Boat Engine

The Issue

Howard Senior’s dream boat was complete. It was beautiful, but the boat engine was loud. In order to fully enjoy his beautiful boat, the owner came to Acoustical Solutions looking for ways to quiet the twin diesel engines that powered the hand-crafted boat.

The Challenge

It started as a dream—years of experience coming together to create art. Handmade construction and a fiberglass gel coach, Howard’s boat was displayed at a Boat Builders exhibit at the Mariners Museum while being constructed. Unquestionably, precise attention to detail was applied bow to stern.

This masterfully created watercraft was powered by twin caterpillar diesel engines. The boat engines propelled the boat to 30 knots. As a result, it was very powerful, but also very loud. At average running speed, the noise of the engine compartment was 100 dbA.

The Solution

Acoustical Solutions supplied Class 1 Fire Rated PrivacyShield^® Dual-Sided Absorptive Soundproofing Blanket to line the walls of the engine room. The Sound Barrier and blankets have a combined STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating of 29.

The Result

After Acoustical Solutions treated the vessel, the pilothouse sound level was down from 100 dbA to 68 dbA. For comparison, that’s within 5 dbA’s of the interior sound level of a Lexus GS-which according to Car & Driver, is the quietest cabin level for a car. Not bad for twin caterpillar diesel engines.

This boat is a true testament to detail, and the skills associated with the time-honored craft of boatbuilding in the Chesapeake Bay.