# Very odd odor



## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

One of our charter boats has a strong onion like smell,we have searched every possible location for the source and can find nothing. It seems to be thoughout the boat and not just one location. No matter what we do,wash or spray the odor remains.

Anybody have any clues, this is a new one on me


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

No clue what your smell is but smells are not permitted on our boat (re: Admiral). We have an ozone generator that eliminates all odors.


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## AncientTech (Jun 16, 2012)

It has literally been decades but back in the late 80's an acquaintance had a RV camper that had a similar issue. the kitchen area started smelling like onions. The odor emanated from all of the cabinets both above and below the counter. It was the smell of a bag of onions not rotten ones. After a couple of months they proudly stated they had found the cause and were able to remove the smell. The rubberized cabinet liner that they were using had become chemically damaged when all of them had been wiped down with a white vinegar/soda solution. Apparently if you throw vinegar on certain rubber it will cause it to break down a little releasing more smell the more it breaks down. Not sure if you have any rubber in the bilge or have poured any vinegar onto it if you did, was just interesting that you mentioned the same smell.


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## PNWvagabond (Jan 17, 2013)

Funny that someone named Poopdeckpaddy is having an odor issue.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Actually vinegar will not decompose rubber and is actually good for removing mold and mildew from rubber... it's compatability with rubber is good (see the chart)... so the smell of onions might be a pesticide residue that may have decomposed over time leaving that smell... chemical odorant MOCAP.... most likely... it has an onion smell... you can look it up but many other sources could be the source of the smell.


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## AncientTech (Jun 16, 2012)

[** Post redacted as to not upset too many people about the state of the current public educational system **]



PS: I miss the 70's and 80's educational system.

SCIENCE!


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## RichH (Jul 10, 2000)

First thing that comes to mind for 'onion smell' (without physical onions) is a fungus, either S. Brevacaulis or one of the Aspergillus varieties. S. Brev. is a cause of VERY nasty foot fungus infections ... so carefully assay the head/shower area and its drainage into the bilge ... AND the bilge especially if the shower water dumps directly to the bilge. 

Both of these are 'pathogens' --- 'nasties'. S. Brevacaulis, reportedly is especially very nasty with 'corneas'.

If you smell 'onions' and subsequently find a 'black or blackish mold', return the boat and let someone else clean it, properly, and with proper caution (go to CDC website ---> cleaning 'black mold').


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## Seaduction (Oct 24, 2011)

Once had an odor that smelled exactly like urine. Turned out to be vitamin-B that I was storing in a plastic storage bag. 
Try this: open your vitamin B bottle and take a whiff.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

RichH said:


> First thing that comes to mind for 'onion smell' (without physical onions) is a fungus, either S. Brevacaulis or one of the Aspergillus varieties. S. Brev. is a cause of VERY nasty foot fungus infections ... so carefully assay the head/shower area and its drainage into the bilge ... AND the bilge especially if the shower water dumps directly to the bilge.
> 
> Both of these are 'pathogens' --- 'nasties'. S. Brevacaulis, reportedly is especially very nasty with 'corneas'.
> 
> If you smell 'onions' and subsequently find a 'black or blackish mold', return the boat and let someone else clean it, properly, and with proper caution (go to CDC website ---> cleaning 'black mold').


Thank you Rich.... an intelligent response instead of attacking our Public School System which by the way is pretty decent! My wife is a Elementary Special Education Teacher and the schools couldn't be much better (at least in our neck of the woods)! 

I grew up in the 60's and 70's public school system and got a very education... led to a scientific career... not bad for us techies of today... kids are just as smart today... but that's another thread for another day. :laugher

Nick


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## transmitterdan (Aug 22, 2010)

poopdeckpappy said:


> One of our charter boats has a strong onion like smell,we have searched every possible location for the source and can find nothing. It seems to be thoughout the boat and not just one location. No matter what we do,wash or spray the odor remains.
> 
> Anybody have any clues, this is a new one on me


Onion smells often grow in the fresh water system. The hot water tank can be an incubator. I don't know what the bug is but it will grow in the water tanks. Drain and then use Peggy Hall's recommended fresh water tank freshener program.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

guitarguy56 said:


> I grew up in the 60's and 70's public school system and got a very education...


Folks, I'm just gonna let that hang there. Sometimes the material just writes itself.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

bljones said:


> Folks, I'm just gonna let that hang there. Sometimes the material just writes itself.


Why?... Feeling good that I forgot 'good' somewhere in that portion of my post?


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

C'mon, it was funny.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

bljones said:


> C'mon, it was funny.


Yes... hilarious... my laptop is very touchy and misses words due to the tablet sensitivity so it erases words and sometimes I miss the proofreading before I submit... I promise to preview the post before submitting... let me know if my grammar is up to par with sailors here!


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## jppp (Jul 13, 2008)

It's onions


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

I Googled the info that RichH posted and that of Transmitterdan; What came up was a 5 yr old thread from sailnet about a onion smell coming from the fresh water system and Peggy Halls solution for fresh water sanitation. 

Good call Transmitterdan thanks.


Now, ya'll get to kick me in the a$$ for not doing a search here first

Thanks for the replies everyone


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## RichH (Jul 10, 2000)

These fungi dont live IN the potable water system ... and if they are odiferous, its not coming from the potable water system ... unless the vent line is inside the boat. 

Carefully check the 'wet' bilge as a starting point ..... etc. ;-) 

BTW - That 'recipe' for fresh water sanitization is for the commissioning of *new* or freshly 'cleaned' tanks. Aint for 'dirty' or contaminated.


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

RichH said:


> Carefully check the 'wet' bilge as a starting point ..... etc. ;-)
> 
> .


Will do, thanks again


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## Seaduction (Oct 24, 2011)

Check all of the obscure, relatively inaccessible places in the boat where an onion might have rolled during excessive heeling, etc. I had found soda cans after they froze and burst over winter under the settee, behind the freshwater tank- not a storage area but right next to the storage area where I kept soda cans.


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## AncientTech (Jun 16, 2012)

guitarguy56 said:


> I grew up in the 60's and 70's public school system and got a very education
> Nick


Sorry for the confusion, I was not bashing the old public school system. I was raised in the 70's and 80's system myself and enjoyed going to college while still in my 11th grade in the honors program. My personal opinion is that the school system has gone downhill a bit since then but there is still hope.

The redacted post contained a couple of joking points, one being the linked chart is for natural rubber only. Other types of rubber like cyano's, polyacry's and some fluo's will have a reaction to acetic acid. This would include many types of gloves, o-rings, gaskets, weatherized coatings, pipe insulation, coated organic plastics (like certain mounted wiring guides), flexible containers and the occasional coated surface of cheap cabinet liners =D


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## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

AncientTech said:


> PS: I miss the 70's and 80's educational system.
> 
> SCIENCE!


Naaahhh - the education system had gone to hell by then. The 50's & 60's, now THAT was an education system.


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## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

guitarguy56 said:


> let me know if my grammar is up to par with sailors here!


You don't need to ask.


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## AncientTech (Jun 16, 2012)

I can typing! =D


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

AncientTech said:


> Sorry for the confusion, I was not bashing the old public school system. I was raised in the 70's and 80's system myself and enjoyed going to college while still in my 11th grade in the honors program. My personal opinion is that the school system has gone downhill a bit since then but there is still hope.
> 
> The redacted post contained a couple of joking points, one being the linked chart is for natural rubber only. Other types of rubber like cyano's, polyacry's and some fluo's will have a reaction to acetic acid. This would include many types of gloves, o-rings, gaskets, weatherized coatings, pipe insulation, coated organic plastics (like certain mounted wiring guides), flexible containers and the occasional coated surface of cheap cabinet liners =D


AncientTech...

No offense taken and I hope we had a good laugh over this... definitely not something to linger bad taste over... :laugher

That being said yes vinegar does pose many issues with materials and it's a good exercise to look at the materials we are going to spray and douse with vinegar or any other product on any parts in the boat or other uses... compatibility with any chemical even a benign product like vinegar or Clorox has it's dangers... here is another useful guide to vinegar and it's compatibility with other rubber/non rubber materials...

eFunda: O-Ring Materials Compatibile with Chemical Vinegar

Nick


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

sloopjonb said:


> naaahhh - the education system had gone to hell by then. The 50's & 60's, now that was an education system. :d


+1


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

AncientTech said:


> I can typing! =D


I forget my glasses too many times!


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## AncientTech (Jun 16, 2012)

guitarguy56 said:


> eFunda: O-Ring Materials Compatibile with Chemical Vinegar
> 
> Nick


dooode, awesome link and I never took offense  I enjoy everyone on Sailnet...even SmackDaddy  . Anytime you read something I type, even though we can not perceive emotional state/context, I will usually be lampooning myself. I try very hard to never get mad or upset especially over the internet, 30+ years in technology has rendered me the calm center of the universe when the storage arrays lose contact with the server clusters. I am just a big ol' silly nerd and will be till the day I die. I do however find that since moving aboard my boat I tend to get overly caffeinated and that can cause vowel movements =D


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## Flybyknight (Nov 5, 2005)

Battery acid comes to mind.

(BTW, I was taught by Nuns in grammar school, and priests in High school. In those days
one Nun almost broke my fingers with a hickory stick, and a Priest smacked me in the back of the head so hard my head hit the desk. All that I am I owe to them, and may the grave yard sod rest gently on their chests.)
Dick


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

Nothing smells worse than rotten potato juice that has run down the gap at the back of a locker......Have you checked the Potatoes.


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## Seaduction (Oct 24, 2011)

SloopJonB said:


> That's one more strike against the Catholic church.


Please, lets keep this away from religion. Sailnet has a category of "off topic" threads for people wanting to make cruel comments. :hammer


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## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

Seaduction said:


> Please, lets keep this away from religion. Sailnet has a category of "off topic" threads for people wanting to make cruel comments. :hammer


You're right - post deleted.


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## daydream sailor (Mar 12, 2012)

a sharp scissors through the moustache could be a simple solution in some cases


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