Found the smell

[wkearney99]

There has been an odd smell in the forward cabin. Not mildew/mold though. Sort of like an animal had gotten into the vents?

Our EB47 had a fair bit of electrical work done this past winter. Part of which included moving some batteries around, including ones for the bow thruster and windlass.

While I was rummaging around in various lockers, bilges and the like, I caught sight of the spill. It was in a hard to see spot. But clearly visible when I slid both drawers out. So now I've set about mopping it up (probably about 3 oz) and trying to get every last bit of it cleaned up.

I'm guessing in the process of the battery work 'someone' managed to knock loose the reservoir bottle that oils our bow thruster. It's in a bracket on the frame under the forward berth. A box that must have been 'in the way' of the battery work got smushed into that space and knocked the bottle loose.

It has an odd smell. not like the typical smell of differential or transfer case gear oil. More like a wintergreen/cat piss combination (but not really like brake fluid). Thus my initial thought of it being an animal problem.

I consulted the usual Peggy threads and found her recommendation for Pet Ayre spray. I also found what seems like a decent micro-atomizer fogger for it. I didn't get the marine variant of the spray, as it was going to take longer to ship. The pet variety apparently has a lesser percentage of the 'enzymes' than the marine version. So I'll just use more, I guess.

The sprayer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SB4GWMH/
The odor eliminator: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002T1ENG

I'll update in a week or so to see if the deodorizing spray has helped.

 

[HeadMistress]

The name of the product I recommend is actually PureAyre, I've found the household version works just fine for most boat projects and costs less than marine. However, for any version of it to work, it's necessary to thoroughly clean every surface, nook and cranny the spill got onto first. If you didn't do that, it won't 'cuz you can never eliminate any odor unless you first eliminate the source...the source will just create new odor.

A pump up garden sprayer works just well or even better than an electric sprayer, doesn't need batteries or a power source--pump the handle a few times and it's "recharged" immediately--and costs a lot less. Plus, I'm not sure that an "atomizer" doesn't put out too fine a spray for this use.

--Peggie

 

[wkearney99]

Yes, that's the product I've used. I did clean up all the oil first, and then rinsed the area after. I then reapplied the PureAyre. Now, a day later, I can't really smell it anymore. Though the real proof will come after being off the boat for a few days.

The fogger spray is pretty fine and did seem to apply the product pretty well. But that was onto adjacent surfaces that had not had the oil spilled onto them directly. It was inexpensive and hardly larger than the size of one of the spray bottles. I don't plan to keep it onboard permanently.
I used the sprayer on the bottle to reapply to the spilled area (after it was thoroughly cleaned/rinsed).