That Smell . . .

[JJD]

Originally Posted by Bash

I suspect your situation might be considered a special case. Especially given that most tugboats, ever since the days of coal-fired steam tugs, have been burning bunker fuel.

Which also stinks, in my opinion.

Most Tugs burn #2 oil some larger ones use MF180 Only large Ocean going Tugs use #6 ( Bunker Fuel ) To burn heavy fuel you need lots of steam to heat it which runs on #2 oil.

Worked on many Tugs and Ships most of my life.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by DevaDeb

I am new to the cruising world but I'm trying to give it my best shot...that diesel smell really makes me sick. What to do? Isn't there some means for making it less obtrusive? Or, will I get used to i?

There's been lots of how to reduce the smell and that should be the goal. On the other yes you do/will get used to it. Where I was on submarine duty I didn't realize just how bad it smelled; till I had been off it a few months and went to put on a ball cap that had been on it. Took a while to figure out what smelled so bad till I realized it was on my head.

[zeehag]

generally speaking, in a sailboat, if there is a stink of diesel anything,is due to break in line or d-some other rupture in the system. is not a normal occurance. tugs and such are different beastes and stink like all stinkpots do --is why they are called stinkpots.

[Dame.n.Jess]

We had to get the diesel smell out of a 40 year old yacht in order to allow my wife on (she has a health condition that is massively effected by diesel)

We found it had got into EVERYTHING, we stripped all of our interior out and cleaned it. we found coke cola was the best thing to loosen up really stubborn diesel fumes and the next stage was white vinegar and baking soda, then finished off with a gentle washing liquid. this saved us needing to replace everything. hard work but it got rid of the smell.

it was caused by a small leak that was never repaired.

hope this helps

heaps more info available if you want just PM me

[colemj]

OrangeGlo is excellent at removing diesel and its smells from everything including clothes.

Mark

[HRDC]

Oh that smell! And not Chanel 5 but diesel 5! To get rid of it is basicallly: clean, clean, clean. One neat trick: clean with a mix of fabric softener and water. And to keep some closed-in areas, like deep or out of easy reach lockers and, of course, those in the head compartment: same fabric softerner but in the form of sheets. And you even have a choice of "flavors"! Just replace once in while and voilà.

[gonesail]

if you are talking about the fuel smell .. it only takes a few drops in the engine room to stink up the boat. check all elements in the fuel line up to the high pressure pump. fix any leaks no matter how small. also check the fuel tank for leaks and make sure the inspection port is sealed.

[HopCar]

It can be very hard to get rid of Raw diesel smell. The first step would be to clean everything that might have diesel on it with a good degreaser. Formula 88 is cheap and effective. Don't forget the bilge. That should get rid of the smell from any old spills. If the smell comes back, you know you've got a leak.

[SabreKai]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

There's been lots of how to reduce the smell and that should be the goal. On the other yes you do/will get used to it. Where I was on submarine duty I didn't realize just how bad it smelled; till I had been off it a few months and went to put on a ball cap that had been on it. Took a while to figure out what smelled so bad till I realized it was on my head.

My dad served in U-boats during WWII, and he said the same thing. After coming back from a patrol of 60 days or more, they all found that the smell of fresh air was foreign to them and it took some time to get used to again.

The smell of diesel is annoying but keeping things clean and tight will help get rid of it. Washing up spills with detergent helps as well. My bilge has diesel in it, and I filled the bilge with detergent and water several times to get rid of the smell. They looked at me pretty funny when I brought in 40 gallons of soapy water with oil scum in it to be recycled/disposed of at the hazardous waste site. Had to do that 3x.

Sabre.

[Cheechako]

mmmm....nothing like the smell of diesel in the morning watching the sun rise....

[Unicorn Dreams]

Welcome aboard CF and enjoy..

[zeehag]

welcome to cf--i find my diesel smell goes away with showering and finding the damnable leak and fixint it..the rest dissipates..LOL

[SkiprJohn]

I guess each of us has a different tolerance to different smells in a sailing vessel. I like the smell of newly polished wood, a hint of diesel but don't care for the smells coming from the head holding tank. I remember the smell of a glass fishing float I picked up in the middle of the Pacific after it was stored in the cockpit locker for a few days. That didn't smell good but was a treasure anyway. Rotting lettuce and onions in the short hammocks near the galley were not pleasant smells but tasted good before they went bad. Fish in the cooler occasionally goes bad and smells that way and so do 3 week old eggs. Once identified and disposed of they don't seem so bad. Just remembering that if you smell a lot of diesel below means there is a leak or someone had just changed filters or the bilge is dirty. When you need the power to make port just remember that that diesel is a real blessing.
I truly do love the hint of diesel below decks in a sailing vessel.
kind regards,

[wingontherock]

Some years ago I recall a friend of mine once saying how much he liked the smell of diesel... (although his wife did NOT)...

... he said it smelled like money! (Even more so today
no doubt!!)

To each his own...

[Capn Morgan]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

I truly do love the hint of diesel below decks in a sailing vessel.
kind regards,

I'm with you. Thankfull for the stuff. I love the way the boat smells mingle and how unique they are. Engine room, cabins, galley, all add their bit. I love it when I get into the boat after two weeks away. It normally reassures me that all is well.

Not the time when the freezer packed up though...