Stinky Teak Treatment ?

[deano]

Boat odor that I can't ID, but seems strongest inside teak lockers. Clothes come out with the smell and still smell after washing. It's like the car B.O. on Seinfeld! It is not the head, it is not the bilge, it is the wood. A close nose finds the strongest smell from the inside surfaces of wood lockers throughout boat, with no identifiable moisture intrusion, just nice clean-looking but stinky wood. Does teak oil degenerate or feed smelly lifeforms? The boat is left at the dock with a/c on to dehumidify, and sometimes with an ozone generator, neither of which cure the problem.

I am going to try a bleach wash of a cabinet interior, followed by a varnish or some other type of sealant. Any similar experiences or ideas, with the various advertised odor-fighters would be very much appreciated.

[captain465]

If it is a petroleum like odor, it may be that someone used a "cheap" teak oil to treat the inside of the cabinets. It might also be that you have mold growing between the wood and hull surface.