My boat smells like celery?

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Unclematt

Unclematt

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2020
Messages
324
Location
United States
Vessel Name
Seaview
Vessel Make
Sundowner 32
I arrived home from completing the loop this past Sunday. For the last year of live aboard I have never had any odors. I keep the boat clean. All I did is take the laundry and trash off the boat which is a frequent chore. When I went aboard later that day it had this smell like celery. I sniffed and sniffed and have no idea why or where it is coming from. I have put bilge cleaner in the shower sump and bilge just to try something. Anyone ever hear of this? Thanks
 
Not sure what celery smells like but how are your batteries?

Congrats on your loop!

EDIT: have you checked your batteries to make sure one or more are not failing. Not hot and/or bulging?
 
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Interesting, I'll follow this thread not so much because I am curious for the cause and solution but more because you are going to get some professional strength ribbing about it.

Peggy will probably offer the only real solution. Let's hope she doesn't solve your problem too quickly before we get a little humor out of it.

pete
 
I can not wrap my mind around what celery smells like. Do you have another description?

I know once I chased a new odor problem for a week before I realized it was coming from outside.
 
I've never known celery-not even the bunch that died in my fridge when tornadoes took power out for almost a week last month (but missed my neighborhood, thank God!)--to have an odor. I don't think it's even organic. My money's on a battery or something else electrical.


--Peggie
 
The celery smell reminds me of celery salt. I would call it a spicy smell then. So I went into the areas where my batteries are and there is no odor at all. I have nine 1-1/2 year old all AGM batteries on the boat. The smell is in the entire living space. Not from cabinets where I keep my spices or the sinks, the mechanical areas or the bilge. I spent the afternoon washing the hull with the doors and windows open and will go back tonight for another sniffing. My wife has a nose for smells and will be with me. I will keep you posted.
 
Maybe cut back on the bloody Mary's? [emoji6]
 
45 minutes searching the internet for "source of odor that mimics celery seed" brought up this CHICORY FURANONE 5% PG It is soluble in water, and in most organic solvents and is used as an artificial flavoring and in essential oils and candles. Here 's the link to a company who who should be able to tell you what it's in that's on your boat. 'm guessing it was a recent purchase.

https://www.ulprospector.com/en/na/Food/Detail/4907/372392/Chicory-Furanone-5-PG-Synthetic-2096


--Peggie
 
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I never had that or anything like it on the boat. I did the trip solo and I had not provisioned since Hampton VA. Even though I had no odor where the batteries are I shut the charger off just to see. I just finished a 6200 mile trip so to me it is just weird that an hour after I docked the odor appeared. I know I will find it eventually.
 
What does celery smell like anyway?

pete
 
I would take a celery aroma over a lot of other possible boat smells.
 
Maybe you had a stroke and it affected your sense of smell. Just kidding, I hope.
 
Did you buy anything made from bamboo? Blanket,pillow, lamp etc?
 
10 minutes after I am on board, I am ‘nose blind’.
 
OldDan1943 said:
10 minutes after I am on board, I am ‘nose blind’.
Click to expand...

Me too. Thank gawd.:lol: My wife is one of those very acute "super-tasters". I've always regarded it as a curse.
 
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The thing is nothing new was brought on the boat for weeks as I travelled up the east coast. Nobody got on the boat once I arrived. Very strange indeed. Today my wife and I are going out for the afternoon hoping to meet up with my son and his wife for early dinner. I will have them come on and see if they have any ideas.
 
Unclematt said:
The thing is nothing new was brought on the boat for weeks as I travelled up the east coast. Nobody got on the boat once I arrived. Very strange indeed. Today my wife and I are going out for the afternoon hoping to meet up with my son and his wife for early dinner. I will have them come on and see if they have any ideas.
Click to expand...

And ..........
 
sh*t, we've been caught.

We've all been secretly sneaking aboard and making Bloody Mary cocktails.
 
Has anything found a new storage spot? Like something not typically left out in the sun now baked with direct exposure to sunlight? Might cause some materials to off-gas. Likewise any candles, lotions, soaps, sunblock or other creams that might have been brought aboard and leaked, or rubbed off on surfaces.
 
I am docked at my friends dock. We live in a nice neighborhood with no business near by. The smell appeared within a few hours of my docking. I had the doors closed and nobody went onboard it is very odd. At this point I think my boat misses me and wants to continue cruising. I know after a year of cruising I miss the liveaboard life.
 
Unclematt said:
I am docked at my friends dock. We live in a nice neighborhood with no business near by. The smell appeared within a few hours of my docking. I had the doors closed and nobody went onboard it is very odd.
Click to expand...

Anything nearby in bloom or kicking out a lot of pollen? And your toilets, are they raw or fresh water? As in, when you flush, do they use on-board water or pull up water from the sea.
 
Check for a propane leak if you are so equipped as well.
 
How about organic growth in the air conditioning evaporator? Happens in cars if not dried out regularly.
 
So far all suggestions have not been the source. I think maybe the chain in the locker is a possibility. After airing out the salon for several days I noticed the smell was stronger in the vee berth, by the time I opened the chain locker my sense of smell was failing me. I will check again once I can get back aboard.
 
Unclematt said:
I arrived home from completing the loop this past Sunday. For the last year of live aboard I have never had any odors. I keep the boat clean. All I did is take the laundry and trash off the boat which is a frequent chore. When I went aboard later that day it had this smell like celery. I sniffed and sniffed and have no idea why or where it is coming from. I have put bilge cleaner in the shower sump and bilge just to try something. Anyone ever hear of this? Thanks
Click to expand...
Celery smell is no problem. But if you smell any vegetable in the Cruciferae, call Mayday.
 
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