Hollow Keel questions

adm1217 · Post by **adm1217** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:01 am

I'm new to this message board and a new owner for my 1975 F32. I bought the boat last July and have the terrible smell I've read so much about. It is only in the v berth and I can disguise the smell by just closing the door. I've read several posts about the hollow keel being the problem, but I want to make double sure that is the case before I go drilling any holes. And if anyone has any suggestions as to where I should drill the holes. I've already cleaned out the entire bottom of the boat and that did not help the smell. I was ready to replace the entire dirty water tank and lines as I thought that was the cause of the smell until I joined this message board. Any help/ pics would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Adam Nuetzel

Allen Sr · Post by **Allen Sr** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:07 am

Not sure where they put the holding tank on the F32 but my F36 its under the v berth. Had problem with odor in mine and found the vent hose busted at the tank. You guessed it what a mess. Check that also and there were other posts on here earlier about the hollow keels. Just do the search for hollow keels it will come up.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:26 am

To check if it is your holding tank hoses place a rag soaked in hot water on the hose and after 5/10 mins remove rag.... is that the smell?
Have you cleaned the area around the forward bilge pump? Sometime the crud collected there has a bad odour..... do you always have water in that forward bilge area? If so how clean is it? How often do you clear it with an auxilliary pump?

rvrrunner · Post by **rvrrunner** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:16 am

hoses to holding tanks do get permiated with the odor from the tank. changing out the hoses should help.

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:45 pm

The hollow keel under the step in the V-birth on my 75 F-32 has been opened up and a bilge pump installed in the bottom of the keel with the through hull fitting inside the stbd hanging locker 18 inches above the waterline.

gettaway · Post by **gettaway** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:04 pm

I have a 77 F32, had the same smell when we bought the boat last year, I replaced the holding tank hoses, head and vent hoses and cleaned the holding tank, it helped tremendously, however the smell had permeated everything, so I reupolstered anyting fabric, replaced the hull liner and scrubbed everything else with soft scrub with bleach or simple green. It's night and day, but the wife says she still smells it and cant stand the smell. I also stripped the teak and revarnished, that has helped a lot as well
I am now in the same quandry, drill a hole to see of water made its way to the hollow keel. I havent built up enough courage yet though!

randyp · Post by **randyp** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:24 pm

Gettaway I think you can open up that hollow keel and get it drained. That is the key to your whole problem. Take heart, grasshopper, others have gone before you and not sunk their boats. Not sure, but it seems that a lot of Trojans, regardless of model/size have that hollow keep. I went from a small hole to taking a keyhole saw and opening up about 50% of the area. Mounted an inlet hose to a small dc pump which lets me manually suck out the lower bilge. I'm in fresh water but it can build up to a smell over time. I can only imagine what salt water lying stagnant will smell like (actually I know, just trying to forget).

adm1217 · Post by **adm1217** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:30 pm

you guys wouldn't have any pictures of what you have drilled or cut out would you?

rmatt · Post by **rmatt** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:38 am

I had the same smell issue with my F32. It was a small crack in the fiberglass under the floor boards from the steps to the v berth. The fiberglass under the floor boards in not thick and the hollow keel is deep under that fiberglass. No chance of hitting anything with a drill. Just stay in the middle. As said before it can be sucked dry, deodorized and a small strip of glass cloth over the incision and the smell is gone. Well at least in my case.
Bob

randyp · Post by **randyp** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:59 am

I don't have pictures, and of course, mine is an F26 so the hollow keel area is not located the same as on F32s. But I'll be up in the barn next month to prep for launch and will try to get some shots. I really opened up the area "surgically" with a vibrating saw so now the whole area is exposed and very easy to pump out and clean on a regular basis.