Getting rid of new boat smell

[nickfabbri]

Does anyone have any idea how to get rid of the smell of new boats? I regularly leave all the hatches and vents open, but after 2 years the GRP smell still persists. In summer it is worse.

Many thanks.

 

[oldsaltoz]

The smell could be styrene gas released by new resin when curing, some of this gets trapped in cavities and may take some time to clear.

You may have noticed the smell gets stronger when you move around inside, this is because the gas id heaver than air, so opening hatches will do little to clear it.

You need to put a good size fan in the forward end facing aft with ony the forward hatch and companionway open and let 'er rip, pointing at the companionway.

Another method is to fix a small solar fan to a hose that ends at the lowest part of the hull at one end and into the cockpit or over the side at the other.

 

[NickHar]

A simple recipe...

Mix up approx 2 gallons in the following ratios... 10 parts water, 1 part engine oil, one part diesel, and throw in some old food & fish bait etc. for luck. Let it slop around your bilges... and hey presto - you end up with an authentic old boat smell instead.

 

[Evadne]

There are some odour neutralisers such as Neutradol which we've found work well in the vicinity of the heads and help keep other odours at bay.

On the other hand if you want to replace that "New boat" smell with a genuine "Old Boat" smell, tip a cup of diesel and half a cup of old engine oil into the bilges, and I can lend you some curtains to start your own black mildew culture. After that you'll never smell the styrene again!!

 

[Anthony]

Bottle it and sell it on ebay, most old boat owners would love their boats to have that new boat smell!



Ants

 

[flyingscampi]

I'll swap you for my MAB, you can then experience the heady delights of musty upholstery & diesel

 

[Spyro]

Mix up approx 2 gallons in the following ratios... 10 parts water, 1 part engine oil, one part diesel, and throw in some old food & fish bait etc. for luck. Let it slop around your bilges... and hey presto - you end up with an authentic old boat smell instead.

Brilliant

Another option is to bring it along to the next Clyde Scuttlebutt meet, you ask Full Circle to send up some port and stilton you then fill the saloon with a dozen or so friends and get them to drop some of the stilton into various hidden corners of the boat. Give it a few weeks and some summer sun and you never need worry about a new boat smell again.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I could lend you a couple of crew that should solve the problem within a couple of weekends

 

[aslabend]

Go and buy a pipe, a pack of old shag and sit in your boat puffing away till your gums bleed. Guaranteed that you'll never smell that new boat smell again.

Or could try some joss sticks.

 

[sarabande]

umm, I just wonder if there is a potential problem here ?

If the boat is =<2yrs old and still smelling of 'GRP', could there be some uncured layup, perhaps in the internal structures ?


Styrene is not the nicest of chemicals to inhale...

http://www.ejnet.org/plastics/polystyrene/styrene.html

 

[seanfoster]

Well I wish I had that 'problem'!