The need for comfort: how improve the boat design
Anyone who has ever spent the night on a boat knows how difficult it can be to sleep like a log. The sound of the refrigerator, the dripping faucet, the blast from a nearby fan... Noise can quickly become the worst enemy of the light sleeper! To offer the best possible comfort to boaters, builders must design boats that are as quiet as possible. Here are our tips for doing just that.
Quiet boat design: why is it important ?
On a boat, as in a RV , there is a lot of crowding. In a small space where each space is carefully occupied, it's not uncommon for occupants to feel like they're on top of each other and to cherish their own personal space: their berth. In such a situation, no one wants to be disturbed by the noise of an appliance located under their mattress. However, due to the lack of space on smaller boats, this is often where electronic devices such as battery chargers are located.
The same problem arises for larger boats: if the generator is used to run the air conditioning, you will appreciate that it is in a perfectly soundproof engine room, so as not to spoil your own comfort... or that of your neighbors! Indeed, when a boat is anchored in a cove for example, with boats relatively close to each other, the proximity can quickly lead to noise pollution and neighborhood problems!
What are the noisiest elements on board a boat?
Rotating machinery
Unsurprisingly, rotating machinery mainly fan is the loudest: engines and generators. Although they are used during the day, there are solutions to reduce their noise. To preserve sound comfort, Silentbloc is recommended: a part made of a flexible material that absorbs the shocks and vibrations of mechanical elements. Installed, for example, between the engine and the support, these anti-vibration pads will prevent sound waves from spreading to the boat's structure and thus reduce noise pollution. The Silentbloc are useful for everything that is ventilation, pump and engine.
Equipment unexpected start-up
Fans, water pumps... When the engine and generator are turned off, it is the unexpected start-up of your water pressure system that is likely to disturb the sleeper. For example, you can be sure that opening a tap on a boat will wake up all its occupants! Indeed, the opening of a tap immediately triggers the start of a noisy pump. To avoid this inconvenience, it is necessary to ensure that the choice of materials and design includes solutions that prevent the pumps from starting up at night, for example by installing small water tanks that will store water under pressure, to prevent the pump from starting up.
Electronic products
Usually , an electrical product makes almost no noise, except for the small fan located inside to cool the electronic board. Most of electronic device use a fan for cooling. But on a pleasure boat without a dedicated technical space, this is important: the fan can be located under the floor or just under the berth. It is therefore essential to pay particular attention to the choice of equipment, giving preference to "Fan Less" devices, i.e. without fans, where possible, or failing that, "super quiet" fans, which are quieter but inevitably more expensive than standard products.
Aware of this need for comfort, which is so important to boaters, Dolphin Charger has developed a range of smart, ultra-compact, waterproof and above all SILENT battery chargers. Called PROLITE, this series of chargers has the advantage of being "Fan Less" and therefore devoid of any fan that causes noise pollution. With a power range from 15A to 25A, PROLITE is the ideal charger for all boats with outboard motors. Want to know more about it? Contact us for more information!
