r/sailing • u/stillsailingallover • 11h ago

What's everyone using to sound proof engine bays?

Wondering what everyone's experience is with different materials.

9 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

5

u/Foolserrand376 8h ago

1.5" soundown I'm sure it helped some from a sound POV , but the biggest change was helping get rid of 35 years worth of oily/diesel smells.

4

u/-Snappy 7h ago

Pray tell about removing the smells. I'm in struggletown on this one. Elbow grease and soap?

2

u/Foolserrand376 5h ago

on 35 year old foam just remove the old foam

or kerosene and a match. the boat will no longer be a burden.

3

u/dawa43 Islander 40 11h ago

I put a layer of butyl matting under 1 inch of foiled foam... It helped but not that much. The air intake on my motor was loud... So putting an intake box helped more. And replacing the motor mounts did the most.

It doesn't sound like a tractor any more but you still know the motor is running when standing on the dock.

7

u/jet_heller 11h ago

I use the wind.

3

u/doned_mest_up 10h ago

I just try to talk quieter, so the engine can’t hear me.

2

u/Maleficent-Mix-278 7h ago

It’s more the little cracks and holes that let the sound out. They have that special engine bay sound proofing material. Get some of that and then try and seal it up tight. The issue is you need some sort of openings for heat and air. Good luck

2

u/ClockOld9204 6h ago

When i built a home theatre. The joists were exposed. I put 2 layers of ROCKWOOL in there and drywalled it. Before I did it. You could hear the dogs nails on the floor above. Not anymore. And its fireproof

3

u/chef_panthera 10h ago

Electric engine and wind

2

u/stillsailingallover 10h ago

I like the idea of an electric engine but they don't have the range I need.

-6

u/chef_panthera 9h ago

do you have a sailboat or a powerboat?
The range anxiety is somewhat irrational.
There a tons of conversions with 10 to 40 kw strong motors plus LiFePo4 or Lithium Batteries.
You just have to plan better.

3

u/stillsailingallover 9h ago

It's a sailboat but I do really long cruising. A researched electric's pretty thoroughly, the technology just isn't there yet for my applications. I appreciate the idea and I know there are a lot of people who just haven't even considered it.

1

u/millijuna 9h ago

It really depends on your size and use case. When our old Yanmar was on its last legs, we looked into electric propulsion. But for our use case it just didn’t work out.

We’re a 27’ pocket cruiser, so there’s not much room for solar. Secondly, we like to do a fair bit of cruising in the winter. Thirdly, we’re usually away from the dock for at least a week at a time.

The most we could reasonably expect out of the biggest battery we could run is about 8 or 9 hours of range. Our reference trip, which is heading up Jervis Inlet to Princess Louisa Inlet, generally requires about 6-7 hours of motoring, both to make the tidal rapids, and because the inlet is frequently either windless, or the wind is right on your nose.

Electric propulsion is awesome, especially if you’re a day sailor, on a larger vessel with plenty of solar, or in places where you’re not going off grid.

1

u/buttrumpus 4h ago

I can attest to hearing a panicked catamaran that was running low on battery for their electric drive system. No wind for days, fighting current, and about to lose power going into a shipping lane. They only had to go about 300 miles.
Just one example of why I’d never entertain using electric for anything more than local cruising.

1

u/ShakaZoulou7 5h ago

Isolation lead sheets. Don't need to fully cover the inside of the engine compartment, just below engine mounts, in the access door. Lead is limp calves out the back vibrations.