Anyone Else Have a Major Problem with Diesel Fumes ?

[Mardav]

Like the others said, CO sounds like the culprit, but two other points:
1. Gasoline engines have a much higher CO output than diesels (hence all the warnings about gas generators and 'station wagon effect' on gassers) so you may not be better off with gas.
2. You don't know if the truck in question was running in tune (rich or lean) or had other emissions issues.

[zeehag]

the very smell of diesel will make ye puke. co will make ye dizzy. combined .. well////too bad the modern boats donot have the conveniences older ones do-- dorades ARE A BLESSING.

[u4ea32]

I am so amazed that boats so rarely have Dorades. Hatches, ports, and windows are great at a boat show, but useless at sea, in rain, and in bad weather generally.

[rebel heart]

I don't get even a sniff of the stuff on our double ender. The only time I smell diesel is burning it via the cabin heater, if I'm out on deck.

I have a motorcycle with the tailpipes exiting underneath the seat, right at the back. I never smell like gas fumes, but a friend with a different model bike with a similar pipe placement smells like a bin full of solvent rags after a trip. There's a lot to do with specific geometry and how that impacts flow.

I really agree with the lack of ventilation on most vessels. In good weather it's easy to do but in crap weather boats can become a shoebox with the lid ducktaped really easily. A cabin heather that vents outside is great for drying out the air and some dorade and day/night solar vents really help out too. We have a mushroom vent under the dodger that helps a bunch.

[cfarrar]

Could be psychosomatic. Sometimes diesel fumes make me queasy 'cause they remind be of fishing trips with my old man when I was a little kid. However, I love the smell of exhaust from high octane, leaded gasoline! Go figure.

[Tom52]

Get a Carbon Monoxide detector installed at once - this is vary dangerous on a boat - people die all the time at night with an engine or generator running - simple to buy and install.

[Dame.n.Jess]

Originally Posted by Bill E

This is not a new problem, I have always had problems with, for example, being stuck behind an old bus at a traffic light. But this last episode made me wonder why I was even thinking about trawlers. As knottybuoyz mentioned, I get the same reaction to solvents, some inks, new vinyl, etc. Just something I have to live with. Luckily I have no problem with gasoline fumes. GreatKetch, not snarky at all. I am thinking that a PDQ 36 Capella with twin gas outboards and an easily handled rig could be just right for us. I have not sailed in 25 years, but a flat sailing cat does not seem too scary. I had just gotten caught up in thinking about trawlers, as slow and steady suits me fine these days. Thanks to all for the replies. Bill

My Wife has been medically diagnosed with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) and your symptoms sound almost identical. We are refitting our yacht to cruise and had to remove the diesel inboard engine and carefully clean and detox the entire boat. We are now going electric. My wife wanted you to know that you can become more and more sensitive over time with low grade exposures. So eliminating as many toxins in your environment as possible really helps.

She is a real fan of Trawlers as well and our next boat is going to be a ex fishing trawler so we plan to fume proof and upgrade the diesel in order to make this a possibility. If you want the website of a VERY GOOD specialist private message me and we can pass on his details. (my wife has improved HEAPS since seeing him, ie; 2.5yrs ago almost died through chemical poisoning and now is well and strong enough to be training for ocean sailing)

As a general rule the medical profession at large are resisting acknowledging this health condition, but more and more research is starting to strongly back it up.

Best of luck, we hope your sensitivity does not stop you.

Damien & Jess

[CarinaPDX]

Motoring straight into the wind with the dodger up I get the station wagon effect, which doesn't usually bother me too much. Off Venezuela some years ago I became very sick amid strong chlorine fumes. I didn't have a clue what was happening. I learned later that my old Halon automatic extinguisher, which didn't have an electric switch on it, had gone off in the engine compartment. A diesel operates at a high enough pressure and temperature to break Halon down into component chlorine and fluorine gases, among other ugly things. So add two things to the to-do list: 1) make a way for the cockpit to ventilate so that exhaust gas doesn't come in over the transom, and 2) if there is an automatic extinguisher in the engine space then hook up the switch to an alarm or engine cut-off; if it doesn't have a switch then get rid of it; if there is no automatic extinguisher, well buy one...

I like the idea of a trawler with a high exhaust...

Greg

[jtimc7]

It sounds like MCS (multiple chemical sensivity) to me. A lot of folks (me among them) have this going on. For some reason those who are thusly afflicted are just more sensitive than the average to VOC's and chemical vapors in general. I've heard of some who say that being at sea helps the condition...

[Noname]

Don't know why people think diesel engines can't be shut off when parked????

[HopCar]

One of my customers is affected by diesel exhaust as you are. He loves fishing and is a very clever engineer. He has modified two boats so that the exhaust is released from above the tuna tower. It is so well done that you probably wouldn't know what you are looking at if someone didn't tell you. He sold the first one and now it is a charter boat out of Bahia Mar Ft. Lauderdale. Here is a link to the boats website: Fort Lauderdale Fishing, Ft Lauderdale Deep Sea Sport Fishing Charters

[Vyndance]

Originally Posted by HopCar

One of my customers is affected by diesel exhaust as you are. He loves fishing and is a very clever engineer. He has modified two boats so that the exhaust is released from above the tuna tower. It is so well done that you probably wouldn't know what you are looking at if someone didn't tell you. He sold the first one and now it is a charter boat out of Bahia Mar Ft. Lauderdale. Here is a link to the boats website: Fort Lauderdale Fishing, Ft Lauderdale Deep Sea Sport Fishing Charters

That...is really cool!

[zeehag]

i only smell mine when the wind comes from over my transom and engine runs.... otherwise is alll good , even inside cabin.....and i am extremely sensitive...diesel and other exhausts and fumes trigger my asthma....

[jtimc7]

I wonder if there are any boaters who run their diesels on cooking oil. Rudolph Diesel originally designed his engine to run on vegetable oils (peanut oil, to begin with.)

I occasionally run vegetable oil in my F-250.

Story out today about how Air France-KLM will begin using cooking oil in their jet engines in September 2011.

The emissions from a diesel engine burning vegetable oil smells a bit like french fries frying.

[zeehag]

and how often do ye have to degunk the3 engine whenye use that gunk? veggie oil DOES gunk up.....
cfarrar-- think again--psychosomatic is a bad excuse invented by certain souls unable to find the right answer.