Stinky Bilge

[Mundaysj]

Hello,
I am a newbie to the group having recently bought a 1985 Compac 23.  It was sitting in a field for over a year with water in the bilge.  My question is this:  I replaced the hose for the bilge and manually pumped it dry.  But it still has a displeasing odor.  Is there some type of disinfectant that would be good?  Could I just pour some Lysol in the bilge and then pump it out?  (It is still on the trailer in my driveway.)
Thanks in advance for all suggestions!
Sherie

[Bob23]

Hi Sherie:
   My 23 also had a stinky bilge when I got her. Unfortunately, the manual bilge pump doesn't get all the water...you're gonna have to sponge it out. Yeah, I was grossed out too, but I survived it. I then mixed a weak bleach solution ( I hate the smell of Lysol and forbid it on my vessel) poured it in, rinsed, repeat. I also had to install a check valve on the bilge pump hose because it was letting a lot of the pumped water back in. Finally, I also intsalled an electric bilge pump beacuse I'm a firm believer in back-ups for everything.
   I bought my 1985 23 "Koinonia" from up in your neck of the woods- Fair Haven Marina, in Fair Haven on the Navesink in summer of 2006. Feel free to ask any questions. The owners on this site are knowledgable and helpful.
   Bob23 launching in 5/03!!!!!

[Mundaysj]

Thank You Bob! 
I might need a shot of Jack before sponging but I'll do it.  "Blond Ambition" does have a electric bilge pump but it is not working.  I guess I'll have to get a new one.  Or maybe it is just the fuse... I'll have to check that.  Little did I know that I would become an electician, a plumber, and a carpenter!  I can't wait to get her in the water (by the end of May) and be a Sailor! )
Thanks Again,
Sherie

[Bob23]

I suppose that  Jack would help...I used Gosslings Black Seal rum...works great! Sponging the bilge was indeed creepy...I didn't know what could be lurking down there but it was only stagnant water.
It's fun tinkering with the boats; "Koinonia" goes in this Sat., May 3rd. I have a lot to do before then. I wish I knew how to post photos here but I'm a bit techno-challenged.
Bob23 off to work

[Bob23]

Sherie:
PS. A few times a season I'll pour a few gallons of fresh water in the bilge, let the pumps do thier thing, and kind of flush things out.
Best of luck getting your boat, ah, yacht, together and in the water. Feel free to write with any questions and we'll be sure to provide honest, professional, answers. Or at least, try to make you laugh while not steering you too wrong!
Bob23, countin' down the days!

[Tim Gardner]

Here's what I do -

I go buy a quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide at CVS ~$2-3.00 max;  mix it with 3 quarts of water, add a little Dawn dish detergent, throw it into the bilge, go sailing for 4-6 hrs, then pump it out and rinse once; and voila, a clean and stink free (even gets rid of diesel smells) bilge w/o scrubbing.  All components are biodregradable and safe for marine life.

Rgds, TG

[Bob23]

Thanks,Tim.
   Yes, that would be much less toxic than bleach. I don't let the bleach solution enter the bay water. That gets done in the yard, before launch and emptied into the land head.
Bob23 smellin' sweet.

[Mundaysj]

Ok.  Hydrogen Peroxide it is!  (I also put a lilac car freshener in the cabin as a temporary fix)
Thanks,
Sherie

[Bob23]

Being a woodworker (or wood butcher depending on who you ask) I love the smell of different woods. Currently, I have a block of Atantic White Cedar in my truck. I should put some on "Koinonia" as an air freshener. Maybe stash a piece down in some of the lockers.
In other news, she goes in for her first swim on Saturday. Can't wait...I can taste the salt water now!
Bob23, almost done with THE list.

[Craig Weis]

I like most of the 'kill the order' ideas. I think bleach soaking and rinsing would work well.
To kill the bacteria odor a Ph of 4 or below works well so bleach is one way to do that. skip.

[curtisv]

Sherie,

I don't know if you've solved your stinky bilge problems, but if you haven't here are some suggestions.

I've had similar stinky situations with my CP23.  At one point I thought it was something related to head hoses or the tank but I wanted to rule out just a dirty bilge before pulling head hoses off or doing anything with the holding tank.

I didn't resort to any exotic chemistry in cleaning the bilge.  I used a household cleaner (Lysol, Mr. Clean, something like that) and a garden hose.  This was on land so no cleaners went into the water.  What apparently did the trick that time was getting the garden hose spray under the two tanks, the fresh water and holding tank.  Some small leaves had got in there and had been decaying under the tanks.  I have no idea how leaves go into that part of the bilge.  They might have been there since the boat was built and were quite decayed.

Since then I've only had a mild stink in the spring after the long slumber under the blue boat tarp.  I've mostly solved that by adding a pump to the head lines so I can manually pump out the tank.




At the end of the season I take a gargage can and put it under the through hull then pump a few buckets of water through the head itself.  Then add water into the tank via the deck pumpout on the deck.  Then I pump the tank out.  Add more water.  Pump out.  Then I bury a bucket of stinky water and rinse the garbage can out with the hose.  I also pump some antifreeze through the head and lines.  Last spring I didn't have much of a stink a the beginning of the season (which for me was quite late).

Curtis