# Boat smell



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

So, what makes a boat smell like a boat??

Even after a month or more sitting on the trailer in our back yard in the hot (drought-affected) Australian sunshine, our boat still has that musty boat-smell to it that reminds one of the wide blue oceans and all that other soppy romantic stuff...  

I suppose that with good ventilation on dry land it would eventually go away and be replaced by a rotting-wood, neglected, kind of smell; but since our new berth cushions couldn't possibly be moldy yet, is it the paint? the salt? or something else??


----------



## CS271409 (Mar 1, 2006)

Is it the head hoses?


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

Install 2 solar vent place one on intake and the other on out take and the smells will go away.


----------



## CS271409 (Mar 1, 2006)

Thanks Freesail99. I bought 2 solar vents at the Toronto boat show in January and paln to do exactly that. I keep my forward hatch open a crack (in the locked position) and keep a 120v fan running all the time when we are away from the boat. It still has a distinctive odour when we lift the companionway boards each weekend. Nothing nasty... just distinctive.


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

CS271409 said:


> Thanks Freesail99. I bought 2 solar vents at the Toronto boat show in January and paln to do exactly that. I keep my forward hatch open a crack (in the locked position) and keep a 120v fan running all the time when we are away from the boat. It still has a distinctive odour when we lift the companionway boards each weekend. Nothing nasty... just distinctive.


Yep, it's not unpleasant at all - just distinctive. I'm just curious to know what it might be. It seems to be common to all boats after they've been on the water a while.

And no, it's not the head hoses - our boat is not big enough to have one!


----------



## xtatico1404 (Jan 20, 2008)

Now that someone mentioned the solar vents, does anyone has any long term experience with them? I mean, they are not cheap, but not expensive either. 

One of the PO's (last PO said he got it just as he passed it along to us) had them installed, now all there is left is the deck plate & cover, so obviously the motor passed on to a better life, which makes me wonder about the life expectancy of these vents, either solar or DC power. I appreciate you guys feedback.


----------



## artbyjody (Jan 4, 2008)

I have 2 solar powered ones on mine - one is 10+ years old (still works fine) and the other I put in the last summer....Usually about the only maintenance one needs to do is replace the batteries every few years...


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

New fiberglass boats smell because of the styrene and other chemicals outgassing from the laminate and materials on the boat. Old boats usually smell because of mold, mildew, leaky bilges, permeated head hoses, dead animals in the boat, etc. 

The solar vents help keep the boat from getting mold and mildew... and help keep the air in the boat fresh.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

We run a dehumidifier when she is at dock. Huge difference- no mold! And the boat doesn't smell so weird. I also use Fabreeze antimicrobial to spray stuff down.


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

I don't care for the smell myself, but it does work, mothballs.


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

To clean up diesel and get rid of the smell, use liquid Calgon fabric softener.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Don't use mothballs if you're going to be on the boat regularly... the smell is pretty nasty.


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> Don't use mothballs if you're going to be on the boat regularly... the smell is pretty nasty.


I agree, but on the up side, mice don't like it either
.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Free-

Please don't get started on the mice..... one thread is enough.  


Freesail99 said:


> I agree, but on the up side, mice don't like it either
> .


----------



## Plumper (Nov 21, 2007)

A clean dry boat doesn't smell inside at all. The biggest source of odour in a boat with out a head is probably the bilge. It is difficult to clean and keep dry but that is probably what is needed.


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> Free-
> 
> Please don't get started on the mice..... one thread is enough.


Yes your right, and we don't want Cam to combine them.


----------



## KeelHaulin (Mar 7, 2006)

I think seawater and salt in the dry areas of the bilge contribute to the "sea" smell. In addition the other smells would be from a diesel inboard engine, mold/mildew in lockers and areas where you can't clean, and of course head plumbing. I think it's just "old boat syndrome"; and you can't really prevent it. When we bring things home from the boat like clothes, sheets, towels left onboard they have that distinctive "boat" smell until they are washed.

I'm going to try leaving a jar of vinegar open in the boat while away; I've heard that vinegar will neutralize odors in the air. Another thing to try is baking soda to absorb the odor molecules.


----------



## Vitesse473 (Mar 16, 2008)

Do a Google search on "Head Mistress" She frequently posts comments on the Beneteau owners forum. she's written books on boat odors and how to combat them. Hoses, bilges, etc are always common trouble makers in the smell category. There has been discussion about filling the bilge with a certain chemical mixture and then head out sailing to slosh it around. Once back at the dock, pump out the bilge and voila. I've thought about doing this myself as I really don't like the smell, but I'm not brave (or maybe stupid) enough to try it.

btw, I changed the hoses in the head and it didn't work. I'm convinced it's a bilge thing!


----------



## Alden68 (Mar 21, 2007)

KeelHaulin said:


> I think it's just "old boat syndrome";QUOTE]
> 
> Ahhhh...I know that smell. A mixture of dry rot, regular rot, an oily bilge, the pungent odor of wiring shorts, moldy sette cushions from leaky port holes, moist end grain balsa and the distinctive odor of yellowing West Marine receipts.
> 
> Ahhh Viva La Boating!!!!


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

There's nothing like the smell of uncured resin in the morning!


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

camaraderie said:


> There's nothing like the smell of uncured resin in the morning!


Ah yes, I remember it well... unfortunately (depending upon your ability to get high on the stuff?) modern resins like Bote Kote don't smell! 

Alden68, you've nailed it! 

SD, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining or wanting to get rid of it - but the smell I'm referring to is the same on all boats, steel, 'glass and wood.

... I was merely wondering if it could be bottled for household use : "Eau de Yacht" or something like that.


----------



## IslandRaider (Oct 6, 2006)

Smells like home to me


----------



## xtatico1404 (Jan 20, 2008)

There is no way to get rid of the "old boat smell" completely. You can manage it, but can't completely get rid of it. It's just part of the sailing experience. Once you open the hatch and step inside, the smell hits you....you just know your on a boat. Funny smell, but it's the big ol' welcome from the boat.

IMHO, bilges....the culprit...all that water sloshing around, getting on all crevices, wood grain, etc.


----------



## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

> So, what makes a boat smell like a boat?? . . . that musty boat-smell to it that reminds one of the wide blue oceans and all that other soppy romantic stuff...


Relative to boats, sight conveys an immediate reaction from my brain - enabling a quick and distant judgement of pleasure or disdain. I interpret these images to the various shapes, proportions, colors and textures which have become pleasing to my mind's eye, such as stored memories of classic sailing yachts. Like the sense of touch, these are tangible sensory associations which are easy to comprehend.

Upon boarding a boat however, my senses of smell and taste ( since they are both closely linked ) are perhaps the most enigmatic - stimulating a more complex mix of associations. Although I often pondered the source of these sensations - the derived associations are typically of pleasant experiences on the water.

It's funny though, to recall how different some of our past boats have smelled, while still having similar effects. The boat before our last, was a brand new production model consisting mostly of fiberglass, canvas, stainless steel and vinyl. When first unzipping the new boat's cockpit canvas enclosure on a warm summer's morning, the odors became locked away - only to ultimately become associated to many years of fun and adventurous times spent on the ocean - and at dock.

The smells from our last boat however, were totally unlike the boat before, with a vastly different medley of pleasant odors. Stepping onboard on a damp morning, the natural decks emitted an earthy teak scent, while an arid smell of wet rope and musty canvas permeated the air, laced with the underlying bite of crusted salt over varnished teak brightwork.

Upon sliding open the teak pilothouse doors, a pleasing scent of aged teak and varnish wafted through the stagnant air. Like tasting a glass of fine vintage wine, successive layers laced with the smell of old paper charts, faint but pleasing diesel scents, odors of lamp oil and permeated sea salt stimulated the senses. Even the subtle head odors released upon opening each teak door to the heads, evoked pleasing responses.

We have yet to find a combination of smells that even comes close to being reminiscent of our boats and times spent aboard - I truly do miss that boat smell.


----------



## AjariBonten (Sep 7, 2007)

I think TB has gotten the point the OP was making. There IS a distinct aroma; and it might actually be individual to each of us. I know for me it's an extremely faint odor of gasoline and diesel, just a hint of sulfur, a bit of damp canvas, and the echo of fish. 

No one of the aromas should be strong enough to make you look for a spill or anything, more like the memory of a smell.

There is a lot to be said for aromatherapy. We greatly underrate our sense of smell; but it is intimately tied to the memory areas of our brain. Even notice how a particular scent can transport you back to a place or time?

An interesting aside; one of the best (earliest) tests available for Altzheimer's disease is a smell test. The inability, or loss of ability, to smell certain aromas can detect the early onset of the disease years before any symptoms show up.


----------



## lbdavis (Apr 23, 2007)

*Band-aids*

I'm with you WuWei. Febreeze is like magic. It's more like a bandaid, really, but it's a magical bandaid. Kinda like turning the radio up in your car so you can't hear the rattles. Effective, but...

Dawg - you should try Febreeze to cover up all those dead animals   on your boat!


----------



## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

Man, I love TB's post, reading it brings the faint smells of our boat together.

I would never want to eliminate or mask the smells, but the guy that said not letting one over coming the others is right, ya gotta keep the balance.

The other faint smell I'd add to the mix is fresh ground coffee, my wife has a pot brewing every night ( well, almost ) of freshly ground Kona beans.............Damn, what a life


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

No dead animals on my boat... I generally eat them after a few days. : )


lbdavis said:


> I'm with you WuWei. Febreeze is like magic. It's more like a bandaid, really, but it's a magical bandaid. Kinda like turning the radio up in your car so you can't hear the rattles. Effective, but...
> 
> Dawg - you should try Febreeze to cover up all those dead animals   on your boat!


----------



## dave6330 (Aug 16, 2006)

Cameron,

I've noticed the same thing with our boat. Not an unpleasant smell, quite to the contrary, but very distinct and peculiar to the boat. I think it's just a combination of engine, bilge, the ocean, brightwork and yes, maybe the hoses. Whatever it is, it works. It makes me smile whenever I smell it.

V/R

Dave


----------



## dave6330 (Aug 16, 2006)

Cameron,

I've noticed the same thing with our boat. Not an unpleasant smell, quite to the contrary, but very distinct and peculiar to the boat. I think it's just a combination of engine, bilge, the ocean, brightwork and yes, maybe the hoses. Whatever it is, it works. It makes me smile whenever I smell it.

V/R

Dave

PS - TB, you're a man after my own heart! You have the soul of a poet.


----------



## NauticalFishwife (Dec 12, 2007)

Ahhhh Spring Cleaning is here! Take everything out of each locker-one at a time. Do a wash down of soapy water with a little bleach. Let it dry really well before replacing your newly organized items. If you get the bilge good and dry put on a coat of bilge paint. I do think it makes a difference in keeping it clean-or at least it's obvious if your leaking a bit of oil or have a bit of diesel in there. Use good ole white vinegar and run it through all your water hoses. Let it set before flushing with water. This will assist you in cleaning out lime deposits. Wipe down all lockers and wood down below and let it dry out well. The consistent culprit of stink (other than a dock neighbor) on our boat is the head intake hose. If that sits for a week it gets smelly and the only way to clean it out is to either flush w fresh water or take the hose off and flush a bit of bleach through it. Making sure of course that I've closed the intake thru hull first. Happy Spring cleaning to all!


----------



## MikeGC (May 29, 2006)

*Odor Problem Unsolved*

The wife plainly states that the boat stinks! The smell morphs from closed boat, to something is dead in the head, to diesel, to very little odor at all depending on what is going on in the boat. The wife gets on the boat and immediately starts burning candles, spraying fumigants and complaining loudly about the smell. I have tried fabric softener sheets spread around the interior, Baczymes, Odor Zero, Chlorox, Bilge Cleaner, Fabreeze, and an odor guru that fogged the interior twice at a cost of $400. The best I have gotten so far is the smell changed a little. It is centered in the front locker where the forward AC unit is. I have painted the locker sprayed all the items mentioned above into the locker and am to the point now that I am considering disassembly of the AC unit to see if there is an ecosystem of some sort in there.

I have suggested that the smell is "freedom" but have not gotten much traction on that one. If I don't get some relief I am afraid the wife is going to set the thing on fire which would solve the odor problem but not my need to sail.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

TrueBlue said:


> the subtle head odors released upon opening each teak door to the heads, evoked pleasing responses.
> 
> We have yet to find a combination of smells that even comes close to being reminiscent


LMAO, i think being boatless is starting to take a toll on you


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

TrueBlue said:


> Relative to boats, sight conveys an immediate reaction from my brain - enabling a quick and distant judgement of pleasure or disdain. I interpret these images to the various shapes, proportions, colors and textures which have become pleasing to my mind's eye, such as stored memories of classic sailing yachts. Like the sense of touch, these are tangible sensory associations which are easy to comprehend.
> 
> Upon boarding a boat however, my senses of smell and taste ( since they are both closely linked ) are perhaps the most enigmatic - stimulating a more complex mix of associations. Although I often pondered the source of these sensations - the derived associations are typically of pleasant experiences on the water.
> 
> ...


TB, that's a true classic!! 

You make the smell of a boat like the smell of a freshly-opened bottle of ancient red - either delightful to the senses or completely off! Obviously you've been drinking too much, but I won't begrudge you that.  

I would never admit this to the wife (shhh!), but after being land-locked for several weeks by lousy weather, I often find myself sneaking out the back-yard to stick my head under the tarp and getting a good, deep, lungful of "eau de Yacht"... it gets me by for a day or so.

Is it addictive?? I think so...


----------



## rtbates (Jan 30, 2007)

In the case of my Cape Dory 25D, it's the tung oiled teak interior that gives it it's smell.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

If you're getting odors from where the AC unit is, chances are more than likely that there is a mold/mildew problem caused by the AC unit condensate collecting inside the unit.


MikeGC said:


> The wife plainly states that the boat stinks! The smell morphs from closed boat, to something is dead in the head, to diesel, to very little odor at all depending on what is going on in the boat. The wife gets on the boat and immediately starts burning candles, spraying fumigants and complaining loudly about the smell. I have tried fabric softener sheets spread around the interior, Baczymes, Odor Zero, Chlorox, Bilge Cleaner, Fabreeze, and an odor guru that fogged the interior twice at a cost of $400. The best I have gotten so far is the smell changed a little. It is centered in the front locker where the forward AC unit is. I have painted the locker sprayed all the items mentioned above into the locker and am to the point now that I am considering disassembly of the AC unit to see if there is an ecosystem of some sort in there.
> 
> I have suggested that the smell is "freedom" but have not gotten much traction on that one. If I don't get some relief I am afraid the wife is going to set the thing on fire which would solve the odor problem but not my need to sail.


----------



## CalypsoP35 (Jul 24, 2006)

I found that using "Damp-Rids" that take the moisture out of the air significantly improved the musty boat smell I had on my boat. I always keep some near the holding tank and the hoses.


----------



## MikeGC (May 29, 2006)

Thanks Sailingdog. I think you are right. The condensate is collecting in the pan the unit sits in and then drains into the bilge. Thinking about it this does not seem right. I would have expected there to a separate drain tube from the evaporator coil to the bilge. My next step is to review manuals, and then take the thing apart to get a good cleaning of the evaporator and duct work. Thanks again.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Glad to help MikeGC


----------



## pegasus1457 (Apr 14, 2002)

*One too many vents*



Freesail99 said:


> Install 2 solar vent place one on intake and the other on out take and the smells will go away.


You can save some $$ by installing one solar vent (exhaust) near the forward cabin and installing a louvre in the washboards that close off your companionway.

I just saved you the price of a solar vent, and it really works!


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

pegasus1457 said:


> You can save some $$ by installing one solar vent (exhaust) near the forward cabin and installing a louvre in the washboards that close off your companionway.
> 
> I just saved you the price of a solar vent, and it really works!


Tell me how well it works on a hot summer night. The 2 solar vents will go a long way in keeping the cabin cool.


----------



## billyruffn (Sep 21, 2004)

Don't know about other boats, but all the smell on Billy Ruff'n disappeared once I scrubbed off a funny yellow/orange bead-like mold that was growning on the underside of drawers and other horizontal surfaces. I have no idea what it was, but it's nice to have it gone. My guess is that most boat smells are caused by molds and/or head hoses & holding tanks.


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

Freesail99 said:


> Tell me how well it works on a hot summer night. The 2 solar vents will go a long way in keeping the cabin cool.


It depends on the size of your cabin, I suppose - on our boat, 2 would be overkill! 

I've thought long and hard about installing one of these - but with our sloping cabin-top I've never been able to work out exactly where. Port side or starboard? Above the galley or away?

But then,I don't want to get rid of _all_ the smells.. It's odd though - the "boat smell" doesn't seem to emanate from within the boat. I can be sitting in the cockpit in the back-yard with the washboards up and still get a good whiff of the ocean. Must be a mix of salt and rotting sea creatures!


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

> I can be sitting in the cockpit with the washboards up and still get a good whiff of the ocean. Must be a mix of salt and rotting sea creatures.


Maybe even the beans you had for dinner.


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

Freesail99 said:


> Maybe even the beans you had for dinner.


BUUURP!!  Oops, pardon me!


----------



## LarryandSusanMacDonald (Apr 3, 2005)

*We'll end this with a ditty*

*Boat Smells<o></o>*​ By Elliot MacDonald<o></o>​ <o></o>

​ New boats all have a similar odor,<o></o>​ A smell you will soon recognize<o></o>​ If you've been to a boat show<o></o>​ And climbed aboard some;<o></o>​ It's a smell that you just can't disguise.<o></o>​ <o></o>
​ It's the smell of new vinyl, combined with a hint<o></o>​ Of diesel fuel, varnish and glue<o></o>​ And the sickly sweet tang<o></o>​ Left by fiberglass resin<o></o>​ Not cured yet, because the boat's new.<o></o>​ <o></o>
​ And as your boat ages it adds to its aura<o></o>​ With the stink of mildew that grows<o></o>​ In inaccessible places<o></o>​ Where no one can clean<o></o>​ You ignore it but the nose knows<o></o>​ <o></o>
​ And as the years pass, the scent will take on<o></o>​ A character all of its own.<o></o>​ The head hoses and bilge,<o></o>​ Will combine in a way<o></o>​ With mystery odors unknown.<o></o>​ <o></o>
​ Today there's a reek that's unusually strong,<o></o>​ Pungent, peculiar, like pee<o></o>​ It seems to be everywhere<o></o>​ forward or aft<o></o>​ I'm worried that maybe it's _me._<o></o>​


----------



## BreakingWind2 (Jan 3, 2008)

MikeGC said:


> The wife plainly states that the boat stinks! The smell morphs from closed boat, to something is dead in the head, to diesel, to very little odor at all depending on what is going on in the boat. The wife gets on the boat and immediately starts burning candles, spraying fumigants and complaining loudly about the smell. I have tried fabric softener sheets spread around the interior, Baczymes, Odor Zero, Chlorox, Bilge Cleaner, Fabreeze, and an odor guru that fogged the interior twice at a cost of $400. The best I have gotten so far is the smell changed a little. It is centered in the front locker where the forward AC unit is. I have painted the locker sprayed all the items mentioned above into the locker and am to the point now that I am considering disassembly of the AC unit to see if there is an ecosystem of some sort in there.
> 
> I have suggested that the smell is "freedom" but have not gotten much traction on that one. If I don't get some relief I am afraid the wife is going to set the thing on fire which would solve the odor problem but not my need to sail.


Guess you have to make a decision whether to keep the boat or keep the wife. Least it would be quieter when you are sailing!


----------



## DuncanNZ (Dec 29, 2004)

Hartley18 said:


> So, what makes a boat smell like a boat??
> 
> Even after a month or more sitting on the trailer in our back yard in the hot (drought-affected) Australian sunshine, our boat still has that musty boat-smell to it that reminds one of the wide blue oceans and all that other soppy romantic stuff...
> 
> ...


----------



## buckeyesailor (Mar 9, 2008)

I've been on two boats that didn't have "that" smell......one was at the boat show.......(new) and the other.....while boat shopping in Chessy bay last summer.
A nice 44 footer......can't remember what it was...but I gave the guy a days notice before I went to look at it.......smelled great!
maybe that's the key......?


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

Duncan, thanks for your post. Our boat is nicely covered up under a tarp and, yes, it does get dusty.

I must admit I don't bother with the cushions (note to self: I must start doing that!), but the original post was more about how wonderful the smell was and how it would be nice to bottle it to give to my land-lubber rellies!! 



buckeyesailor said:


> A nice 44 footer......can't remember what it was...but I gave the guy a days notice before I went to look at it.......smelled great!
> maybe that's the key......?


You mean if I traded my precious little Hartley in on a nice 44 , the smell would be even better?? 

I love your thinking, but it aint going to happen anytime soon... unless someone has one they'd like to donate to a worthy cause.


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

artbyjody said:


> I have 2 solar powered ones on mine - one is 10+ years old (still works fine) and the other I put in the last summer....Usually about the only maintenance one needs to do is replace the batteries every few years...


I have those too. THey are not the new ones that are supposed to run all day/night... but I have to tell you that they sure do not move much air. At least not to me. They seem worthless.

I have often thought about adding dorades. THey work well, but a little bit of a pain in winter/summer extremes.

THoughts??

- CD


----------



## buckeyesailor (Mar 9, 2008)

No, Hartley.....I don't think the size had anything to do with it.......it was the DAYS notice......

I've heard that size don't matter and I'm a firm believer in the fact........


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I have two older Nicro vents aboard...and they do move a lot of air.  These are about three years old.


Cruisingdad said:


> I have those too. THey are not the new ones that are supposed to run all day/night... but I have to tell you that they sure do not move much air. At least not to me. They seem worthless.
> 
> I have often thought about adding dorades. THey work well, but a little bit of a pain in winter/summer extremes.
> 
> ...


----------



## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

A slip neighbour 2 boats down has this 2lb bag of blue grey rocks in a open weave mesh plastic bag that he keeps in the head, there is no odour and you put the rocks out in the sun for a while when they stop working. I will see if I can find out where he got it.


----------



## jefbarn (Nov 30, 2000)

*Another solution*

 here' s another reason for that "SMELL": rotting seawater in your head!
Solution is to fill your head with fresh water instead of sea water. Tap the cold water line in your head sink and run it through 2 backflow valves and a cutoff valve into the intake of your head. Open it only when you need to fill the head (remeber to pressurize the line) and then flush as normal. After two or three uses the smell will go away.


----------



## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

I've had long term use of the Nicro solar vents. They have kept running for many many years. One is battery powered for night running and the battery died so it no longer runs at night but still runs fine in the daytime.

Anyone with A/C should consider plumbing the condensate to the shower sump instead of to the bilge.


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

jefbarn said:


> here' s another reason for that "SMELL": rotting seawater in your head!
> Solution is to fill your head with fresh water instead of sea water. Tap the cold water line in your head sink and run it through 2 backflow valves and a cutoff valve into the intake of your head. Open it only when you need to fill the head (remeber to pressurize the line) and then flush as normal. After two or three uses the smell will go away.


Jef, I don't have a big enough boat for a head - a freshwater Porta-Potti is good enough for us, and no thru-hulls to worry about either! 

..but rotting seawater in the *bilge* is a possibility. It would be great if someone could come up with a way to keep the water out. 

Anyone know if those water-absorbing crystals are any use for lockers, etc.? Or do they just get messy/disintegrate after a while??


----------



## seadaddler (Dec 23, 2006)

*Ventilation*

Try some solar vents one in and one out or one out and crack open
a hatch.
You don't know odor unless you work on a garbage truck all day
on a hot summer day,even worse a cesspool truck at a traffic light.


----------



## MARC2012 (Mar 17, 2008)

Am new to site if doing something incorrectly please advise.Mothballs are paradichlorobenzene,considered possible carconigen,animals exposed high doses develope liver/kidney tumors,&osha recomends no > 75ppm in workplace.And smells awful.Enjoy site.marc


----------



## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

I know this is a reiteration BUT...acquire an Ozone generator and use it periodically.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Chemical solution*

You could spray febreze every time you left the boat closed, that will help eliminating fabric odors and will improve the boat smell.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have two small ozone generators but stopped using them. I read that they we unhealthy. Does anyone have any input on these as to efficiency and effects on health?


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Ozone can also damage materials and plastics, if the ozone concentration is too high.... I'd be very careful of using them.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I once thought I'd try moth balls ---- got a butterfly net and did my best, but could never catch enough of the little buggers to harvest anything. Maybe they were all female. 
Seriously though, on my boat it's the Mississippi river water that comes thru my stuffing box that stinks in my bilge. I wash it with chlorox bleach but can't get to the bilge water that gets under my tanks. Both fuel and fresh water tanks are in the bilge, so the only effective way to get rid of it is an ozone generator. I have one called a "Bilge Buster" which I run for a few days when I am off the boat, 2 or 3 times a season. Yes, it does cause premature failure of nearby rubber hoses, but I consider that a small price to pay for a clean smelling boat. It also gets rid of mold or mildew, and since my wife is highly allergic to that stuff, it keeps her happy!


----------



## xcbxer (Mar 19, 2008)

Once on a previous boat had a strong rotten egg smell from the hot water tap regardless if the water was coming out of the tap hot or cold. Was told this was from potable antifreeze getting heated up in the hot water tank. I never used the electric heat, only the engine.

Repeated flushes and vinegar did not much. Sold the boat.


----------



## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

The only offensive odor on my boat (aside from that day I had to pull a guest's tampon out of the flush valve), was from the seawater deck wash fitting. When I first turned on the seawater pump after buying the boat, a blackish sludge oozed out of the fitting, like an evil demon-snake. This was followed by the most obnoxious sulphur smell - not unlike a strong rotten egg odor.

It seems the PO rarely used seawater to wash down the teak decks - resulting in the solidifying and stench of millions of dead micro-organisms in the plumbing from seawater intake to deck valve. Lesson learned - regularly flush the lines.


----------



## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

TrueBlue said:


> The only offensive odor on my boat (aside from that day I had to pull a guest's tampon out of the flush valve),.


WAY TO MUCH INFORMATION


----------



## robfinora (Apr 25, 2001)

Here is what I did to combat the odors on our Catalina 30 - and it took many years to get to all of them but it works and the boat is odor-free.<o></o>

- Replace any old or dated waste systems (Peggy "Head" Mistress is a good source for how to correctly install an odor-free system). Replace holding tank, lines, valves, etc. Look into plumbing your head sink drain line to your water intake line on the head. There are threads on this in the forum but the short of it is: raw-water seawater is a MAJOR source of cabin odor through the head lines. Bacterial critters that live in seawater die and decompose in your head, lines and holding tank and cause more odor than waste. Keep the lines and head clean with fresh, soapy water. By avoiding the intake of seawater and using your grey-water from the sink for flushing - you eliminate a major contributor of cabin odor.
- Ensure your diesel engine system has no fuel leaks or oil leaks. Clean the compartment, fuel tank area and bilge.
- Clean all cushions, curtains and interior fabrics. If possible - store them inside over the winter (if you winter store your boat). I remove everything. Fabric and foam are places mold likes to hide.
- Varnish all your interior wood. Unpainted / varnished wood is a huge source of odor as mold grows in the wood grain.
- Paint or varnish all exposed but hidden wood (i.e. inside and behind draws, inside cabinets, under counter tops, etc. Mold will grow in the wood-grain of any unprotected wood. Big source of odor - just smell your exposed wood and see.
- Fix any and all sources of rain-water leaks into your boat. Molds thrive in wet environments so it's important to ensure everything remains dry as possible.
- Install solar day/nigh vents (at least one) to force air in or out. This keeps moisture levels in the air low.
- Keep your boat clutter-free, especially free of things like too many old rags, towels and cloths - mold loves to grow in anything that can hold dampness.<o></o>
- Do an interior hose down and scrub every spring to ensure you clear away any dirt and dust. I also like to buy a box of fabric softener sheets (i.e. Bounce) and hang them in the back of lockers, between cockpit cushions (between foam and cover) and anywhere else that is practical and may pose a source of stall air / odor. For some reason they work great at absorbing odor and leaving behind a fresh smell. I also keep a can of Lysol spray disinfectant onboard and spray everything down when I can.<o></o>
<o></o>
Good luck - Rob<o></o>


----------



## LarryandSusanMacDonald (Apr 3, 2005)

When a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there, does it make a sound?

When the boat is left unattended, does it stink? No. it never stinks until there is someone there to smell it. So maybe it's not the boat - maybe it's the crew. Or (gawd ferbid) it's the captain. Showering once a month or so should take care of all your problems. No, seriously, try it. I did... once.

Rum also helps. Do not apply it topically. Offer a generous dollop to your guests before they go below. 

Smelly candles also help. One up each nostril. 

I'm going to leave now. Something smells funny...


----------



## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

Well sure, over exposure to Ozone can be harmful...so don't over expose yourself or your 'stuff' to it. Used properly however, it's amazing what it can do.

Too much sex can kill you too, or so I've heard.
Howard Keiper
Berkeley


----------



## beej67 (Apr 2, 2008)

My boat smells like teak oil, bilge cleaner, diesel, headzyme, beer, and salt air. I love it.


Anybody know where I can get that in a cologne?


----------



## ebs001 (May 8, 2006)

Gonzo Odor Eliminator. I swear by this stuff. We have been using this in our head for 2 years and odors are eliminated - not covered up. It is avilable at a number of retail outlets like Bed Bath and Beyond but they overcharge or you can order it online at Gonzo Cleaning Products - catalog


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

beej67 said:


> My boat smells like teak oil, bilge cleaner, diesel, headzyme, beer, and salt air. I love it.
> 
> Anybody know where I can get that in a cologne?


Bee, that's the same question I've been asking since starting this thread, but the question got lost in the bilges somewhere.

Welcome to Sailnet.


----------



## beej67 (Apr 2, 2008)

Why thanks. 

I'm waiting with baited breath until my 10th post, so they'll let me post images.


----------



## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

you're going to post an image of the smell?

anyway, try "ozium", works on the cuban... oops, for the cuban.


----------



## beej67 (Apr 2, 2008)

I've got some photos of some rather unique boat modifications my wife and I have done to our Pearson I'd like to throw out on the Maintenance forum, and get some opinions.

Yay for post 9. Almost there ...


----------



## xcbxer (Mar 19, 2008)

> (Peggy "Head" Mistress is a good source for how to correctly install an odor-free system).


Just received "Get Rid of Boat Odors" by Peggie Hall. Great book on marine sanitation, only negative is that the section on boat odors not related to your head is only 2 pages long, plus another 2 pages on the fresh water system. I was hoping for more.


----------



## xcbxer (Mar 19, 2008)

> I have two small ozone generators but stopped using them. I read that they we unhealthy. Does anyone have any input on these as to efficiency and effects on health?


Peggy Hall is dead against ozone generators (p. 32). She also quotes a long statement from the EPA, the gist being that ozone concentrations not exeeding public health standards are not effective in in removing most indoor air contaminents and ozone reactions with other chemicals can be irritating and corrosive.

Peggy says they are only very expensive air fresheners.


----------



## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

Peggy fails to separate fact from issue.
Ozone is one of the most effective odor eliminators known. It's cheap, effective, can be deadly if you hang around and breathe it for hours on end, etc., etc.
Use an ozone generator correctly as many hotels and fire restoration companies do and your odor problems will go away and you'll still be alive to appreciate what you've done.
Howard Keiper
Sea Quest
Berkeley


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

thekeip said:


> Peggy fails to separate fact from issue.
> Ozone is one of the most effective odor eliminators known. It's cheap, effective, can be deadly if you hang around and breathe it for hours on end, etc., etc.
> Use an ozone generator correctly as many hotels and fire restoration companies do and your odor problems will go away and you'll still be alive to appreciate what you've done.


What, and get rid of all those wonderful boat smells?? Sacriledge!! 

...besides, they use too much power.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Ozone, in concentrations high enough to eliminate odors are generally also high enough to attack plastics and such.


----------



## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*Use an ozone...*

Use an ozone generator long enough to eliminate odors on a boat and you'll have serious damage to all things rubber, foam and many plastics.

It reminds me of an interior cushion job on a very expensive one off custom Maine built boat. In one year the foam in the cushions was breaking down and deteriorating very rapidly including the very expensive memory foam.

The owner was PISSED off but he was the same owner that insisted, against advice from the builder and others, that they install an ozone generator when the boat was built. When he sent back a sample of the foam to the manufacturer they promptly responded "does this boat have an ozone machine?".... Cushions NOT covered!! The owner wound up hiring an air quality expert who discovered many other plastics, rubber hoses and such deteriorating like they were ten+ years old. He removed the ozone generator and paid the 5k bill to replace the foam..

Peggy knows odors and how to remove them and gives EXCELLENT and proven advice that works.

Sure ozone kills odors but takes a lot of hostages and prisoners along the way! Remember hotels have lots of air turn over boats generally DO NOT!


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Howard-

You're more than welcome to use an Ozone generator on your boat... let us know where it sinks... since the ozone will probably attack hoses you're likely to forget to inspect on a timely basis...


----------



## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

Silly gooses....you don't leave the thing on long enough to compromise rubber or fabric. An hour or so every week, if that, works well, and Sea Quest is prima-facie evidence that using the right tool (an unusual tool, to be sure) does a very competent job. Sea Quest is 36yrs old and still floating....pretty, too.
Howard Keiper
Berkeley


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Howard-

All it takes is forgetting to shut it off one time to to a lot of damage. I'd rather use more traditional means, like keeping the boat well ventilated and getting rid of the odor sources, rather than use something to destroy or mask the odors after they're on board.


thekeip said:


> Silly gooses....you don't leave the thing on long enough to compromise rubber or fabric. An hour or so every week, if that, works well, and Sea Quest is prima-facie evidence that using the right tool (an unusual tool, to be sure) does a very competent job. Sea Quest is 36yrs old and still floating....pretty, too.
> Howard Keiper
> Berkeley


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

Despite half-hearted attempts to keep it on topic, this thread has been *SERIOUSLY HIJACKED *- and by people who should know better too!!   

Although the discussion about Ozone generators has been interesting there is no way I'm putting one on my boat. Don't need it, don't want it and can't really understand why anyone would risk damaging their boat to get rid of a bit of "marine odour"..

SD, surely you've heard about electronic timers - they're available in almost every supermarket world-wide.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Timers break...  Would be a bad thing to find out that the timer shorted and left the Ozone Generator on when the hoses rupture from ozone-induced damage and the boat sinks.


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> Timers break...  Would be a bad thing to find out that the timer shorted and left the Ozone Generator on when the hoses rupture from ozone-induced damage and the boat sinks.


SD, if you're worried about a timer failing on (is this actually possible?!?) then use two in series... or maybe three ..or four?? 

..then buy a bigger boat with space to fit the ozone generator, all those timers, a gas detector (to make sure the cabin is not full of ozone, of course) and a bigger house battery supply to power the whole thing.

But of course that would be just silly, wouldn't it??


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Better to avoid the stink in the first place to begin with. 


Hartley18 said:


> SD, if you're worried about a timer failing on (is this actually possible?!?) then use two in series... or maybe three ..or four??
> 
> ..then buy a bigger boat with space to fit the ozone generator, all those timers, a gas detector (to make sure the cabin is not full of ozone, of course) and a bigger house battery supply to power the whole thing.
> 
> But of course that would be just silly, wouldn't it??


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> Better to avoid the stink in the first place to begin with.


But, SD, what if you happen to *like *the stink?? 

Even after a month or more sitting on the trailer in our back yard in the Australian sunshine, our boat still has that musty boat-smell to it that reminds one of the wide blue oceans and all that other soppy romantic stuff...

... and now this thread starts all over again!! Please no.


----------



## artbyjody (Jan 4, 2008)

I have used two named branded "Ozone" instruments in my home... Unless you have dealt with when they go haywire... you have no idea what happens to you physically to begin with.. They are effective with odors, but when the strings or plates cross connect or what I would technically is called shorting out...forget what happens to everything else...

On top of that the maintenance of such units, 15 days max or else you are paying for idle energy with no benefits to speak of to begin with.....to truly prevent odors you reduce / eliminate the sources of such and you couple that with movement of fresh air... period.. Ozone cleaners are a marketing gimmick and none have actually been scientifically proven outside a controlled environment to work worth a [email protected]#$. 

You wanna mask - use incense...

And since we know the actual results of using such devices in a closed marine environment such as our boats - why go that route? Glad plug ins are cheaper in the long run...


----------



## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

Nonsense.
howard


----------



## jimmalkin (Jun 1, 2004)

just to stay on topic of keeping the boat's interior from smelling like closed up boat - we use a passive system of gelatin like beads in a glass jar - leave two of them opened in the boat when it is closed up and they absorb odor quite well. The beads disintegrate over time (about a year) and we open a new jar. If this is of interest, send me a pm and I'll get the name of the stuff and send it along.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Jim-

If you can post a link to the beads or where you can buy them, it would probably be good.


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

I give in (sigh!).. 



jimmalkin said:


> just to stay on topic of keeping the boat's interior from smelling like closed up boat - we use a passive system of gelatin like beads in a glass jar - leave two of them opened in the boat when it is closed up and they absorb odor quite well. The beads disintegrate over time (about a year) and we open a new jar. If this is of interest, send me a pm and I'll get the name of the stuff and send it along.


Sounds like a much better idea than an Ozone Generator don't it, SD?


----------



## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

You can lead a horse to water...if you could get him to float on his back, you'd really have something.
howard keiper


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

thekeip said:


> You can lead a horse to water...if you could get him to float on his back, you'd really have something.
> howard keiper


Yeah... a dead horse!!

Thanks, Howard, for your insightful posts.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

ROFLMAO... 


Hartley18 said:


> Yeah... a dead horse!!
> 
> Thanks, Howard, for your insightful posts.


----------



## jimmalkin (Jun 1, 2004)

I'll get the name of the beads tomorrow afternoon (have to go swing a new fluxgate compass after finding the current autopilot fluxgate doesn't "talk" fast enough to the radar to allow me to do ARPA plotting - apparently it takes about 12 360's to get it right - which explains some of my "fun" in Maine last summer...TMI?) Will post the name and the link to source tomorrow night.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Thanks Jim...and have fun...


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I would like that link to the gelatin beads also because all we have here are anal beads and they make the boat smell like $hlt.


----------



## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

Jim...
Don't you have to have a rate gyro to give you the fast response you need for ARPA / MARPA ??
Howard Keiper
Sea Quest
Berkeley


----------



## craigtoo (Aug 17, 2007)

uspirate said:


> I would like that link to the gelatin beads also because all we have here are anal beads and they make the boat smell like $hlt.


Holy Crap...!

Just fell off the bar stool at Outback...

ROTFLMAO....

This thread is a classic example of....

"Welcome to Sailnet... If you don't have a problem, one will be provided for you....!!!"


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

craigtoo said:


> Holy Crap...!
> 
> Just fell off the bar stool at Outback...
> 
> ...


what the hell are doing surfing sailnet while at Outback?


----------



## jimmalkin (Jun 1, 2004)

Ok - away from anal beads and the twisted sister spin on this topic - we use crystal beads called Fresh Wave - Fresh Wave for the Naturally Green Home... - ignore please the rather spa-like/new age website. There is a store location tab at bottom of the site but we went to the web and bought 'em through drugstore.com (I think.) Two open jars lasted March - December 2007 and coupled with two small DampRid containers and forward facing dorades kept the interior of our 50' cutter fresh and un-scented below. And no electric, etc.

Keip - thanks for the question. Our 2000 Furuno 1833 didn't speak the same language protocol as the fluxgate for the RM autopilot (also 2000.) Hence a new, sigh, fluxgate. BOAT (break out another thousand.)


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Thanks Jim.


----------



## NALANI13 (May 24, 2007)

i just discovered the most amazing device. It is really expensive but I am in love - as much as you can be with this type of mechanical device (i will leave that to your imagination). anyway it is one of those ozone air purifiers. My AC guy has let me try it free for a few weeks. You turn it on and leave the boat, with all the cabinets, bilges etc open and when you get back after a few hours the place smells fresh and clean. It removes mildew, musty smells, head smells, bilge smells etc. It even removed the musty smells from my clothes. You can run it on low all day or you can just do the vacate mode. It runs about 1.5 amps. It is called "Fresh Air" by Ecoquest. It is $799 but worth every penny for someone who has a real sensitive nose like i do.


----------



## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

Ooooh, you're in deep trouble now.
Howard Keiper
Sea Quest
Berkeley


----------



## artbyjody (Jan 4, 2008)

NALANI13 said:


> It is $799 but worth every penny for someone who has a real sensitive nose like i do.


Well - in case you haven't been following the thread - I hope your wallet is not as sensitive as your nose is. When you run that thing and repairs bill rack up for mysterious failures such as hoses disintegrating...I imagine your wallet will follow suit in falling apart as many times it will be yanked out to pay to fix something as a result of continuous usage of that device...


----------



## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*Just keep your boat clean!*

Just keep your boat clean, the bilge dry and head treated and smells will not be an issue...!


----------



## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

halekai36 said:


> Just keep your boat clean, the bilge dry and head treated and smells will not be an issue...!


Until one day you hire a "captain" who forgets to pump out the holding tank until it overfills and overflows the head (and the inspection port).

Yes, still venting on that one. I spent 2 days cleaning but unfortunately some of his crap got under the holding tank in the area which can't be cleaned without taking the tank out - which is too big of a project at this point. So, now my boat stinks. A year of cleaning everything meticulously went straight down the drain.

If anyone needs a captain, one word of caution - avoid a guy named Pete. Nuff said.

More to the topic - cleaning the boat is the only way to do it, but it is hard work and it is easy to lose results of that work very quickly.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

That might be a result of low-balling the pay for the delivery captain.


----------



## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> That might be a result of low-balling the pay for the delivery captain.


Oh, low-balling has nothing to do with it. I eventually hired a full-price expensive captain - one of those guys who like to eat in restaurants and have me pay for it. I had to, a person I liked had to cancel and I did not have time or desire to go back to the list of other volonteers, though I probably would have done better with that.

Come to think of it, if this was done by someone low cost, I probably would not have minded it so much.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Ouch... that really sucks... 



brak said:


> Oh, low-balling has nothing to do with it. I eventually hired a full-price expensive captain - one of those guys who like to eat in restaurants and have me pay for it. I had to, a person I liked had to cancel and I did not have time or desire to go back to the list of other volonteers, though I probably would have done better with that.
> 
> Come to think of it, if this was done by someone low cost, I probably would not have minded it so much.


----------



## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> Ouch... that really sucks...


Yep. Overflowed toilet, dirty cushions, horrible mess all over the boat, torn bimini, broken wood trim on one of the windows, they took a few tools with them too. Oh, and his crew (who is also a "captain", or at least has 50 ton USCG license) - came on board with a suitcase on wheels. 
They also brought a "passenger" - young girl, whose purpose on board I really don't want to think about. Suffice to say I found cigarette wrappers hidden under a cushion.

Honestly, I considered sending him home when it started that way but I already gave him a deposit which he cashed (plus I really really missed my boat and wanted her home asap).

Well, anyway - sorry for offtopic. But that's another thing to consider - just because someone comes up in every google search, and has dozens of references - does not meant squat.


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

brak said:


> Well, anyway - sorry for offtopic. But that's another thing to consider - just because someone comes up in every google search, and has dozens of references - does not meant squat.


Yes, well... don't believe eveything you read on the Internet. 

Now, then. What was it we were talking about!?! I forget...


----------



## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

brak said:


> Until one day you hire a "captain" who forgets to pump out the holding tank until it overfills and overflows the head (and the inspection port).


That sucks! Fortunately, nobody but me sails my boat..! As for captains check references personally & thoroughly is all I can say..


----------



## brak (Jan 5, 2007)

halekai36 said:


> That sucks! Fortunately, nobody but me sails my boat..! As for captains check references personally & thoroughly is all I can say..


Yep, generally speaking "nobody sails my boat" is my rule too. This is the first time I had to break it - and definitely the last one too, if I can help it.


----------



## Neicy (May 10, 2005)

You can find the ordor crystals at www.Fresh-wave.com. The web site also will tell you where you can purchase the stuff locally. I think I remember
them listing Ace Hardware.


----------



## NALANI13 (May 24, 2007)

believe me even with this thing i will still smell trouble... ...my nose is that strong and my pocket is not that full. I just hate normal boat smells.


----------



## NALANI13 (May 24, 2007)

artbyjody - even with this thing i will still smell trouble......i just can't stand the normal boat smells or the cleaners.


----------



## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

NALANI13 said:


> artbyjody - even with this thing i will still smell trouble......i just can't stand the normal boat smells or the cleaners.


Nalani, if you can't stand normal boat smells why are you even interested in boats?? 

I'd rather take a deep breath down below and inhale the woody (pun intended) aromas of teak and varnish and rotting sea-creatures(!) than try to breathe in any modern city anywhere in the world.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Have you tried using a air ionizer / ozone generator (there are about a dozen names for it)? 

I had that smell in my boat, and using the generator a few hours a week got rid of it. 

The model I use is the Air Zone XT-800 (google it or go to airzone.com, I think); you can save a lot of money if you feel like building your own.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

We likewise installed two of the vents, intake over v-berth, exhaust over galley. It was a condition imposed by my wife on the purchase of our new boat 6 years ago. After the first season, I pulled the batteries and have since run them only on solar. While the boat has obviously lost her "new" smell, it hasn't been replaced by anything the slightest bit objectionable. Only regret is buying the white plastic ones rather than spending the difference for the stainless steel. After 6 seasons, the plastic has gone yellow and is beginning to crack. Soon as a motor dies I'll be more than ready to replace, despite the cost. 

On the other hand, once you have odor problems it's not always that easy to get rid of all traces and often you end up trying to replace the offensive smell with something less so. Still, constant air movement can't hurt!


----------



## SailMonkey (Feb 6, 2006)

*boat odor/moisture*

I just read on another forum that DampRid is the same thing as the pool chemical used to increase water hardness, calcium chloride. Any thoughts on putting some of these chips into glass jars for absorbing moisture and odor in a boat environment?


----------



## SCSeaside (Mar 5, 2002)

*Bildge Buster and cabin air ozone generator*

I have read many of the threads in this post that claim your boat may sink using an ozone generator. I have been using an ozone generator in my engine room, operates all the time even at the dock, and one in my main salon that only operates when it detects orders for nine years. The engine room ozone generator keeps bildge and holding tank odors away and the salon generator keeps things smelling fresh as a spring rain even right after cooking fish or heavy garlic dishes. The Bildge Buster is USCG approved for operating in areas where flash points are a problem and my hoses, plastic clamps, wire coverings, etc. are all in good shape. I have read that ozone can damage these items but, I haven't seen it and since mine runs 24/7/365 I can't imagine the levels it would take to damage something. All hoses are flexible with no cracks. My advice is to contact the manufacturer via email and ask them about it. Sign me off as "SCSeaside still floating".


----------



## TSL (Aug 8, 2010)

*Odor watch 24/7*

Ozone generators work and work well. They attack the odors and other (rubber) components in your boat. Chlorine Dioxide also eliminates odors but does not harm rubber. It can be activated and left in the boat around the clock. 
To eliminate boat smell, spend about $20 and see how it works. Odor Watch 24/7 is one such product. You can use it when the boat is stored without having to run power to the boat.

Chlorine Dioxide attacks mold as well as oxidizing odor. Odor watch 24/7 is low level Chlorine Dioxide so you can be in the boat when it is activated.


----------



## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

Tonight's boat smell- In the **** pit having cocktails, smell of something burning, um nothing cooking, smells like plastic, smoke in the cabin, holy sh*t, WTF? AC shuts down, look round, switch off all the power, feel the plugs, a 15 AMP 220V plug has burned to a crisp...luckily the fuse inside eventually blew, other wise we'd be toast..a good nose for smells is a good thing!


----------



## Beersmith (Nov 5, 2008)

I'm convinced mine was the rotten wood providing the boat smell.

To date, I've removed nearly every piece of wood (rotten or not) and the boat smell is gone. I have all of the old wood in a storage unit, and it now smells like a boat.

the boat now smells like epoxy and paint


----------



## TSL (Aug 8, 2010)

Beer smith is right on. However, you can treat the wood before it goes too far. Check out the CNN video showing mold treatment after the New Orleans floods. Boater Tech - Boat Smell Removal | Completely Eliminate Odors on Your Boat - Boater Tech 
Click on CCN reports.


----------



## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

Try Bounce Drier Sheets put them in lockers ,drawers,& cabinets ,really makes a difference ! fights mildew , - Dale


----------



## Beersmith (Nov 5, 2008)

Lake Superior Sailor said:


> Try Bounce Drier Sheets put them in lockers ,drawers,& cabinets ,really makes a difference ! fights mildew , - Dale


and they are pretty much the best smelling things in the world. can't beat that


----------



## captflood (Jan 1, 2011)

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS. Lemmons or onions ? will kill the smell then use a baby bottle steriliser to wash down the bulk-heads and bildges put a gob of olive oil down the thunder-box (toilet) to keep it lubed. cut an onion in half and leave the pices in the area for up too three days depending on the heat and humidity of the boat the onion will absorb loads of the wiff and when just cut a lemmon and leav in the same areas BEST OF LUCK ! GO SAFE.


----------



## TSL (Aug 8, 2010)

keep in mind that mold is very dangerous in the confines of a small boat. covering it up with deodorizers and bounce may not be the best way to deal with the problem. Check out this link for so good information. Removing Mold


----------



## Beersmith (Nov 5, 2008)

TSL said:


> keep in mind that mold is very dangerous in the confines of a small boat. covering it up with deodorizers and bounce may not be the best way to deal with the problem. Check out this link for so good information. Removing Mold


here is how I am removing mold: REMOVE ALL THE THINGS! :laugher


----------



## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

Has anyone tried Kanberra Gel? The propaganda sounds good. I was thinking to try it.

Kanberra Gel - Nature's Activated Protection


----------



## TSL (Aug 8, 2010)

Beersmith said:


> here is how I am removing mold: REMOVE ALL THE THINGS! :laugher


Went to your Blog. Great stuff. I like the list of most valuable boatyard tools. Did I miss the box fan over the hatch? It's my personal favorite. I'm refurbishing an O'day 39 see thread at O'day 39 project boat - SailboatOwners.com hardly as challenging as your project.


----------



## Beersmith (Nov 5, 2008)

TSL said:


> Went to your Blog. Great stuff. I like the list of most valuable boatyard tools. Did I miss the box fan over the hatch? It's my personal favorite. I'm refurbishing an O'day 39 see thread at O'day 39 project boat - SailboatOwners.com hardly as challenging as your project.


Thanks! I'll read up on your project, will help me through a slow work day 

great point on the box fan, definitely used all the time. I'll add that to the honorable mentions list at the bottom.


----------



## TSL (Aug 8, 2010)

sail.away34 said:


> Seems to me, I've heard that same question before on a different thread. Several people answered about few different products. I've never used Kanberra Gel, but after reading the other thread I did some research. I'll look it up and reply ASAP.
> More to follow.
> 
> Okay, I've found my notes about Kanberra Gel. While my research is not complete, it's as much information as time would permit. The Sailnet thread was titled Kanbera Gel by Minnewaska. The article had several people tell about using Kanbera and they all indicated that it was expensive. That thread also contained a post about Purafy air gel. After I received 1 of the 25.00 USD size, another post indicated that it was self promoting and take it with a grain of salt. Apparently the post was related to the supplier. The product was a light yellow gel that smelled like lemons. The web-site says it is not made with tea tree oil and in just 5 days my mold smell was gone. I found 3 separate tea tree oil products on line. I also found people that had used all and several. The oldest is GelAir. It is an Australian product imported and the big boats used to buy it by the case. Captain Charles of motor yacht Beeliever, bought the 1/2 liter size; he said it sold for around 30.00 USD. Charles indicated that the stuff had very strong smell for about a week. He used 1 in each AC unit, every other week; he has 12 onboard. About three years ago he switched to Kanberra Gel in the 16 Oz and said he paid 60.00 USD. It was not as strong a smell but lasted about 1 month. Charles said about 3 months ago he tried a product call Yacht Fresh gel, it sells for 70.00 USD. He said it has the smell of lavender but wasn't as effective as Kanberra Gel. He said they all reduce the mold but he still has to have the interior professionally deodorized every dry dock. Captain Scott formally of motor yacht Sally Ann used Gelair and Kanberre but he said he didn't like the tea tree oil smell and some of his guests also objected to the smell. He told about a new product without tea tree that he found by accident. He told me about Purafy Air and that it worked better than tea tree oil products and smells great. Note the spellings are correct; it must have something to do with the mega-yacht industry. The research made me feel better.


Your anthology is very representative and acurate. Big point I will always return to is that Mold in confined spaces is very bad for Humans. Even DEAD mold. Look it up it's everywhere on the net. Use ozone, Chlorine Dioxide , borax, or other to kill it.Then put on a pair of gloves and a dust mask and scrub. Place the shop vac outside your boat if you are sucking up water after the scrub. 
Then use tree oil or similar if you like the smell. It will work but a film of borax at a fraction of the cost will also work to keep the mold from returning. 
There are many products that can knock down an odor but will not solve the underlining problem. 
You liveaboards should be using a shock treatment every few months.


----------



## thekeip (Aug 8, 2007)

OK, 
I understand the consternation over the presence of mold...on any surface or in any space. You can't get rid of it by any method that disguises it's presence by making the boat, the closet, the locker, the head by making whatever it is "smell better". It ain't going to work, folks...no matter how fervently you wish. To get rid of mold , it is necessary to kill it...All of it including and especially the spores by which it propigates. There is no perfume, no magic beads, no mojo that is pervasive and effective enough to not only get rid of the obvious odor, but the cause of it as well. Yes, if you've got rotten food or smelly head hoses, you'll have to remedy those, but mold, at that juncture, is not the issue.
Rent or buy an ozone generator...E-bay is a perfect source.. spend about $150 or so for a unit. There are 100's of them. 
Turn all your cabinets, cushions, lockers, drawers, etc topsy-turvey, start the generator, go away for several hours and come back prepared to enjoy your boat...not odor free, but smelling like fresh thunderstorm has passed

Howard Keiper
Berkeley


----------



## donlofland (Dec 8, 2008)

Mine smells like Cetol-like coming home again every time I open the hatch and go below!


----------



## donlofland (Dec 8, 2008)

P.S. I had no idea this was such a long thread! (I looked only at the first page...) Sorry if I was off track-


----------



## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

Use fresh water only in your holding tank and try to keep the bilge as dry as possible.

The dead organisms in sea water ain't gonna help things.


----------



## TSL (Aug 8, 2010)

As for chemicals like bleach and ClO2 they can cause irritation to mucous membranes in our eyes and lungs. Chlorites and chlorates are also absorbed through the skin and can cause damage to blood structure I think I'll give this "magic bullet" a chance to show just it can do.

Chlorine Dioxide is used as a shock Treatment. 24 hrs at the most. *No need to be exposed to it.* It's completely gone once the boat has been aired out a few minutes.


----------



## ArcherBowman (Jul 1, 2009)

Has anybody else noticed that while everybody else's boat may stink, yours smells like home?


----------



## TSL (Aug 8, 2010)

sail.away34 said:


> How do you apply ClO2 solution to the interior of a boat without exposure?
> Max


Max, 
Chlorine Dioxide and Chlorine are two very different things. Let's skip Chlorine (bleach ) as most know it's best for whites and swimming pools. 
You can not purchase Chlorine Dioxide. You purchase a system to generate it. It can be a machine (a bit like an ozone generator) or a chemical system such as a powder and or a tablet that is placed in water. 
To kill mold in a boat you simply place a shallow bowl in the galley sink with the proper amount of water recommended on the directions. Drop the tablet (about the size of a quarter) into the water. It takes about a minute to start generating Chlorine Dioxide. You can watch it from the cockpit as you close up the boat. It is a slightly yellow gas. Close the boat tight and go have a drink. (actually many drinks) Chlorine Dioxide works while you are away. Auto dealers use it to get the smell out of used cars. It takes just a few hours to do that. I just left it in my boat until I came back the following weekend. Odor gone, emptied the bowl. That was it. 
I wiped few places where I knew there was heavy mold to get rid of the dead stuff but no real scrubbing was needed. 
Chlorine Dioxide can't exist for long in the air. It quickly breaks down. Just open up a hatch or two and go have another drink. 
It's one job that really is not very hard to do.

Again, Watch this CNN Video. Boater Tech - Boat Smell Removal | Completely Eliminate Odors on Your Boat - Boater Tech It shows a restaurant in New Orleans being treated to remove mold after floods. They let the employees bring in personal items like clothing to be de-molded as well. No one was scrubbing anything.


----------



## Ritchard (Aug 15, 2011)

This sounds too good to be true. Westmarine sells a couple of Chlorine Dioxide products, anyone have any experience with them?


----------



## Sprite II (Dec 5, 2011)

*Any Results on Anti-Mold*

This thread is exactly what I'm dealing with. Thanks for the summary. From what I've read the tea tree oil is supposed to be a mold preventer/killer. I'm thinking of using one of these 4 products after a hand clean up.

Any experience with the tea tree ones being effective at this? Or Purafy?

And how LONG have you been using it? The mold seems to take about 2-3 months to become visible in the spring.

Thanks


----------



## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

We live on our boat and run an air purifier 24/7. It has a charcoal filter, HEPA filter, UV filter, ion generator and and ozone generator. The ozone runs on a separate timer and we run it for an hour or two when we are not on board. .....Zero odor.


----------



## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

boatpoker said:


> We live on our boat and run an air purifier 24/7. It has a charcoal filter, HEPA filter, UV filter, ion generator and and ozone generator. The ozone runs on a separate timer and we run it for an hour or two when we are not on board. .....Zero odor.


What brand and model? Sounds interesting.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 4 Beta


----------



## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

A small solar panel and a computer fan, hooked to the main battery, gives you the same thing as solar vents, at a much lower price


----------



## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Sun light works well. Empty the boat completely ( and I mean completely). Turn things over so all sides get sunlight and ventilation for a few hours Wash every surface you can touch with fresh water and vinegar of your boat and hard surface articles. Put it all together and drop some bilge cleaner and fresh water ( or just fresh and simple green or like agent) in bilge with your pumps turned off. Go sailing to weather and bash and splash it around. Drain and no smell at all unless you went Mexican for dinner last night.
Under looked issue on many boats is adequate ventilation. Spec'd louvers in all lockers and contained spaces. Have four dorades so air is moving even when "locked up". 
Also double plumped the heads of new boat for fresh and salt and went with the fancy no smell hoses. If salt used on passage then pump out then fill with fresh and pump out again. Different kind of bugs live in salt and they are smellier. Also better for the plumbing to use fresh.


----------



## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

Brent Swain said:


> A small solar panel and a computer fan, hooked to the main battery, gives you the same thing as solar vents, at a much lower price


Unfortunately that means running power to the vent. The self-powered nature of the Nicro Vents is a nice thing. At least in my case I'd have no way to hide the wire as it ran across the headliner to a vent.

But yeah, otherwise that's a really nice way to go. Just size the fan to use much less than your predicted solar power.

This year I removed absolutely everything from the boat over winter including all cushions, life vests bags etc. Basically anything soft that might absorb smell to get it out of the boat and let it air out for the whole off season.

Oh and I replaced the head and all plumbing and fixed 8 deck leaks....I'm definitely hoping for a fresher smelling boat this year.


----------



## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

One of the things I've noticed is the smell that comes from the sink and lavatory drains - almost the same as an overripe holding tank but not as powerful......I close the seacocks when I leave the boat, and apparently there is enough living material in the water left in the drain line above the seacock that it generates some aroma as it dies / decays. I've been making it a habit to put a few drops of Odorlos in the drains after I close the seacocks and and it takes away that smell. 

I still have the issue of constantly having 1-2" of water standing in the bilge and the funky smell that goes with that, though.


----------



## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

Andy,
Can you fix whatever is causing the water to pool in the bilge? Have you tried leaving the floorboards open when you leave? Also, have you tried pouring diluted vinegar into the sink?

I've installed solar fans in two different boats, and have been VERY happy with the results on both. I used the Nicoro on my C25, and I've put 2 Sunforce fans in the Allmand. The Sunforce is about half the cost of the Nicoro. I called a very large, well-known marine supplier who happens to sell both brands and asked about thei return/complaint rate for both, and they said that they don't get a lot of complaints or returns for either one. Other than the thrill of cutting a 4.5" hole or two in your deck, the install is pretty straightforward and easy. The increased airflow really helps dry things out quite a bit.


----------



## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

Jimgo - good idea about leaving the floor hatvch open when I'm not on the boat - I'll try that. There's never a lot of water, and I try to make it a habit to dry out the bilge when I leave the boat on Sunday afternoon. The water in my bilge comes from condensation on the refrigerator box, the drips from the stuffing box, and a few odds and ends leaks that I'm chasing (I think I am gaining ground on those and just have a few pieces of hardware left to re-bed).


----------



## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

miatapaul said:


> What brand and model? Sounds interesting.
> 
> Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 4 Beta


Sure you can get it elsewhere but we got it here


----------



## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Canberra Gel. We placed 2 containers in the boat over the winter and the smell is gone. We'll keep a continual supply open and airing. Even the Boss notice the lack of smell and thinks that it's amazing. And she's isn't impressed with _anything_! The gel attacks spores and is not a cover up. Amazing stuff. We're sold.


----------

