Hi everyone. I have a 78 cherubini27.after repeatedly pressure washing the bilge and all the way inside(not a pretty sight)however still stinks.I've noticed that the crossbeams are delaminated from the bottom of the boat.are these crossbeams made of wood and therefore rotted?maybe this is a source? Let me know if someone else has this problem and some advice.thanks. michel
smelly bilge
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Yes boats do smell. The stringers on the 78 Cherubini are made of wood covered with fiberglass. Delamination in the older boats is normal and some wood rot unavoidable. As far as they being the sole source of bilge smell I don't think so. In a boat that is around 35 years old you have fuel spills, head overflows, stagnant water, dead critters and other things trapped between the stringers. This blend of decaying matter is what produces the smell. In order for us humans to detect a smell we need an air flow and in order to minimize the smell getting from the bilge to the cabin boat designers kept transfer holes to a minimum and made them small. I don't think there is a practical way to eliminate the permeated smell but we can minimize its effect by not stirring it up and not opening up the liner that conceals it. I mean you can use a bleach solution and try to flush out the stagnant water but the results rarely warrant the effort. Besides bilge smell a boat has mildew, galley drain crud, permeated sanitary hoses, holding tank vents and the ones we humans impart. Running a dehumidifier or an air purifier do help and generous amounts of air freshener. Even bug spray can pull double duty as the scent can mask the smell. The good news is that after a couple of days at sea you will not notice the smell.
Two problems
The delaminated beams are a structural issue for sure. You need a plan to replace them - not easy, since they are sandwiched between the hull and the floor. How many beams are involved? I have no idea how to do it, or what the cost would be.
Describe the "stink." Candidate sources are diesel, the head, mildew, and rot, or some combination of them.
Addressing the structural issue will solve the stink if it is rotting beams. If not, you would probably have a better idea what the source is. Next steps depend on the source.
The delaminated beams are a structural issue for sure. You need a plan to replace them - not easy, since they are sandwiched between the hull and the floor. How many beams are involved? I have no idea how to do it, or what the cost would be.
Describe the "stink." Candidate sources are diesel, the head, mildew, and rot, or some combination of them.
Addressing the structural issue will solve the stink if it is rotting beams. If not, you would probably have a better idea what the source is. Next steps depend on the source.
Here is a link to a similar problem. Read Peggy's analysis - it's a good start for you.
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=828215&highlight=Replace grid
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=828215&highlight=Replace grid
Beams and Floors and Hats, oh my....
One note about those "cross beams".... (which sound like Floors, which are under the cabin sole.)
Hope I got that right -- correct terminology is vital when asking total strangers for advice.
Anyhoooooo...
The factory coring in those - wood (or rigid foam in the case of our own particular boat model) is not structural. The heavy roving laid over the top of that coring is where all the strength should/must be. The roving likely is shaped, in cross section, like a "hat", and the part of the roving that is flat on each side should be heavily glassed onto the hull.
Does this in any way sound like what's under your cabin sole?
Thanks,
Loren
One note about those "cross beams".... (which sound like Floors, which are under the cabin sole.)
Hope I got that right -- correct terminology is vital when asking total strangers for advice.
Anyhoooooo...
The factory coring in those - wood (or rigid foam in the case of our own particular boat model) is not structural. The heavy roving laid over the top of that coring is where all the strength should/must be. The roving likely is shaped, in cross section, like a "hat", and the part of the roving that is flat on each side should be heavily glassed onto the hull.
Does this in any way sound like what's under your cabin sole?
Thanks,
Loren
Water gets trapped in the stringers and becomes stagnant. In a 30+ year old boat you have all kinds of things down there including dead critters. It is not unusual when exposed to heat and fuel oils for the stringers to delaminate and have some wood rot. I would not worry about it for another 20 years. Regarding the smell you can add a chlorine solution to the hull and go out sailing and let it slush around and you can use copious amounts of air fresheners and open up the cabin and hatches and let the air circulate and refresh. Things not to do is to open up the liner as the air exposure will bring the smell out stronger. Remember it don't smell until it hits your nose. You control the air that hits the nose and you can control the smell.
What liner are we talking? And also do you know what transmission oil to use in my sb8 yanmar? Thanks again. Michel
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