Odor Eater

[Comodave]

Why not do a proper job cleaning and then get airflow into the boat? Why make chemicals to get rid of the odors instead of just doing a good job cleaning?

 

[rgano]

Why not do a proper job cleaning and then get airflow into the boat? Why make chemicals to get rid of the odors instead of just doing a good job cleaning?

Airflow down here means the introduction of HUMID air and the resulting mold. Better down here in the soupy south to stay closed up with some form of dehumidification running. The surveyor who checked my wooden GB over the years brought an apprentice with him the last time the boat was surveyed before sale. As he entered the cabin, he looked at his trainee and told him that he would be smelling no stale or wood rot typical odors on this particular boat. Lots of bilge crawling over the years with rags and cleanser and anti-rot borate solution in a spray bottle earned the boat that reputation.

 

[FF]

No matter how clean the bilge is there can still be" boat smell".

Much comes from any piece of wood that might be buried , spacer , stringer whatever that has some dry rot.

The ozone generated in a power plant (megawatt) will eventually do harm to some types of rubber , but a tiny unit will not being the ozone levels high enough to do damage
. Boats are seldom sealed tight enough for a plug in unit to matter..

An old wooden boat will take the longest to clear , most plastic boats only need an O'night once or twice a year.

 

[bayview]

In addition to doing everything peggy talks about. I do not have dripless stuffing boxes, so I have to treat my bilge water consistantly or the dead microorganisms smell. I built two soap dispensers with time clocks set to release soap once a day into the bilge. I have simple green in one and diluted bleach and water in the other.

Bud

Just use the gore dripless packing and that problem goes away.

 

[bayview]

IMO keep the bilge clean and dry and there will not be odors in a FG boat. Anything else is just snake oil.

 

[firehoser75]

Can't find a reference to Formula B anywhere online (lots of racing car stuff and quadratic equations, though). Any suggestions? Pete
------------------------------------------------------------

Pete,

Here is a link to the Practical Sailor article.
https://www.practical-sailor.com/bo...p+Mildew+Away&utm_campaign=WIR20201108-Mildew


I hope it works.

 

[Comodave]

In addition to doing everything peggy talks about. I do not have dripless stuffing boxes, so I have to treat my bilge water consistantly or the dead microorganisms smell. I built two soap dispensers with time clocks set to release soap once a day into the bilge. I have simple green in one and diluted bleach and water in the other.

Bud

We use Duramax packing and it doesn’t drip in our conventional stuffing box. We just repacked one last winter and they need to drip for breakin period of 5 to 10 hours but with the virus we didn’t get enough hours last summer. This winter I am going to rebuild the other stuffing box while I have that engine out. So next summer I will have to get them both adjusted.

 

[Bud]

So you have a device that leaves you with a bilge full of soapy water for the bilge pumps to dispose of. Would you just add detergent and bleach to water in your kitchen sink, pull the plug and expect to have a clean sink without rinsing? So WHY would you expect to do essentially the same thing and expect to have a clean bilge????? Of course not! Ya gotta rinse out--THOROUGHLY rinse out--all the soapy water out of your bilges on a regular basis. And stop using bleach...it's corrosive and damaging to rubber....It has no place anywhere on a boat!



--Peggie

Peggy you are right. Sloth is getting the better of me or I would rather build something than clean! I sure like the smile on my wife’s face when she goes down in the focisile and smells the simple green. Happy Thanksgiving, the forum and you are on my gratitude list for the help I have received.

Bud

 

[BobH]

Our boat is in the Galveston Bay area which is synonymous with humidity. In the summer we keep one A/C unit running set at 82-84 degrees. In the colder months we run a dehumidifier to keep the humidity at bay.

 

[Seevee]

If one keeps the boat in the warm humid southern regions, odors, mildew, musty smells are the norm. Unless one is really aggressive about fighting it.


Would totally agree with Peggy, cleanliness is the first line of defense. And, as others have mentioned, air flow and dehumidification is a second.


Also, cleaning is constant. I find myself wiping down even the simple things, like the counter, sides, furniture, etc., etc..... all the time.



I've also found that a dehumidifier works wonders..... even a small one, if the cabin is reasonably sealed. And if one had the dehumidifier feature on the AC unit, great. And even running the AC helps. Ya still want a bit of airflow, but often that outside air is 80% saturated.


It's just part of a boaters life.

 

[garmstro55]

Peggie recommends PureAyre in her book, and that's good enough for me! I use it a lot and and does work!

Odor eliminator PureAyre eliminates cat, pet, smoke, skunk, cigars, gasoline, cooking and musty odors

 

[Sabre602]

Yeah, I have no interest in "pink over stink."

I've posted elsewhere about what I've done with my boats, as was posted by another above. Draw in air at one end, eject it at the other. I use small boxer fans, similar to what cools electronic equipment. Very low amperage draw. The bonus is that, when you add a heat source such as a ceramic disc heater or oil-filled radiator, the cool, dry outside air drawn into the boat picks up a lot of moisture as it warms, and the moisture is ejected at the other end with the warmed air.

The boat is therefore essentially odor-free and with NO mold or mildew problems.

 

[OldDan1943]

I have 3 12vt compartment fans in the saloon and 2 in the stateroom.
This year, I added a custom over-kill hood over the stove with 12vt fan, on a rheostat. I dont shut the fan off. It is super quiet at slow speed and it exhausts outside on the upper deck.
When I leave the boat for a couple of months, I clean the strainer and leave one A/C running, set about mid 80s.
Even w/o the range hood, when I returned, no problems.

 

[GFC]

"Stale" air has to have a source, prob'ly more than one. Air fresheners are just masking it. Find and eliminate the source(s), find a way to create a means of circulating fresh air, and you won't need them.

--Peggie

Peggy, the stale air comes from leaving the boat all closed up. There are no air leaks so no sources of "clean" air to replace the stale air. It's like if you went on a vacation for a few weeks and came back home to find the house filled with staie air.

We live in a desert so I don't want any fresh air circulating inside the boat when we're not here. I would come back to find the interior of the boat covered with dust particles. That's the reason why we use fabric seat covers on all the seating areas and the helm when we're not on the boat. I can shake the dust out of the covers a lot easier than I can wash all the seating areas.

So I use the air fresheners on the boat when we're not around. When we return to the boat it's clean inside and it smells nice.

BTW, I searched the internet and couldn't find any info on those air fresheners being toxic.

Do you happen to have a source that I could go to to read up on it?

 

[OldDan1943]

BTW, I searched the internet and couldn't find any info on those air fresheners being toxic.

Do you happen to have a source that I could go to to read up on it?

Do an internet search for MSDS then search on the brand you use.

Took me 10 mins to dig that out of my memory. LOL

Try....
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3514.html

 

[FlyWright]

I used to have that issue until I did 2 things:

1. Reduce humidity by finding and stopping the bilge water source(s) and installing Eva-Dry dehumidifier.

2. Use NoFlex (or equivalent) in holding tank/hoses and occasionally in bilge water to clean and oxygenate the environment.

 

[AlaskaProf]

I used to have that issue until I did 2 things:

1. Reduce humidity by finding and stopping the bilge water source(s) and installing Eva-Dry dehumidifier.

2. Use NoFlex (or equivalent) in holding tank/hoses and occasionally in bilge water to clean and oxygenate the environment.

Hmmm I do use Noflex in the sani-tank. Never thought about the bilge. Thanx.

 

[GFC]

Do an internet search for MSDS then search on the brand you use.

Took me 10 mins to dig that out of my memory. LOL

Try....
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3514.html

Dan, thanks for the link. It only got me to the aerosol versions of room deodorizers but I couldn't find any for the plug in models.

I did find a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the plug in versions. But, like the ones for the aerosol products there is a bolded area at the top:
https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=946897

"This SDS is designed for workplace employees, emergency personnel and for other conditions and situations where there is greater potential for large-scale or prolonged exposure, in accordance with the requirements of
USDOL Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

This SDS is not applicable for consumer use of our products. For consumer use, all precautionary and first aid language is provided on the product label in accordance with the applicable government regulations, and shown in Section 15 of this SDS."

So I'll take those two bolded areas as the government saying that there isn't enough hazard to warrant warning consumers. C'mon man, we all know the government wouldn't lie to us, right????

Kinda what I figured, so I think I'll keep using them. I've lived 74 years without worrying about minutiae like that. I figure if you've been in the military, hunted, camped, hiked in wildnerness areas, etc. you don't get too upset by minutiae, and this issue falls firmly in that category.

 

[Captankirk]

I had the same issue with my 411 when I first purchased, although no urine or petroleum smell, just a "boat" smell.
Put some fans in the saloon and staterooms, along with the "Damp Rid" buckets, and all better.
I think it's just an accumulation of old humid air and the changing of temperature from day to night. moving air and removing moisture seem to do the trick.

 

[Baker]

I had the same issue with my 411...

Good to have a fellow 411 owner on here.

I am lucky enough to have a boat that has a fairly dry bilge. I do get some minor amounts of water when it rains. I think it comes through the hatch drains. But bottom line, mostly dry.

I am also a firm believer in dehumidifiers. For whatever reason, the dehumidifier modes on reverse cycle AC units do not do the trick. A small proper one does the trick. It also keeps the boat a little warmer during the winter months. I also run block heaters in the colder months. About to go down and turn them on for the first time this year. NoFlex in the holding tanks as well. My GF is an odor freak. And it passes her test. I struggled on the Carver since I was always chasing an oil leak. I found it on the survey when selling it and it was a simple thing....but kinda pissed me off that I was unable to find it forever.

Also, I have used ozone generator in small doses. They work but realize you are still just covering an odor.

 

[stubones99]

I would try a four pack of Ozium and see how they work.
If you need to change the air inside the boat and solar isn't a good option, check out a fletnor vent, powered by the wind to draw out air in the boat. No power needed, just mount it where it can get airflow across the top of the fletnor turbine.
https://www.flettner.co.uk/products/flettner-2000/

 

[alvasurg]

Odor eater

Sailors swear by Kanberra Gel. I havent had the need to use it but do a little research on it. Good Luck!

 

[AlaskaProf]

I would try a four pack of Ozium and see how they work.
If you need to change the air inside the boat and solar isn't a good option, check out a fletnor vent, powered by the wind to draw out air in the boat. No power needed, just mount it where it can get airflow across the top of the fletnor turbine.
https://www.flettner.co.uk/products/flettner-2000/

WOW! I think I need a Fletner. As long as I've owned this boat, I've wanted better ventilation for my shower stall. I'm talking about a vertical installation, that is, not overhead; anyone with actual experience?

 

[bayview]

Hard to believe that this is still being debated. Would anyone be surprised in their house smelled if water, fuel, mold were allowed to remain?

There are boats with clean dry bilges and those that smell, your choice.

 

[ghost]

I’ve lost almost all of my sense of smell. You would think that means that smells don’t bother me, but you would be wrong. I’ve got about 10% on a good day and usually half that.

What bothers me? Air fresheners. Gives me a headache, drives me nuts. I can’t ignore them and either destroy them or leave, can’t tolerate them. My wife will think she can sneak one in and that I won’t know. Nope! I’m like a bloodhound with those things, it’s like immediate hate. That and any other artificial strong fragrance. People think that they mask other obnoxious smells are kidding themselves. You simply have so much sensory overload that you choose to ignore everything else, especially after you have gotten used to the smells. Like the old fabreeze commercials, it’s only you who doesn’t smell it. Anyone new immediately does, air freshener or not.

 

[Baker]

I’ve lost almost all of my sense of smell. You would think that means that smells don’t bother me, but you would be wrong. I’ve got about 10% on a good day and usually half that.

What bothers me? Air fresheners. Gives me a headache, drives me nuts. I can’t ignore them and either destroy them or leave, can’t tolerate them. My wife will think she can sneak one in and that I won’t know. Nope! I’m like a bloodhound with those things, it’s like immediate hate. That and any other artificial strong fragrance. People think that they mask other obnoxious smells are kidding themselves. You simply have so much sensory overload that you choose to ignore everything else, especially after you have gotten used to the smells. Like the old fabreeze commercials, it’s only you who doesn’t smell it. Anyone new immediately does, air freshener or not.

THis is so friggin funy because I feel the exact same way and go through the same battles with my woman. I will very occasionally approve of a mild candle. But plug-in air fresheners go straight to the trash!!!

 

[stubones99]

The Admiral lost her smell in a boating accident in her 20's. can't smell anything. She still burns scented candles and plug-ins. Some things you just got to go with... Pick your battles.

As far as Fletnor ventilators, they are on just about EVERY service truck in Europe, but for some reason have not made the leap across the Atlantic. I've seen a few here in the U.S. and there is a US distributor. As long as there is horizontal wind flow, it will spin the outside turbine, and that spins the inside fan to evacuate the inside area. On service vans, they recommend adding a bottom vent hole for fresh air coming in.
For Marine applications, they recommend this model: https://www.flettner.co.uk/products/flettner-tcx-2/

US dealers:
https://www.inlad.com/brands/roof-vents-by-flettner/
www.austinhardware.com
Address : Missouri, Lees Summit, MO 64086, USA

 

[stubones99]

I’ve lost almost all of my sense of smell. You would think that means that smells don’t bother me, but you would be wrong. I’ve got about 10% on a good day and usually half that.

What bothers me? Air fresheners. Gives me a headache, drives me nuts. I can’t ignore them and either destroy them or leave, can’t tolerate them. My wife will think she can sneak one in and that I won’t know. Nope! I’m like a bloodhound with those things, it’s like immediate hate. That and any other artificial strong fragrance. People think that they mask other obnoxious smells are kidding themselves. You simply have so much sensory overload that you choose to ignore everything else, especially after you have gotten used to the smells. Like the old fabreeze commercials, it’s only you who doesn’t smell it. Anyone new immediately does, air freshener or not.

Ozium does not smell much if any. I can't smell it and it tends to help eat odors. Drying out the boat would help, Dehumifying the interior would help, and changing the air occasionally would help.

I don't like plugin stink bombs. Best to fix the problem rather than sugar coat it with some flowery stinky fragrence.

 

[Baker]

Ozium does not smell much if any. I can't smell it and it tends to help eat odors. Drying out the boat would help, Dehumifying the interior would help, and changing the air occasionally would help.

I don't like plugin stink bombs. Best to fix the problem rather than sugar coat it with some flowery stinky fragrence.

Ozium is HIDEOUS!!!! BUT....I think all of our senses are tuned differently. Some people can eat heaps of garlic....some cannot stand it. Red onions absolutely destroy me.....but I have seen people gobble them down. Anyway, when it comes to "aromatic" things, we are all wired differently. And Ozium makes me want to HURL!!!!