big leak to do the job. I had it until I stopped filling my tank so full and now it is gone. For sure it will not go until you find the course. Once you do, getting all the cushons and fabric clothing out of the boat and into the sun, then perhaps treated as some posters have noted, will be key as they absorb and hold that odor like the dickens.
Have you noticed if it's worse when you run the engine for several hours ? You may not have an obvious leak, but if you did have raw fuel dripping ever so slowly from one of the lines onto the engine when running, the normal heat from the engine would evaporate it but the smell would permeate the boat. If that is not the case, then you might be simply getting the smell from residual heat in the engine compartment. Although not ABYC requirements for small diesel, some sailboat owners have a blower installed and run it whenever running the engine and some time after until most of the heat is gone. If you can keep the ventilation up by opening the hatches it will provide better ventilation and that should help also. Good luck
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Thanks to all. I am assuming that all above is giong on so now I have some sniffing and checking to do.
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