Teak wood - oil smell

The admiral hates this smell. Every trawler we looked at had this smell. Is there a way to reduce or eliminate using some other product?

Are you sure it's not the fiberglas? That smell lingers long after construction.

Yes, buy a Condo near were the Admrial wants

If it is from the teak oils they are most likely linseed or tong. Have her sniff each in the hardware store and see if either one is the one she is smelling on new boats. Does she prefer one or the other. It is not really necessary to oil teak but it does make it look better.

meridian said:

Are you sure it's not the fiberglas? That smell lingers long after construction.

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This is from our new to us boat which is 29 years old.

Well if the boat is 29 years old she may be smelling something else.

Bu if the wood is oiled and that is what she is smelling, then you could seal up the wood with a one part poly finish.

windmill29130 said:

The admiral hates this smell. Every trawler we looked at had this smell. Is there a way to reduce or eliminate using some other product?

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Get a bottle of Orange Glo and see how she feels about it. We stopped using teak oil many years ago and boy do we have teak!..........

Interesting. I've never before been aware of teak smelling like oil. Cedar has a distinct smell, but teak? Do others find that it smells?

Is it possible the boats smell of diesel? That seems very probably on older boats.

Is it possible the admiral isn't fond of boating?

Linseed and Tong oil contain linolenic acids which do not smell like diesel and/ or typical oil products. They do smell like wood putty, linoleum, and some caulking products. You should be able to tell if your teak has been treated with these type of coatings (most are).

rochepoint said:

Get a bottle of Orange Glo and see how she feels about it. We stopped using teak oil many years ago and boy do we have teak!..........

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Looks like you and I are in the same boat so to speak. We'll give that a try and see what happens.

markpierce said:

Is it possible the admiral isn't fond of boating?

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We have been boating for over 10 years, this is just our first trawler/boat with teak in the entire interior.

ulysses said:

Linseed and Tong oil contain linolenic acids which do not smell like diesel and/ or typical oil products. They do smell like wood putty, linoleum, and some caulking products. You should be able to tell if your teak has been treated with these type of coatings (most are).

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When we were shopping for boats, every trawler we looked at had the same smell. Don't think it is diesel. Smell is most prominent after the boat has been closed for a while and goes down or she gets used to after being opened/aired out.

sounds more like mold/mildew as these trawlers have lots of dead space in them...some are lockers, some aren't ant it's the rare older trawler that's both water tight and condensation resistant.

rochepoint said:

Get a bottle of Orange Glo and see how she feels about it. We stopped using teak oil many years ago and boy do we have teak!..........

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That's beautiful but I would hate to do your maintenance.

rochepoint said:

Get a bottle of Orange Glo and see how she feels about it. We stopped using teak oil many years ago and boy do we have teak!..........

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Like you, we give an annual coat of a similar product called Pledge Revitalizing Oil. It cleans and oils, leaving a clean, orange smell.

sounds like too many boats smelling the same for it to be teak oil. More likely moldy wet bilges, far more common that a fresh coat of teak oil.

Sounds like there is nothing left to do other than scan the smell and post it so we can determine the cause.

Sounds more like Mildew, though I admit to not having the best sniffer.

Also, while I have used orange glow in a pinch occasionally, be careful as those kinds of products work so well because they also leave a buildup of something like acrylic. I would not use it often lest you discover the need for ammonia stripping which is not fun. In general, anything that works easily is leaving behind something that eventually causes you problems. Same goes for, uh, never mind.

twistedtree said:

Interesting. I've never before been aware of teak smelling like oil. Cedar has a distinct smell, but teak? Do others find that it smells?

Is it possible the boats smell of diesel? That seems very probably on older boats.

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Raw teak has a very distinct smell. But it fades fairly quickly. I seriously doubt the smell she is complaining about is raw teak but what ever the teak has been coated with.

rochepoint said:

Get a bottle of Orange Glo and see how she feels about it. We stopped using teak oil many years ago and boy do we have teak!..........

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Your teak doesn't look oiled at all. It looks varnished or urethaned in that picture.

The pledge and the Orange Glo are both made from orange oil which certainly smells better than the linseed or tong oils. Personally I have no problem with seeing the teak without any of those products and I am not sure if any actually protect the teak or lengthen teak's lasting qualities. I am sure they all enhance the "look" and clean.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Your teak doesn't look oiled at all. It looks varnished or urethaned in that picture.

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Yes it is coated by the factory in 1985 but we use the Orange Glo to clean it and freshen it up. Have a few items (racks, stands, new trim and holders) that I have made over the years, they blend right in.....

rochepoint said:

Yes it is coated by the factory in 1985 but we use the Orange Glo to clean it and freshen it up. Have a few items (racks, stands, new trim and holders) that I have made over the years, they blend right in.....

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It all looks very good in that photo, congrats on keeping it up so nicely.

Yes, the interior looked great. Only not enough coke storage (soft drink).

ulysses said:

Yes, the interior looked great. Only not enough coke storage (soft drink).

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Thats only because my buddies haven't found the rum locker yet........

My experience with interior teak is a bit limited, but all that I have seen is not oiled, but polyurethaned (or some similar product). Once cured, which is clearly would be on any boat post delivery, I don't think they small at all.

I still wonder whether the teak is the source of the smell.

I'm in the "not the teak" camp. I suggest cleaning the bilge first and see if the problem is solved or diminished. I use simple green diluted in a pail of water and throw that in the bilge, go for a ride then rinse it out. Good luck, smells are a nuisance for sure but most boats have one at some point in time for various reasons, all curable IMHO.

Most boats stop smelling when they are used regularly and opened up more...the alternative is a good ventilation setup when gone.

Try smelling some raw teak that has never been on a boat. Maybe it's not the teak . Raw teak does have it's on smell . It's not that bad to me but I like teak. It's very strong when machining it .