Fish smell

[Joan and Jim]

A mink established a residence in the bow thruster compartment of my R31. Fortunately he was unable to access the main cabin. Unfortunately he brought with him a fish the leftovers of which rotted over a period of a couple of days. I have disposed of the carcass, scrubbed the space with Javex and put some Pine Sol and Bounce sheets in that space as well as the bilge in hopes that the mink be turned off by the smell and will seek a new home. The smell from the fish remains. I am told that Kanberra Gel can be effective. It is expensive. (The local chandlery price is $51.99 for 4 oz. Surprisingly it is $93.27 through Amazon.ca. Happily these prices are Cdn$ not USD's.) The on-line reviews for this product are pretty positive. I would be grateful for any comments on this product or other suggestions for dealing with the smell.
Also, I saw the mink leaving via the cockpit. I did not see how he made his way to the cockpit prior to leaving but assume it was through the interior of the boat below the cabin and through its entire length. Any thoughts on how it might have gained access to the interior of the boat? I have been keeping hatches and windows secured. I suspect that he gained access through an entry point in the cockpit but wonder where that might be and why he would have moved from there all the way forward to the bow thruster compartment. Perhaps he gained entry through a more forward access point. Any thoughts on blocking entry points or otherwise dissuading pests of this type from moving in are welcome.

 

[PetDrs]

As a practicing veterinarian we have to deal with some pretty rank smells. The product that we find works the best is AOE Animal Odor Eliminator. It is not expensive and you do not need a large quantity.

They have it on Amazon.com from a variety of vendors and you can get an 8oz bottle for under $6.00.

https://www.amazon.com/Thornell-AOE-S-A ... B000O5JUJ8

I sympathize with you and your mink problems. We have a large family of River Otters that live near our waterfront home and it is a constant battle to keep them from leaving nasty "deposits" and odorous presents everywhere. Otters do not like coffee grounds and spreading the coffee grounds around helps keep the Otters away without harming them, so that may help deter the mink as well. The smell of coffee grounds may not be ideal but it sure beats the alternative!!! 🙂

 

[NorthernFocus]

They can fit through a pretty small hole. Trying to plug up every potential point of entry is probably not feasible. Investing in a live trap would probably be more productive. Hey the upside is you don't have to worry about rats with a mink living aboard 😀

 

[Catch22]

You have cleaned the physical location that was evident. The remaining odor may just be residual or something hidden. Star Bride Nosguard SG is an airborne application of chlorine dioxide that comes in 10gram packets with several different labels . They are used by used car dealers and marinas for odor removal. There are fast release packets for immediate odor abatement and slow release for long term control. Try placing a couple in the closed space of cabin......ventilating before occupation is recommended.I have used them for mildew, cigarette and mouse odors...but not mink and fish. Mink musk by itself is quite something....add fish...wow...

Also, there is a liquid form of chlorine dioxide available to commercial use like nursing homes ,motels,restraunts, ect. ...dont know a source,though.

Best of luck.....