Ten years ago, my wife and I decided to purchase a beautiful Carver 396. Probably a little large for our first boat, but it worked out well. We loved the boat and took great care of her. Shortly after our purchase, we got a “Nauti-Odor” in our cabin. Even though we took great measures to ensure our boat was thoroughly cleaned and spotless. That pungent odor was still there. I spent a complete summer reading boating forums trying to resolve the issue. The only thing I resolved is the knowledge that it comes with the territory.
Boating forums typically gave me the same checklist;
- Mold and Mildew due to lack of cleaning
- Bilge Odors
- Sanitation – plumbing and head system issues
- Fuel Leaks
- Battery or Electrical Problems
Those were not any of my issues. I continued to dive deeper. I found out larger vessels are prone to these pungent odors. I also knew that owners of these size boats typically were individuals who took great care of their vessels. So, then I looked for a common source. The common denominator was that larger boats rely heavily on multiple marine A/C units running constantly to combat high heat and humidity. When the A/C’s are running the following conditions occur:
- Moisture: As the A/C units pull gallons of water out of the humid air, moisture collects in the A/C condensate pan beneath the evaporator coils.
- Stagnate Water Creating Bacteria, Mold & Mildew: Because the boat is constantly pitching and rolling, these pans rarely drain completely. Standing water mixes with dust, dander, and other airborne contaminates which form a thick slime and bacterial, mold and mildew odors.
- Direct Distribution: Since your A/C system pulls air directly past this pan, the foul, musty odor is actively blown straight into enclosed staterooms and living spaces.
Now that I figured out the source of the odor, I needed a solution to eliminate it. There is more than enough work to be done on the boat every week, the solution had to be easy to apply.
Most products I tried either masked or absorbed the odor. And some items were very costly, corrosive or released chemical smells in an enclosed cabin. None of these met my criteria. My mantra is “Eliminate the Odor-Don’t Mask It”.
I continued to research to find a product that proactively and safely solved marine odors. My solution is “Fresh Tabs”. If you place 2 or more tablets weekly into the A/C condensate pan, it will eliminate the odors created by the moisture collecting in the A/C units drip pans and proactively keep your boat smelling fresh. Go to our website at boatfreshllc.com to learn more.