Stinky boat - Resolved

[Rosco]

My boat has a residual diesel smell from two leaks which I repaired a couple of months ago. The bilge was cleaned and somehow the soft material retained the diesel stink. Finally, I bought an Ozone Generator from Vevor and yesterday put it to work for 90 minutes. Presto. No smell at all. $50 well spent. My wife may come sailing now. Next days smells like a new boat. Super happy!

I hope this helps.

 

[Frank Langer]

My boat has a residual diesel smell from two leaks which I repaired a couple of months ago. The bilge was cleaned and somehow the soft material retained the diesel stink. Finally, I bought an Ozone Generator from Vevor and yesterday put it to work for 90 minutes. Presto. No smell at all. $50 well spent. My wife may come sailing now. Next days smells like a new boat. Super happy!

I hope this helps.

I'm glad you got your problem solved. However, I have heard that ozone can harm rubber. I don't know if that would be the case with short term use like yours, but if someone reading this is considering longer term ozone use to combat diesel, head or other odours, it might be a problem for the rubber bellows on a packless shaft seal or rubber washers and seals in other parts. Maybe someone can confirm or dispel...
Frank

 

[Dave G.]

It is an issue and should be monitored closely. My advice would be to avoid any long term use of a ozone generator. Attached is a cart that shows the affects on different materials and rubber is extremely sensitive to ozone. Maybe try some Fabreze fabric freshener ?

https://www.oxidationtech.com/blog/materials-ozone-resistance-chart/

 

[Rosco]

Great feedback, the impact from exposure to Ozone is seemingly 24 hrs or more. The rubber, according to literature, becomes hard and can lead to a breakdown of the material. I physically squeezed all hoses and PSS Dripless and all are supple. My 90 minutes, could have been 20 minutes given the square footage, in a well ventilated small space is well worth it. I tried scented cover ups but wanted it addressed as ozone had fixed our Dog smell permanently in our car... That was 30 minute exposure. Read the instructions allow for air flow and one hour or so worked great.
I will say that Odoban is amazing as well. Resolved much of the odour but I wanted a clean smell on all the softs such as cushions and hards like floors and walls etc. Odoban is very inexpensive, superior to masking scents and is at Home Depot etc. Use both and you have a fresh smell.

 

[Christian Williams]

An ozone generator removed all smell from the boat in one day. Caution of course, but they really do work.

 

[bigd14]

Would wrapping the PSS bellows with a plastic bag and blue tape or something prevent any potential ozone damage? Or does ozone pass through those materials. Maybe tinfoil and tape?

 

[Rosco]

I am of the view that an hour of ozone is not hurting anything. My Helly Hanson rain jacket is pure soft rubber, was 2 feet away and elevated...soft as it was when new. The generator is the size of a toaster and not an industrial machine at all.

 

[Kenneth K]

My wife may come sailing now.

Good luck with the, "Sorry about the diesel smell honey, but it's bad for the o-rings," conversation.

 

[Rosco]

Good luck with the, "Sorry about the diesel smell honey, but it's bad for the o-rings," conversation.

True so annoying to go sailing alone...sort of.

 

[bigd14]

My other option would be to take the cushions home and ozone treat them in the garage.

 

[Loren Beach]

I have always found solace in the successful efforts of the Bowerbird ( https://www.birdspot.co.uk/bird-behaviour/the-beautiful-nests-of-the-bowerbirds ) to build a nest to attract a mate.

If you want a happy spouse/mate/SO, make sure that the boat interior is clean and odor free, like -hopefully - your land home.
Even when your Admiral enjoys being on the water and being under sail, it's the "ambience" of the interior that makes them want to stay for days on board, or even one night.

BTW, when we bought our fixer-upper boat several decades ago, we did use an ozone generator on the interior, cautiously. It helped a lot to subdue the moldy smell, but the only permanent solution was removing all the cushions and then bleach-cleaning under every (!) interior part to get the mold off the hull/bilge. I did try laundering the cushions several time, but the foam was shot thru with black mold and we threw the foam away.

After multiple washings we saved the $$$$ cushion covers, however, and that was the important part. (The OEM foam had thoroughly flattened out anyway.)

Best of Luck to the OP, this IS a winnable battle.

 

[Rosco]

I have always found solace in the successful efforts of the Bowerbird ( https://www.birdspot.co.uk/bird-behaviour/the-beautiful-nests-of-the-bowerbirds ) to build a nest to attract a mate.

If you want a happy spouse/mate/SO, make sure that the boat interior is clean and odor free, like -hopefully - your land home.
Even when your Admiral enjoys being on the water and being under sail, it's the "ambience" of the interior that makes them want to stay for days on board, or even one night.

BTW, when we bought our fixer-upper boat several decades ago, we did use an ozone generator on the interior, cautiously. It helped a lot to subdue the moldy smell, but the only permanent solution was removing all the cushions and then bleach-cleaning under every (!) interior part to get the mold off the hull/bilge. I did try laundering the cushions several time, but the foam was shot thru with black mold and we threw the foam away.

After multiple washings we saved the $$$$ cushion covers, however, and that was the important part. (The OEM foam had thoroughly flattened out anyway.)

Best of Luck to the OP, this IS a winnable battle.

I only wanted and got a great smelling yacht. I won.

 

[C. Shamis]

How has it held up long term? We’re about to embark on this journey ourselves on our 33’. We’re cleaning everything, repainting all the lockers, recommissioning new cushions and foam. Taking out a third mortgage, replacing the black water hoses…

but if that can buy us a little time…

 

[frick]

When my fuel tanked started leaking. After its replacement and good scrubbing, I turned off the bilge pump then dumped about a quart of Fabreze in the bilge, added some water. Went for a nice day sail and let Fabreze roll around for the day. It removed ALL the diesel stink

 

[toddster]

I've lived on board long enough that I guess I probably smell like the boat myself and don't notice anything. After something spills, I do tend to pour dish soap into the bilge and scrub down the pathway back to the spill. Oh, and of course take all the bilge water to a hazardous waste collection site. As far as you know.

Back before I retired, I did have an ozone generator that I used mainly in the garage. Just occasionally. (Due mainly to two male cats literally having a long-running pissing match feud.) It did work.

 

[C. Shamis]

I have poured a few shots of Pine-Sol in the bilge and let it slosh around for a while then when back at the dock, hose in fresh… rinse and repeat.