I am new to this forum, but have sailed Catalina 25's for 15 years now. I recently bought a C25 from Salt Lake City. The boat has a strong head odor and I am getting desperate on how to rid the boat of the odor. I have cleaned the insides of the boat in every area I can reach. I have removed the head, holding tank, and all related hoses. I have aired the boat now for over a month and it still has a rank odor from the head/holding tank area. Does anyone have any ideas on what to do next? I would be very appreciative of any advice!! Bruce Ebling 1989 Catalina 25 "Selah"
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Rent an Ion Generator?
I once had the same thing in an O'Day 27. Drove my wife and I nuts. She has a better odor-directional sense than I. She claimed it was under some cabinetry. She was right. Altho I have no idea how salt water got trapped in there.. it was. Took a wet/dry vack with a home-made extension and sucked that foul stuff out. Rinced with fresh hot water and detergent. Sucked it out too. Good luck, and check around that inner liner carefully. The ion generator will work, but check the liner first. Rick D.
I once had the same thing in an O'Day 27. Drove my wife and I nuts. She has a better odor-directional sense than I. She claimed it was under some cabinetry. She was right. Altho I have no idea how salt water got trapped in there.. it was. Took a wet/dry vack with a home-made extension and sucked that foul stuff out. Rinced with fresh hot water and detergent. Sucked it out too. Good luck, and check around that inner liner carefully. The ion generator will work, but check the liner first. Rick D.
You've gotta find the source and remove it
Every odor has to have a source, and the only way to get rid of the odor is to find the source and eliminate it. An ionizer won't do that...it's just a very expensive air freshener. Odors are always strongest at their source...so let's go through the possibilities: You've removed the head, holding tank and sanitation hoses, so that rules out trapped stagnant water in the head intake and permeated sanitation hoses...but it doesn't rule out odor that's transferred itself to surfaces where the hoses passed through or where there might have a been a spill. Just cleaning usually won't get rid of that odor. This will: Buy some Raritan K.O. holding tank treatment...it's a live bacteria product that "eats" odor-producing spores (similar products are available at pet supply stores to get rid pet odor accidents, but they’re diluted and considerably more expensive). Clean the spill area with detergent and water, but don't use bleach, Lysol or any other "antibacterial" product. When the area is dry (no more than barely damp), put some K.O. in a trigger sprayer or pump-up garden spray bottle and liberally saturate the area with it. Don't rinse...let it dry, leaving that area open so that plenty of fresh air can circulate for 24 hours. If cushions were affected, clean up and saturate (not dripping wet…just saturate enough to completely penetrate the foam) with K.O., then leave outside in the sunshine to dry all day. That will get rid of the odor permanently. If you still have odor after you’ve closed everything up again, you missed a spot. Odor in the head...have you cleaned the shower sump? A dirty shower sump can smell like a sewer. If it's none of the above, it's gotta be trapped water somewhere. Stagnant water can smell just like sewer...because it generates the same sulphur compounds that sewage does. You've cleaned all the bilge areas you can reach...but that doesn't mean you've gotten rid of all the trapped water. Try again, this time with a STRONG solution of detergent and water, followed by hosing out with clean water until what's coming out the bilge pump is clean enough to drink. If a garden hose nozzle doesn't produce enough pressure to flood every area, use a power washer...my 1600 psi from Home Depot was the best $200 I ever spent for use on my boat AND at home, but if you don't want to buy one, try to borrow one. Don't rent a pressure washer...they're at least 15,000 psi, which is too powerful...it can damage something. This one is a long shot, but it did happen to a trawler owner: like you, he'd torn his hair out, along with his whole sanitation system...his bilge was clean enough to eat off of and dry...they could not get rid of the odor. I was as stumped as they were. But unbeknownst to him, water had previously leaked into the keel around the keel bolts. They never would have found it if it hadn't also caused some corrosion in the keel...when the yard drill into the keel to start repairing, about 20 gallons of water SO foul that everyone had to leave started pouring out. Once they got it all cleaned out, the odor in their boat was gone. So all I can tell you is, keep looking till you find it...and then remove it.
Every odor has to have a source, and the only way to get rid of the odor is to find the source and eliminate it. An ionizer won't do that...it's just a very expensive air freshener. Odors are always strongest at their source...so let's go through the possibilities: You've removed the head, holding tank and sanitation hoses, so that rules out trapped stagnant water in the head intake and permeated sanitation hoses...but it doesn't rule out odor that's transferred itself to surfaces where the hoses passed through or where there might have a been a spill. Just cleaning usually won't get rid of that odor. This will: Buy some Raritan K.O. holding tank treatment...it's a live bacteria product that "eats" odor-producing spores (similar products are available at pet supply stores to get rid pet odor accidents, but they’re diluted and considerably more expensive). Clean the spill area with detergent and water, but don't use bleach, Lysol or any other "antibacterial" product. When the area is dry (no more than barely damp), put some K.O. in a trigger sprayer or pump-up garden spray bottle and liberally saturate the area with it. Don't rinse...let it dry, leaving that area open so that plenty of fresh air can circulate for 24 hours. If cushions were affected, clean up and saturate (not dripping wet…just saturate enough to completely penetrate the foam) with K.O., then leave outside in the sunshine to dry all day. That will get rid of the odor permanently. If you still have odor after you’ve closed everything up again, you missed a spot. Odor in the head...have you cleaned the shower sump? A dirty shower sump can smell like a sewer. If it's none of the above, it's gotta be trapped water somewhere. Stagnant water can smell just like sewer...because it generates the same sulphur compounds that sewage does. You've cleaned all the bilge areas you can reach...but that doesn't mean you've gotten rid of all the trapped water. Try again, this time with a STRONG solution of detergent and water, followed by hosing out with clean water until what's coming out the bilge pump is clean enough to drink. If a garden hose nozzle doesn't produce enough pressure to flood every area, use a power washer...my 1600 psi from Home Depot was the best $200 I ever spent for use on my boat AND at home, but if you don't want to buy one, try to borrow one. Don't rent a pressure washer...they're at least 15,000 psi, which is too powerful...it can damage something. This one is a long shot, but it did happen to a trawler owner: like you, he'd torn his hair out, along with his whole sanitation system...his bilge was clean enough to eat off of and dry...they could not get rid of the odor. I was as stumped as they were. But unbeknownst to him, water had previously leaked into the keel around the keel bolts. They never would have found it if it hadn't also caused some corrosion in the keel...when the yard drill into the keel to start repairing, about 20 gallons of water SO foul that everyone had to leave started pouring out. Once they got it all cleaned out, the odor in their boat was gone. So all I can tell you is, keep looking till you find it...and then remove it.
After looking more...
I did some more investigation today and found an area between the V berth (where the holding tank was) and the bilge. This area is about 3 feet by 2 feet and it is inaccesable because the inside liner of the boat is only about 1.5 inches above the outer hull. I was able to dig out some sawdust/fiberglass that had the strong head smell. I believe the odor is from water/material in this area. I may need to cut an access port into the floor liner to get to this area. Another question I have is do you think the odor could have permeated the plywood shelf that the holding tank sets on? I would need to cut it out and re-fiberglass a new shelf in to correct this. Peggy thanks so much for you input, I believe you are right on, I will clean and rinse this mystery area to the best of my ability and hopefully we can get the source. BTW I had also removed all of the cushions. The boat is totally stripped inside. thanks again for your input Bruce Ebling
I did some more investigation today and found an area between the V berth (where the holding tank was) and the bilge. This area is about 3 feet by 2 feet and it is inaccesable because the inside liner of the boat is only about 1.5 inches above the outer hull. I was able to dig out some sawdust/fiberglass that had the strong head smell. I believe the odor is from water/material in this area. I may need to cut an access port into the floor liner to get to this area. Another question I have is do you think the odor could have permeated the plywood shelf that the holding tank sets on? I would need to cut it out and re-fiberglass a new shelf in to correct this. Peggy thanks so much for you input, I believe you are right on, I will clean and rinse this mystery area to the best of my ability and hopefully we can get the source. BTW I had also removed all of the cushions. The boat is totally stripped inside. thanks again for your input Bruce Ebling
I think you found it...good job!
Once you get it cleaned out, you shouldn't have to replace the plywood shelf unless the wood is rotten. Just apply the K.O. treatment I described earlier...it works! It'll also work on your cushions...spray 'em with it enough to penetrate the entire cushion, but not enough to make it dripping wet, then leave 'em out in the sun all day. he key to success with it is plenty of air circulation...so do what you have to do to open up that area. Don't use any bleach when you clean it out...K.O. is a live bacteria...bleach not only won't work, but will prevent K.O. from working.
Once you get it cleaned out, you shouldn't have to replace the plywood shelf unless the wood is rotten. Just apply the K.O. treatment I described earlier...it works! It'll also work on your cushions...spray 'em with it enough to penetrate the entire cushion, but not enough to make it dripping wet, then leave 'em out in the sun all day. he key to success with it is plenty of air circulation...so do what you have to do to open up that area. Don't use any bleach when you clean it out...K.O. is a live bacteria...bleach not only won't work, but will prevent K.O. from working.
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