[Public-List] Ventilation of engine space (smelly cabin)

Gordon Laco mainstay at csolve.net
Mon Dec 13 13:15:10 PST 2010


Hi Greg - 

I was just in San Diego a couple of weeks ago - you have a lovely harbour to
sail out of.

AYLA probably once had those 3" vent hoses running to the engine
compartment;  one had a blower of the type you mention below on it and the
other was for passive intake.

I'd guess that when your boat had a diesel installed the old ventilation
system was cleared out as it was reckoned superfluous. Some parts of your
engine will get really hot and smells are not unusual particularly if
something is leaking onto something hot.   There is no reason for those
vents to ventilate the lazarettes - I'd guess that the hoses were cut there
so their servicing of those compartments is accidental.

When the engine is running at higher speeds the air it takes in and exhausts
makes it a pretty powerful air pump so there should be pretty good air flow;
your comment that the engine was idling would support the theory that a
smell was getting into the boat because the engine was not drawing enough
air to make a negative pressure pulling air into the compartment.

We have found the because the engine's hot side is right up against the
partition forming a wall of the ice box, we should take steps to make the
compartment cooler.  I have added a vent in the front face of the cockpit to
let cool air be drawn in directly to the engine (and increased the
insulation on the ice box partition)

You probably don't need the blower but it wouldn't hurt and it might even
help keep the compartment cooler.

Sorry this is so long!  Winter has hit here and I am facing working on TOUCH
WOOD in near freezing temperatures.... Much nicer to think and write about a
hot engine compartment in San Diego...

Gord #426




On 13/12/10 3:51 PM, "gregr at nethere.com" <gregr at nethere.com> wrote:

> I had Ayla out idling about the harbor last night to watch the annual Parade
> of Lights here in San Diego and there was a noticeable engine smell down
> below. It doesn't seem like an exhaust leak. She has a Yanmar 2GM.
> 
> Ayla is a preliner boat and there is no ventilation of the engine
> compartment that I can see. There are two scoops on the aft deck with ~3"
> hose led to the port and starboard lazerettes. The aft lazerette doesn't
> have any ventilation either.
> 
> I'm thinking about:
>  1. Remove the hose for the port lazerette.
>  2. Install a 12V squirrel cage fan between the aft and port lazerettes.
>  3. Add some 2" to 3" holes connecting the port lazerette to the engine
> space.
>  4. Add some 2" to 3" holes connecting the starboard lazerette to the engine
>     space.
> Ideally this would draw air in from one of the scoops, circulate it through
> the lockers and engine compartment, and exhaust it out the other scoop.
> 
> How have other folks solved this problem?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Greg
> 
> S/V Ayla
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