Chemical smell in ski locker and slime under drain hole

[brianhayes]

Hello all, I have searched and searched for something on this, but I think I do not know what I am searching for..<br /><br />I just purchased a Celebrity 190 and all in all everthing seems to be o.k.<br /><br />I noticed a odd smell in the boat similar to a gas/oil (kinda) smell and the guy I purchased the boat from said that the boat just needed cleaning..<br /><br />Well, I cleaned the boat inside and out and I finally found where this smell is coming from.<br /><br />The ski locker (in middle of seats) there is a drail hole where this smell is coming from and when I investigated (finger into hole) I felt a slimy substance that is brown..<br /><br />1) What the heck is this?<br />2) How do I deal with it? short of cutting out the ski locker floor?<br /><br />FYI... The wood in boat is still good in respect to being sturdy and sound and I have not found any root. But, I am assuming this slime under the ski locker floor is the begining of some type of root.<br /><br />TIA<br /><br />Brian Hayes

 

[Elk Chaser]

Re: Chemical smell in ski locker and slime under drain hole

Sounds like it is either mold or oily sludge or both. You can pour a little bleach in the hole (cap full) and then pour some full strength degreaser like Simple Green (a quart should do it) then drive it around the block a few times to splash it around. Set the trailer up to get the bow as high as possible then flush it out with a hose. The drain hole further to the stern is more than likely clogged up and the cleaners and hose hopefully will clear this up.<br /><br />The bleach wil kill nearly anything alive and the degreaser should break up any oil making it easier to drain it out. <br /><br />Once you have it cleaned up, keep the trailer up as high as possible and put a bucket under the stern drain hole. Pour about a gallon of water in the ski locker drain hole and watch to make sure that near the same amount of water comes out at the stern. This will tell you if you have a draining problem or not.<br /><br />The guy before you more than likely did not raise the bow when storing the boat, this should be done nearly every time after the boat has been in the water and when stored for long periods of time. The bow just needs to be high enough so that the entire keel of the hull is at an angle toward the back.

 

[brianhayes]

Re: Chemical smell in ski locker and slime under drain hole

Thanks... I pulled the fuel tank deck off and WOW... relized that this boat is an all wood stringer system in it with a coating of resin over it. And everything under it is saturated with water... On top of doing what you say above, I need to figure a way to dry out that wood....<br /><br />Also,<br />=Will the bleach hurt the wood?

 

[brianhayes]

Re: Chemical smell in ski locker and slime under drain hole

And the back of the ski locker is directly attached to the fuel cell (odd), so the floor of the ski locker is just that a floor with nothing under it but the hull of the boat..<br /><br />Should be easy to flush out.<br /><br />Thanks for the reply.<br /><br />Brian Hayes

 

[brianhayes]

Re: Chemical smell in ski locker and slime under drain hole

I just noticed something NOT GOOD.<br /><br />Where the floor(deck) is joined to the stringers, it has pulled apart.. I do not see any rot however, but the wood looks like plan old ply covered with blueish gell coat on top (covered with carpet) and nothing on bottom, same stuff in the transome area.<br /><br />Same with stringers nothing much in fiberglass short of just enough to hold them to hull..<br /><br />Looks like a project is on the way.<br /><br /><br />Does anyone know about the quality of these boats? or am I lucky the thing was in salt water?<br /><br />Considering salt water doesn't cause rot, but now I'm on a fresh water lake, I think I should worry..<br /><br />Thoughts / Recomendations?<br /><br />TIA<br /><br />Brian Hayes

 

[crab bait]

Re: Chemical smell in ski locker and slime under drain hole

have you been ski'n in the delaware river ,again.. ..

 

[brianhayes]

Re: Chemical smell in ski locker and slime under drain hole

Funny, I know that river and would never go near it.<br /><br />Actually, I just purchased this boat from a shady dealer and is my second purchase from him. He specializes in boats that previous owners did not take care of there boats.<br /><br />In this case, I belive I got a little lucky as the engine/IO are is relative shape (good compresioin, no smoke and a little rust due to salt water), interior was a blackish / tan color but still flexable with no tears (I cleaned for two days and now tan again , to the point of looking new), hull is in perfect shap w/ no major nicks/scratches<br /><br />The floor however has started pulling up due to water near the back seat and thanks to the ideas above I pulled out the seats, fuel cover, etc.. and noticed that rot has started but in a small part of floor and stringer on right side due to sitting out side for two years.<br /><br />So, I descided to replace the floor, and add fiberglass reinvorsent to the stringers and clean out that under side of the ski locker once the fule tank is out.<br /><br />Funny thing, after you restore a good boat (four Winns) gone bad you notice things that should be that are not, on a not so good boat (my celebrity).<br /><br />But for the rest of this season (a month to go) I will be on Lake Norman , NC.<br /><br />Brian Hayes