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Old 05-05-2013, 08:06 PM   #16
Island Sunset
Veteran Member
 
City: Oak Harbor, WA
Vessel Name: Island Sunset
Vessel Model: Cheoy Lee 46' LRC 1983
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moonfish View Post
It stinks! About two weeks ago, we started to notice a rotten egg smell on our Cheoy Lee 46. The smell is basically confined belowdecks in the aft cabin and aft staircase landing area. It's not the hot water, nor the cold water, either. Running both anywhere on the boat gives off no odor. And the smell is not in the adjacent engine room.

We noticed the odor about the time we pumped out (which is every two weeks). Neither the aft or fwd head smell, though. And the holding tank is located under the floor in the fwd cabin. No smell there, either.

The best possible source we can so far identify is when we lift the floor hatch in the aft staircase landing just outside the aft cabin and engine room doors. The aft fuel tank access plate is there, and the smell seems to be the strongest at that point. It's a 220 gallon tank that feeds the day tank for the two diesel heaters. There isn't any apparent fuel leaking, as the tanks are made of fiberglass and integral to the keel. There is no way to sound that tank (we can sound the 620 gallon fwd fuel tank), but I am surmising the aft tank may be close to empty.

Can a mostly empty diesel fuel tank give off a rotten egg smell - outside of the tank? My wife put her super sensitive nose at both the aft tank vent line and the deck fill, and all she can smell is a normal "diesel odor".

Oh, and the odor seems to ebb and flow in strength. Some days it is really strong, and others less noticeable. Any ideas? Thanks!
Darren,

Not sure if this will help, but worth checking out. On your Pacific NW Boater site, you featured a Rescue Tape application where you fixed an exhaust water leak, inboard
The transom. We experienced the same issue on our CL 46, on the port side. The water drains under the aft cabin berth, and surrounds the rear fuel tank. Had to use an 8' extension on my wet vac to get all the water out. And, I did find water under the hatch right outside the engine room door. Stale, salt water can smell very bad. Might be worth using a flashlight to peer into the dark space under the rear cabin.

Will be looking out for our sistership, Traveler, this summer.

Good luck,

Mark
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