I have read most of the posts about how people come back to their boats only to find it filled with a nasty odor from the head. I have come to the conclusion that there are several factors involved here. 1) Wrong type of lines being used for sewage. 2) Improper treatment and care of the head and holding tank. Dont get me wrong here Im not saying I dont get any odor. I do but I have been able to keep it to a bare bones minimum. 1) I always use a good holding tank addative to keep tank odors from the vent down. 2) I never leave salt water in the head or lines when I leave the boat (Flush with fresh before leaving). 3) I always put an addative in the head and lines to kill the microbes who grow there while your away. The above procedures do take a little bit more time to do. You cant just jump of off the boat close her up and go home. I often initiate cleaning up the head while on the last leg back to port. Last half hour or so. I find that item 3 above is normaly the worst cause for oddor and that the lines and fittings often get blame they dont deserve. But if you leave your lines full of sewage without flushing them then you reap the reward of an odiferous boat.
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Paul
Oiling the teak...
... is the only thing that really works. I do all of that you suggest, I never close the boat without putting a big dose of the green stuff in, I pump out regularly and use fresh water, though I am thinking of returning to raw water, I haven't really noticed enough difference to justify the hassle. The only time that the head smell is completely absent is during the two weeks after I oil the interior teak. Another useful tip: I make it a point to get to the boat ahead of my wife and open all of the hatches. That gets rid of what little smell there is for the rest of the trip. About 15 minutes is all it takes.
... is the only thing that really works. I do all of that you suggest, I never close the boat without putting a big dose of the green stuff in, I pump out regularly and use fresh water, though I am thinking of returning to raw water, I haven't really noticed enough difference to justify the hassle. The only time that the head smell is completely absent is during the two weeks after I oil the interior teak. Another useful tip: I make it a point to get to the boat ahead of my wife and open all of the hatches. That gets rid of what little smell there is for the rest of the trip. About 15 minutes is all it takes.
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Many people start from a false assumption:
That ONLY the sanitation system produces any "sewer" odors. Not true. I get calls all the time from people who've replaced everything in their sanitation system, trying to get rid of "head" odor...when all they really needed to do was clean--really CLEAN--their bilges and sumps. Even when the sanitation is the culprit, an amazing number of people never look beyond the holding tank...they pump it out, wash it out, try every chemical on the market, with no improvement because odor inside the boat CAN'T originate in the holding tank unless the tank is leaking. It isn't necessary to settle for "what little smell is left"...Any boat CAN be completely odor-free. Read the articles "Head Related Odors..." and "Boat Odor Isn't All in Your Head" in the Head Mistress forum reference library to learn how to track down the REAL sources of odors and get rid of 'em.
That ONLY the sanitation system produces any "sewer" odors. Not true. I get calls all the time from people who've replaced everything in their sanitation system, trying to get rid of "head" odor...when all they really needed to do was clean--really CLEAN--their bilges and sumps. Even when the sanitation is the culprit, an amazing number of people never look beyond the holding tank...they pump it out, wash it out, try every chemical on the market, with no improvement because odor inside the boat CAN'T originate in the holding tank unless the tank is leaking. It isn't necessary to settle for "what little smell is left"...Any boat CAN be completely odor-free. Read the articles "Head Related Odors..." and "Boat Odor Isn't All in Your Head" in the Head Mistress forum reference library to learn how to track down the REAL sources of odors and get rid of 'em.
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Scott Narum
Peggy is Right!
My boat is pretty new, but already I am getting a few odors...but from the BILGE, not the head. Yeah, yeah, I know I gotta clean it. But its a constant battle, because my ice box drains into the bilge and it always is wet. By the way, when my holding tank has some "content", I do get some smell when I tack the boat as the "contents" slosh around and vapors come out the vent. I recently pumped out the head and flushed with fresh water several times thinking that a thorough cleaning every once in a while will help keep the smell down. I'm suspicious of the real value of most head odor chemicals, because most of them just try and cover up the stench, not really do anything productive.
My boat is pretty new, but already I am getting a few odors...but from the BILGE, not the head. Yeah, yeah, I know I gotta clean it. But its a constant battle, because my ice box drains into the bilge and it always is wet. By the way, when my holding tank has some "content", I do get some smell when I tack the boat as the "contents" slosh around and vapors come out the vent. I recently pumped out the head and flushed with fresh water several times thinking that a thorough cleaning every once in a while will help keep the smell down. I'm suspicious of the real value of most head odor chemicals, because most of them just try and cover up the stench, not really do anything productive.
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Scott, you should also read
"Holding Tank Odor--Odor Out the Vent" in the HM forum reference library. It explains what really causes holding tank odors and how to prevent them. 'Cuz you're right--chemicals that are supposed to destroy odors AFTER they've formed don't work.
"Holding Tank Odor--Odor Out the Vent" in the HM forum reference library. It explains what really causes holding tank odors and how to prevent them. 'Cuz you're right--chemicals that are supposed to destroy odors AFTER they've formed don't work.
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Guest
Scott, might not be head odors you're smelling
It could just be the water you're sailing on! ;-) LaDonna PS: Hmmm, very odd that a cookie got set for where I sail but not who I am???
It could just be the water you're sailing on! ;-) LaDonna PS: Hmmm, very odd that a cookie got set for where I sail but not who I am???
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Scott Narum
Aw, C'mon....
LaDonna, the Columbia ain't THAT bad! Just ask all the personal watercrafters!! Anyway, I know who you are, 'cause I talked with you about joining your cool club a couple of years ago. But now I can't....I'm with the evil Hunter camp! (New 326 this spring). But it ain't all bad...I still read the CRACA website religiously to get cruising pointers.
LaDonna, the Columbia ain't THAT bad! Just ask all the personal watercrafters!! Anyway, I know who you are, 'cause I talked with you about joining your cool club a couple of years ago. But now I can't....I'm with the evil Hunter camp! (New 326 this spring). But it ain't all bad...I still read the CRACA website religiously to get cruising pointers.
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