Fish Stink

oregon woodsmok · #1 07/25/13, 01:44 AM

I wonder if it is possible to get the smell of fish out of a boat.

I just discovered how cheap fishing trawlers are in Oregon. Fishing must not pay very well if people sell off their equipment for so little.

Anyway, these big sturdy ocean-going fishing boats are dirt cheap. I'm looking at them and thinking what a nice family cruiser they could be converted into. Sort of like buying an old school bus and converting it into an RV.

But I am not so sure about a vacation in a stateroom that smells like a 20 year accumulation of old fish guts.

rharper · #2 07/25/13, 06:29 AM

Wow ... that's a really interesting idea.

I don't have any answers to your question, but I would guess that you'd have to remove just about anything porous--wood, plastic, and the like--and strip it to the bare metal.

I've been told by a friend who was in the business (seasonal processing), that "fish" clothes are unwashable--the smell never goes away. He would just burn his work clothes at the end of the season (I suppose he could have just thrown them away, but burning seems so much more satisfying ...).

o&itw · #3 07/25/13, 06:46 AM

Inside rooms, if they can be closed off, can probably be freed of the smell by renting an ozone machine. It is a small machine, about the size of a carpet steamer. The use them in houses and buildings that have had a fire to take the smoke smell out, that will otherwise linger for years.

I think you can probably rent them at any of the larger rental stores. If not, try Service Master. They can tell you if they will take fish smell out or not.

Ernie · #4 07/25/13, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

I wonder if it is possible to get the smell of fish out of a boat.

I just discovered how cheap fishing trawlers are in Oregon. Fishing must not pay very well if people sell off their equipment for so little.

Anyway, these big sturdy ocean-going fishing boats are dirt cheap. I'm looking at them and thinking what a nice family cruiser they could be converted into. Sort of like buying an old school bus and converting it into an RV.

But I am not so sure about a vacation in a stateroom that smells like a 20 year accumulation of old fish guts.

Just make sure any cruises last longer than 5 days. It'll take you the first 3 days to get used to the smell.

PNWest · #5 07/25/13, 07:54 AM

Sounds interesting. Find out how much moorage fees would be, and insurance. If the motor or hydraulic system are bad, it would cost more than the boat is worth to repair.

I would guess if you could buy below salvage minus the cost of dismantling, you would be OK.

As to the smell, no.

bruceandis · #6 07/25/13, 09:24 AM

Kilz primer and paint, maybe? It does a pretty good job of covering the walls of land-based rooms that stink to high heaven and eliminating noxious odors.

||Downhome|| · #7 07/25/13, 09:32 AM

One reason they are cheap is they probably need to be dry docked and a lot of work done.
Ocean going boats take a lot of abuse from the environment.
Some also suffer poor construction, Which leads to Galvanic corrosion.
Thats only metal boats though.
Know why RV roofs develop leaks?
Galvanic corrosion!
Even Fresh water craft suffer.

So not poo pooing the Idea just pointing out you need to really check out those old boats and know what your buying.
many are just a hole in the water waiting for you to through your money into.

hippygirl · #8 07/25/13, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o&itw

Inside rooms, if they can be closed off, can probably be freed of the smell by renting an ozone machine. It is a small machine, about the size of a carpet steamer. The use them in houses and buildings that have had a fire to take the smoke smell out, that will otherwise linger for years.

I think you can probably rent them at any of the larger rental stores. If not, try Service Master. They can tell you if they will take fish smell out or not.

I used to manage a hotel and we used ozone machines to quickly convert a smoking room to a non-smoking room for a short term stay, but short of replacing all soft goods (drapes, bedding, mattresses, etc), carpet/padding, and disinfecting all porous surfaces, the effects lasted only a night or two. Contrary to how they're marketed, ozone machines primarily mask odors...if you don't completely remove/resolve the source of the odor, it "will" come back.

o&itw · #9 07/25/13, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hippygirl

I used to manage a hotel and we used ozone machines to quickly convert a smoking room to a non-smoking room for a short term stay, but short of replacing all soft goods (drapes, bedding, mattresses, etc), carpet/padding, and disinfecting all porous surfaces, the effects lasted only a night or two. Contrary to how they're marketed, ozone machines primarily mask odors...if you don't completely remove/resolve the source of the odor, it "will" come back.

I am talking a commercial machine that you would leave in there for a week.

Of course one would have to wash any drapes, and maybe replace mattresses

I have seen people try to get the smoke smell out of a burned house for years. The machine of which I am speaking will eliminate the smell for good, out of the woods floor cracks and crevasses. Of course one would need to wash and maybe replace things like drapes, carpet and mattresses.

Those things motels use are not even close to a commercial ionization machine like Service Master and some of the other restoration crews use. With the commercial machine, a person can not even enter the room until several hours after the machine is turned off, the amount of Ozone would do them major damage.

Sort of like using a weed eater when a bush-hog is needed.

Wolfy-hound · #10 07/25/13, 07:02 PM

Scrub it all with bleach, replace soft goods or remove and wash well. Use baking soda.

I commercial fished for the first two decades of my life. I often wore the same jeans to work the boat that I wore to school and with a good wash, there was no odor. Trust me, other kids would have mentioned it!

In a boat, plan on ripping out any carpet.

For many fishing boats, they sell obsolete boats when they upgrade. Many fisheries are charging so much for permits that it's hard to find profit in the fishing. Some fisheries have gone to fewer but larger boats. There's many reasons to sell a boat... but yes, first among them is an issue that costs more to fix than the boat is worth.

kasilofhome · #11 07/25/13, 07:21 PM

I am dashing right now but --we face this talk later/

kasilofhome · #12 07/25/13, 10:56 PM

This what we did for fish shacks --
Ok---clean with Oxy clean (gen) ==and put out damp rid. Come back at labor day--four weeks and store charcoal in them for the winter.

Clothes fish and week old hunting bloody grimy clothes.

soak in a tote --24 hour rinse soak with oxy 24 hour wash with lysol lemon --rinse extra --fabric softner dry.