Help - super funky smell

[Capt Clark]

Damage,

How’s the progress with the smell?

I have spent the last 20 years working on boats and found your post very interesting. Years ago I had a customer with a 42 foot Cruisers Yacht that always had a funky smell. It wasn’t a head, mold, mildew, stinky water, or diesel smell but just an unpleasant ODD smell. The smell never went away but the customer finally did. A few years go by and I have a new customer with a different 42 Cruisers. The first time in the boat and it’s déjà vu. It’s a unique smell that I have only experienced on these 2 boats. Sorry that I can’t provide you with any solutions but just an observation. Please keep us posted.

Capt Clark

[Damage]

Sorry, we've been eyeball deep in working on this...

Ozone did not help on the boat, nor did deep cleaning the holding tank and bilge.

Figured we'd try a more concentrated ozone method on the cabinet and all interior wood parts we brought home, so I made a "tent" of heavy duty drop cloth, and ran the thing wide open for 3 straight days and nights...no help.

We finally gave up and gutted the boat interior to the gel coat and raw wood (ceiling). Painted every surface possible with primer. Sealed and repainted all wood parts from galley, cabinets, etc. Stripped the seats (ALL molded under the vinyl), re-up holstering them. Put in PVC planks for the ceiling, and replacing every interior surface.

EVERY part of the interior had mold and/or mildew growing where your eyes couldn't see at a glance. Every port light was leaking under the padded vinyl on the walls, as were 6 of the bow rail bolts. Had to fix all of that too.

We are about 30% done with the rebuild...I estimate another 2 months to finish, at best.

If it sank where it sits, I think I would throw a party.

So yeah, that's about how it's going right now...

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Damage

Sorry, we've been eyeball deep in working on this...

Ozone did not help on the boat, nor did deep cleaning the holding tank and bilge.

Figured we'd try a more concentrated ozone method on the cabinet and all interior wood parts we brought home, so I made a "tent" of heavy duty drop cloth, and ran the thing wide open for 3 straight days and nights...no help.

We finally gave up and gutted the boat interior to the gel coat and raw wood (ceiling). Painted every surface possible with primer. Sealed and repainted all wood parts from galley, cabinets, etc. Stripped the seats (ALL molded under the vinyl), re-up holstering them. Put in PVC planks for the ceiling, and replacing every interior surface.

EVERY part of the interior had mold and/or mildew growing where your eyes couldn't see at a glance. Every port light was leaking under the padded vinyl on the walls, as were 6 of the bow rail bolts. Had to fix all of that too.

We are about 30% done with the rebuild...I estimate another 2 months to finish, at best.

If it sank where it sits, I think I would throw a party.

So yeah, that's about how it's going right now...

I read this, nodding the whole way.

I’ve just gutted the interior of my boat, back to a bare hull, and one of the reasons was that diesel had permeated much of the timber at cabin sole level and lower, thanks to a lapse of concentration by the previous owner. He attempted to pump 500 litres of diesel into the 60 litre day tank. You can imagine how that ended.

Anyway, it’s been two years for me now, and I’m at the pleasant stage of doing the cosmetic layer. At times I felt despondent and wondered if I’d ever get it done, but now I am mighty glad I persevered.

Hang on there, you’ll look around some day soon and realise you are on the home straight, and it will be a very good moment.

[Ranger58]

* Anchor Locker- empty and clean it out- clean the chain occasionally
* Hoses to Head
* Fresh Water Hoses flush 'em out
* Drains from fridge, shower, sinks- drains can be tough because whatever you flush down them doesn't stay- block the thru hull so the cleaner can stay
* Vinegar kills a lot
* Don't use bleach
* Dry out the bilge, clean it, flush it, repeat it- Just adding chemicals to sour water won't do much
* cushions ight have absorbed some
* Its not the wood, but maybe a surveyor can tell you if you've got water in the core

[Piha]

I have similar problems on my Hallberg Rassy Monsun 31 from 1978. As well mostly inside plastic things and anything that’s been left on the boat. Have tried everything from vinegar to chlorine to ozone to removal of headliners, clove oil, baking soda, febreeze and so on.

But what puzzles me the most is that I can not smell it on the boat. Not even when I am close to the boat. I bring my toolbox with me from home in the car that smells so strong like it and arrive at yard, open the trunk - remove the toolbox without having been on boat yet and cannot smell the smell anymore.

How can that be? Am I tripping?