Whitby Keel Fuel Tank Issue

[janetc]

Our keel fuel tank in our 1979 Whitby 42 is out of commission as I'm sure it is on most (or all) Whitbys. We are having a hard time dealing with smell from it. We have drained it and replaced it with fresh water and bleach (a few times) as we thought it would be good to have the ballast. It works for a while but smells when we get into heavier seas. Any solutions or ideas out there?

[ohdrinkboy]

I remember Peggy Hall swearing by the below link:
Odor eliminator PureAyre eliminates cat, pet, smoke, skunk, cigars, gasoline, cooking and musty odors.

I believe she said it worked for fuel smells.

[janetc]

Thanks, however I guess we really don't want to just handle the smells but deal with the source. I guess bilge water is seeping into the keel tank and eventually goes foul. Maybe there is a good way to seal the tank?