Wife gets sick with Diesel smell??

[Barney21]

If it is as previously suggested Fumes when running get the engine checked etc.
The exhaust underwater might work the easiest solution is to put a right angle copper extension on the exhaust to exit into the airstream as the boat moves put a flapper on the end ot the pipe to prevent any chance of water rushing up the pipe when reversing ,it shouldnt as the water is only passing the pipe exit in a different direction.
When the boat is travelling forward it causes a mild "Vortex" behind the transom which can pick up some fumes but the pipe exit into the airstream will fix that.

[Sailing4Jesus]

Originally Posted by Steffijune

We have a 28' Sabre and the smell of the Diesel makes my wife sick. I am exploring the idea of switching to a cat with an outboard or maybe electric motor in a monohulled boat. Anyone know of a catamaran (brand) with an outboard option. Thanks Doug

Shipmate, Eat More Butter Beans and your Smells will drown out the Diesel Fuel Smells. However, Your wife may throw you overboard though.

Good Luck, Senior Chief, U.S. Navy, Retired
Sailing4Jesus@gmail.com

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Puget Dan

My wife does too. We have a 38' Tristar Trimaran and had a custom exhaust made that has a 3" exhaust hose that goes up the rear shroud about 20 feet. We never smell diesel fumes even in reverse! image attached.

I think this thread is now mature enough to suffer a little drift...

I'm kinda curious about this novel exhaust system. Is it dry, or does the cooling water exit with the exhaust gasses, as in most yacht engines?

If wet, wouldn't the additional back pressure from having to lift the water some 20 feet be detrimental to a diesel's performance? Or am I missing something here?

Jim

[a64pilot]

Has to have a water separator like some generators do, then of course it’s dry, just like some generators.
I’m trying an extension hose on my exhaust myself, not for the smell really, but I am getting tired of scrubbing the greasy smile off of the rear end of our boat

I’d love to find a rubber 2.5” flapper valve, but just about given up, it seems I cant find one, and they have to exist don’t they?

[a64pilot]

You would have to Cool the exhaust to run it through a rubber hose, but after it’s cooled, separate the water.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Unburned Diesel or Diesel exhaust?
If exhaust you could put a hose on the exhaust and have it discharge underwater, or avoid downwind motoring.
If you do the hose thing, know it needs to come off when motor is shut down, cooling exhaust gasses could pull a vacuum and pull water to the motor, not very likely, but it could happen.

Or just put an outboard on it? Outboards work on Mono’s as well as Multi’s?

If he has the usual waterlift muffler exhaust system, there should be a vented loop to prevent back-siphoning.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

I tell ya - I hate the smell of a diesel engine running. I don't know how anyone can stand it. I'm surprised the issue is not more widespread.

Of course, it probably proves I'm just an oddball. Tell your wife I agree though.

Although I'm a sailor at heart, entering a port after a day of hard sailing, or in a calm at sea there are few things in boating world more satisfying and comforting than the sound and smell of a well tuned and cared-for (leak-free) diesel engine with a water-lift exhaust. But I must be the oddball.

[Barney21]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Has to have a water separator like some generators do, then of course it’s dry, just like some generators.
I’m trying an extension hose on my exhaust myself, not for the smell really, but I am getting tired of scrubbing the greasy smile off of the rear end of our boat

I’d love to find a rubber 2.5” flapper valve, but just about given up, it seems I cant find one, and they have to exist don’t they?

You could easily make one . All you need is a bit of mudflap rubber a stainless steel piano hinge cut the rubber to size , cut the piano hinge to about say 1" lengths use 3 of them , then you dont need to bend the hinge, attach to rubber and your new copper 2,1/2 copper pipe from your friendly plumber supplies
It doesnt need to come wrapped in plastic in a nice little box!
There are a dozen different ways to do the job!

[thruska]

Aside from the diesel fumes....
If you switch to a gasoline outboard, what are the possibilities of a negative odor and fumes issue with that nasty gasoline outboard ?
Food for thought ?
Good luck!
I had a friend with a Gemini. It had two 40 hp outboards on an erector set kind of frame. He bought it that way. No longer like that but I would have liked to have seen that in action ....

[RaymondR]

All one would need is a T after the exhaust passes through the transom with the down leg extended into the water a way and the up leg extending high enough to carry the fumes above cockpit height. After the two phase exhaust fume/cooling water entered the T the water would fall down and the fumes pass up. You could put the radome out the front of one of the stacks and antennas on the other, or fly a couple of flags.

[danielamartindm]

Originally Posted by Steffijune

We have a 28' Sabre and the smell of the Diesel makes my wife sick. I am exploring the idea of switching to a cat with an outboard or maybe electric motor in a monohulled boat. Anyone know of a catamaran (brand) with an outboard option. Thanks Doug

Just my take, but it might be simpler to address the smell of diesel fuel in your existing vessel. Are the bilges spotless clean? Where is the smell of diesel coming from? It's a common trigger for sea sickness, but the system is closed. Find the leak in it, and you'll help your wife. If her issues stem from simple exhaust fumes above deck (which happens), the easy fix is for her to remain below while motoring. I think that diesel fumes are much less problematic, or dangerous, than gasoline ones.

[mowerandy]

aha - another excellent thread (and I thought we peaked with the "rich jerks" one)

Might I just say, if for no other reason than to make a noise, that I love the smell of raw diesel, and find exhaust fumes aren't too bad either. Two-stroke fumes will make me puke in no time however...

Once upon a time, on a calm but heaving sea, I was feeling a little green so took a detour along the base of some tall cliffs to distract myself, rather than standing off at a safe distance. Prolly shoulda dipped the diesel tank before doing that (or not done that at all...) because I ran out of fuel in a rather diabolical position. I now know exactly how fast I can unload a can of diesel into the tank and bleed the fuel line (pretty darn fast)! Bleeding the line involved sucking hard on the engine end of the fuel hose, in the process of which I got the inevitable mouthful of raw diesel, some of which went down the hatch, so to speak. The engine started right away and I escaped with just a few metres to spare, but the interesting thing was that my seasickness was gone, and I liked the smell of diesel even more. Had never tasted it before, but yeah - not bad....

Some might say that it was the adrenaline that did the trick, but I reckon it was gargling diesel that did it.

PS; if your heads or holding tank leaks, then your wife wont notice the smell of diesel so much. Mould, mildew and dead rodents also make good cover

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by waterman46

If he has the usual waterlift muffler exhaust system, there should be a vented loop to prevent back-siphoning.

The vented loop is on the water side only, if you stick the exhaust under water, the vented loop is not connected to the exhaust and won’t break the siphon.

[Copacabana]

A simple solution might be to just switch to biodiesel, provided you can get real biodiesel in your area (not just old fryer oil). No more diesel smell when underway!

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

The vented loop is on the water side only, if you stick the exhaust under water, the vented loop is not connected to the exhaust and won’t break the siphon.

Au contraire!

The vented loop on the water side that is between the heat exchanger and exhaust will prevent the exhaust from developing low pressure as well. There may be a slight vacuum developed between the outlet and the water lift, but the space between the water lift and the mixing elbow is unable to pull a vacuum with the siphon break in the water line.