In investigating a smell within the heads we had a probe in the void formed below the sink and wet locker (underneath the shower tray). Does anyone know if this void has any outlet as this is the suspected source of our smell? It seems strange if there is no other access as any water draining from items in the 'wet locker' behind the loo will end up here. Likewise any water arising from a leakage in either the loo or the sink. Has anyone else experienced a problem here? May also be the answer to an earlier correspondence re: smells.

Many thanks

Anne and Dennis Kell - Arenaria

What a coincidence! I recently had a look with a fiber optic camera to investigate this void for the same reason. I also wondered if moisture in this space could be the cause of the smell.

So my P335 #045 also has a smell in the head. I primarily suspected the old Vetus sanitary hoses. These have 5 year warranty to be odor free but our boats have all passed that period.

Perhaps gives sniffing at the drain near the shower tray a clue.

I read a similar issue on a cruiser forum. They used moist absorbing sacks to remove moist from beneath their wet locker. I’m going to give that a try. 6 bags that can absorb 0,5L each for €19.

I gave your question (and mine) a second thought last night. I think the void underneath the shower tray/heads floor must be limited by the keel case on the central side of the boat and the bulk heads front and aft of the heads.

On Surprise there is a drain plug in the floor next to the shower tray. Perhaps that is about the lowest point of the void. I had a look through this plug using my fiber optic camera (what a great piece of gear is that!!). It looks damp or moist by the look of the reflection. No suckable volume of water was seen. However I will have a close inspection this weekend. And as I mentioned, I will try to dry this void by dehumidifying bags. Perhaps that can be accelerated by blowing air into the drain plug.

I will give an update later on.

I had a second look with my fiber optic camera from multiple sides. From the drain plug side, from within the storage underneath the sink and downwards from the wet locker. All views showed very dry polyester. Mostly it was clean with some more debris from the storage compartment. That is of course an area where stuff can more easily fall when handled. The glinstering I mentioned before is just the bilge paint on the polyester. Even though I blow some air through (400L/hr) with an small electric airpump to judge if the heads become more smelly. It didn’t.

Another suggestion from a forum was to dampen a cloth in hot water (as hot as you can safely handle). Wrap the cloth around the suspected hose and let it cool. Remove and sniff the cloth. If the odor transfers to the cloth, the hoses are permeated and should be replaced.

Well … no smell was transferred to the cloth. So I haven’t advanced on the smelly heads issue yet.

This is a fascinating discussion for me. Whilst I have no smells on in the heads, I do have a sizable quantity of water in this void and have not been able to remove it. I have tried sucking it out with a pump, but to no avail.

I think this void is quite sizable. I have no idea why, and I would like to know why it exists at all.

If you want to see how much water is in it, go close hauled in a reasonable wind and open the locker under the sink. It's tricky to remove the water with a pump as I am always a bit short handed. But I like the idea of the moisture absorbing bags, and maybe I will try doing this when close hauled.

Mike

Hi Mike,

The moisture absorbent bags work surprisingly well even though the under shower void is almost dry on Surprise. I have two bags in the heads. One hangs in the wet locker space and one in the closet underneath the sink. Both are half full already in 1,5 week! I got these bags from Amazon.

18 months ago I thought I had lost my wristwatch down the gap into this void from the locker under the wash basin. Poking about with an endoscope from Amazon revealed this secret void under the floor, Although it seemed dry at the time it also seemed like a bad piece of design and a previous owner had tried blocking the gap with expanding foam. I doubt it would keep all moisture out so I simply cut a hole for a buoyancy hatch in the shelf by the shower well. I leave it open from time to time to get some airflow through. I've been having a bit of trouble attaching a photo but here goes...

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A good solution for those who need to drain excess water from the hidden void.