Help, terrible smelling boat

[fred1diver]

My poop tank was replaced a few years ago, installed the same as before, a bladder, the old one leaked, cleaned everything really well, painted over the wood. And the smell is back, the bladder is under the V berth, the whole boat stinks.

Help, we are it of ideas. Thinking about removing the wood and replacing it!
We still need to really deep clean the wood at the bulkhead leading to the head.
And the wood around the water tank and bladder.

any input will help

 

[Davidasailor26]

Have you checked if the source may be the hoses and not the tank?

 

[fred1diver]

The tank is new and the hoses as well

 

[Tally Ho]

You are using a bladder for the waste?

 

[fred1diver]

Yes

 

[MikeHoncho]

I replaced my hoses and within a year they were stinking again. There is a difference in hose quality. I tore it all out and replaced it with rigid PVC then a couple years later removed it all and replaced it with a composting/desiccant toilet. I will never go back.

 

[fred1diver]

So we did a lot today to try and eliminate the smell
We removed all the wood platform for the V berth mattress. We removed the water tank to have access to the platform holding it, same for the bladder (vetus 14.5 gallons)
Did the sniff test on the sanitation hoses, all good.
Cleaned everything. It is drying at the moment, we took out all the old wood, foam and everything we could.

what should we do next?

 

[Steve_Catalina]

Your flex waste tank is not the best option, but may be your only option. Ronco-plastics.com has many options for solid wall tanks. Change out all of your hoses to the best; Raritan Sani/flex . Not cheap, but the best. All this pluse what you are doing will help insure you remove the source of the odor. Search for all of the volumes of info Peggy Hall has provided on this site, she is the #1 authority on boat sanitation. Good luck

 

[fred1diver]

We are currently looking at different tanks, we will measure and see what size we can get away with, same for water

 

[BobSail]

Ditto the Peggy Hall comment. She has also produced a detailed book on this subject that I believe can be purchased on this site. I would also recommend you attempt to reach out to her if she is still active on this site. Finally, there is an entire forum section devoted to this subject called “Marine Plumbing and Sanitation“ within this site. You will notice it under a recent new post chronologically following yours. Peggy has been actively providing help there for years.

 

[sailme88]

Can we assume that you have checked the bilge and found it clean ?

 

[fred1diver]

Yes, I have her book but still no results
Yes the bilge is clean and dry

 

[jssailem]

Fred, short of renting a bloodhound, I would inspect the boat from the bow to the stern, sniffing out the source of the odor.

If it smells like a forest floor, I would suspect mildew and mold. This would be connected to moisture getting into the boat. Look for leaks from the ceiling and the sides of the boat. Damaged wood may also give you a clue. Condensation on the sides of your inner hull can contribute to moisture in a boat.

It is associated with your head and plumbing if it smells like a baby's diaper.

If the smell is just rotten, consider an organic source like a dead critter or spoiling food from someone's late-night snack.

One way I have dealt with moisture is to use a dehydrator in the boat with a pump to pump the water out of the boat.

One last source of funk is the mattress for your bunks. Sweat gets trapped in the foam. If not adequately dried and if there is inadequate air flow under the mattress, condensation can also accumulate.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

i'm guessing that the source(s) of your odor are residual odors left by the previous stinking hoses. If so, it's curable but will require some manual labor and a product called PureAyre, available from Amazon.
PureAyre is not an air freshener...It's the only product I've found that eliminates ANY odor when used according to directions.. Not only will it get rid of diesel and residual odor left behind by stinking sanitation hoses, but PureAyre is also rated for use around food...which means you can even use it to get rid of the odor left in your fridge by the steaks or fish that spoiled when a natural disaster took out shore power for 3 days. Also does a great job on musty PFDs and foulies.

How to use it:
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.--NO BLEACH! Mop up any excess water and let 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 a cool place.

A wet dirty bilge is a primordial soup that can make a whole boat smell like a swamp or even a sewer, so you may also need to clean the bilge--actually CLEAN it instead of just dumping some bilge cleaner into it an calling it done. You wouldn't just pour some dishwashing liquid into a sink full of greasy dirty water and expect to have a clean sink...so why do so many boat owners think that'll work to clean a bilge??

--Peggie



--

 

[danooxnard]

I can attest to the PurAyre, i used it on my stinky boat a combnation of gas and oil smell and poopy hoses. I bought 2 gallons of the marine grade which has a higher concentration of active ingredients and used a $20 spray gun from harbor freight to apply. Put it on just like Peggie said. I bought it direct from PureArye, their customer service is great and they answered many of my question. They even gave me some small spray bottles for use deodorizing cooking and bathroom smells. My boat is 24’. You may need more for a bigger boat.
Dano

 

[fred1diver]

Quick update.

did a thorough cleaning of the stinky area, sprayed with pure ayre, let it dry all afternoon yesterday, this morning we still have the same stink in the pictures above, there is a separator piece of wood, we are wondering if that could be saturated with the smell? And also does it seem to be structural? We are looking for a bigger solid tank, and wonder if we can move this piece or remove it completely? On some pictures you clearly see that there is a smaller thicker piece in front of it that is obliviously structural and is only a few inches ahead of it.
Maybe that would help with removing the smell?
Let me know if you have any other ideas.
At the moment we put a few cartons of baking soda to try and absorb the smell

 

[Project_Mayhem]

I havent tried this myself but this might work for you. I've read of others leaving a damp rag on suspect hoses overnight and then smelling the rag in the morning. This could help you find the source of the smell if left on various components. If you try it, let us know if it works

 

[fred1diver]

We did apply a wet rag on the hoses and no smell after rubbing , we are starting to think it is the bladder (less than 2 years old) that is letting smells through, at the price and the info given, I was expecting something a lot better

 

[FastOlson]

we are starting to think it is the bladder (less than 2 years old) that is letting smells through, at the price and the info given, I was expecting something a lot better

While materials and construction of bladder tanks probably has improved since the 80's, I recall that many owners disliked them for leaks, seeps, and odors. For best utilization of space they often 'seem' like a practical answer, but... I would first check into having a custom-shape poly tank welded up. I had that done a decade and more ago for a water tank when Ronco did not have the shape needed. It's still leak free. A "hot air" process is used, and someone with good experience.
Or, dig deeper into the Ronco catalog. There are not too many choices for rotomolded tanks, but Kracor might also have something.

 

[Alan Gomes]

While materials and construction of bladder tanks probably has improved since the 80's, I recall that many owners disliked them for leaks, seeps, and odors. For best utilization of space they often 'seem' like a practical answer, but... I would first check into having a custom-shape poly tank welded up. I had that done a decade and more ago for a water tank when Ronco did not have the shape needed. It's still leak free. A "hot air" process is used, and someone with good experience.
Or, dig deeper into the Ronco catalog. There are not too many choices for rotomolded tanks, but Kracor might also have something.

Indeed. Bladder waste tanks are virtually guaranteed to stink.

Ronco is a really good company. I'd give them a call and see what they tell you about a custom-made tank for the space.