sailboat engine sound insulation

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Soundproof Your Inboard Engine And Generator

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Save your voice and regain your floating peaceful refuge by adding soundproofing to your engine and generator.

The best strategy to address noise is by containing it at the source, a good example being the insulation inside this engine cover.

Time spent on the water should be relaxing. But that can be difficult when you have to scream over engine or generator noise during conversations or are left lying awake at night listening to the melodious hum of an air conditioning unit. Installing soundproofing can make a huge difference in onboard noise reduction. Here's how to transform the hullabaloo of your boat into the peace and tranquility of a floating Zen garden.

The best way to combat noise is by containing it at the source — within an engine compartment, for example. Soundproofing is perfect for this application, and while not fireproof, it is typically fire-retardant up to around 225 F.

Installation of a good quality foam soundproofing barrier can reduce engine noise by 10 to 35 decibels (about 65%). Soundproofing material is available in a wide variety of forms, from sprays and paints to foil-backed foam panels. Foam panels are a popular choice and one that's very effective against airborne noise pollution.

Soft sound shields, such as this one from GSI (stopthesound.com), provide both installation flexibility and significant noise reduction.

Self-adhesive panels are easy to install (just peel and stick), but you have to plan and position them exactly where you want them the first try as you typically can't reposition them without damaging the foam. Panels without adhesive backing require spray- or brush-on contact adhesives, which may allow a bit of last-minute repositioning, making them easier to work with in tight spaces.

­Regardless of adhesives used, overhead panels require additional support from mechanical fasteners.

Regardless of the adhesives used, panels also require the use of mechanical fasteners (such as screws and fender washers) particularly for overhead horizontal installations.

Soundproofing panels can be cut to shape with a box cutter or razor knife, however a serrated knife blade will provide a cleaner cut of the foam material itself. Thin sheets of soundproofing material can also be cut with a pair of good quality scissors. To ensure the best fit (and avoid cutting snafus) make cardboard templates first to check fit and for use as a cutting guide. Be sure to dry fit everything prior to applying adhesives or peeling self-adhesive panels.

Use joining tape to seal and prevent sound "leaks" at panel joints.

When planning your installation, remember that sound flows like water, meaning you'll want to use Mylar seal or joining tape (typically provided by the manufacturer) to prevent "leaks" at panel joints. Cables and hoses penetrating the material should be sealed using tight-fitting rubber grommets, while access hatches should close snugly with a good, tight seal.

That said, any soundproofing installation must provide adequate ventilation for the engine. Required vents and air holes can be quieted using air baffles. It's not realistic to expect all noise to be eliminated once soundproofing is installed, but when done correctly, you should be able to carry on a conversation at normal volume levels. After all, who wants to yell when you are trying to relax?

Soundproofing Installation Tips

• Read all instructions for the soundproofing, adhesives, and mounting hardware prior to starting your project.
• Make templates to check fit prior to cutting panels. Be sure to allow for material thickness at corners.
• Ensure your installation provides adequate ventilation and keeps insulation material above bilge water levels. (Avoid exposure to any wet areas.)
• Provide a minimum clearance of 6 inches between soundproofing and engine or generator exhaust manifolds.
• Use sharp tools when cutting soundproofing, both to produce clean cuts and to avoid tearing of reflective foil. The foil or silver facing side should face upward when cutting.
• Handle soundproofing material carefully. Avoid folding the material back on itself, which can result in creasing.
• Seal all exposed edges, joints, and corners with Mylar seam tape to prevent water or other contaminants (such as fumes or oil) from entering and degrading the soundproofing material. Seam tape can also be used to provide chafe protection at wear points. You can purchase it at most marine stores.
• Don't rely on adhesives alone. Use fasteners and fender washers where appropriate (all overhead and vertical surfaces) to ensure backup in the event of adhesive failure.
• Apply adhesive for and install one panel at a time. Install the top panel first, which lets adjacent vertical panels provide support to the outer edges of the top panel.

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Capt. Frank Lanier is a SAMS Accredited Marine Surveyor with more than 40 years of experience in the marine and diving industries. He’s also an author, public speaker, and multiple award-winning journalist whose articles on boat maintenance, repair, and seamanship appear regularly in numerous marine publications worldwide. He can be reached via his YouTube channel “Everything Boats with Capt. Frank Lanier” and website captfklanier.com.

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• Yachting Monthly
• Digital edition

Marine engine soundproofing

• April 16, 2014

Yachting Monthly guidelines for installing marine engine soundproofing

Duncan Kent’s full report on how to choose the best marine engine soundproofing for your yacht, can be read in the June 2014 issue of Yachting Monthly .

Guidelines on installing marine engine soundproofing: Foil/cloth and hard barrier soundproofing is best cut with a sharp modelling knife – but it’s easier and neater to cut the foam using a serrated blade. Thinner sheets cut well with good scissors.

Self-adhesive sheets are easy to peel and attach, but you must position it correctly first time. Plain-backed types require spray or brushed contact adhesives – the latter being more controllable in tight spaces. Mechanical fixings should be added to all horizontal upper surfaces.

Suppliers advise that all joints are covered using special joining tape to avoid ‘leakage’. Self-adhesive foil tape works excellently on foil-covered material, but white plastic tape from Vetus will peeled off easily.

Ideally, soundproofed bulkheads should totally encase the engine area, separate from any tanks, which can resonate - amplifying the sound. Engine noise can ‘flow’ along the bilges, so where possible bulkheads should continue down to the hull, leaving only limber holes for bilge water.

Remember to provide enough airflow for combustion. Open air holes will ruin the insulation, but a simple baffle will stop most of the noise escaping.

Finally, all cables and pipes should pass through snug-fitting rubber grommets, while any covers or side panels should fit snugly with a noise-tight seal.

Updating a classic fiberglass cruising yacht.

How to replace sailboat engine compartment insulation:

When I bought my 1990 Ericson 32 the engine compartment was lined with reflective engine insulation, but many of the panels were disintegrating.  The plastic mirrored surface was peeling back, and the foam underneath was flaking off.  Once the foam bits landed on the sole (floorboards) of my boat, if stepped on would turn into an icky black mass of gunk.  

I needed to replace this insulation for general neatness more than for sound insulation.

West Marine sells engine compartment insulation kits, consisting of adhesive foam insulation, tape, and in some cases, fasteners to help the foam attach to vertical and inverted surfaces.  The kits come in 1” and ½” foam thicknesses.  

This spring I had my engine removed for unfortunate reasons, but the work afforded me easy access to the engine compartment.  

Step 1:  Remove as many attached accessories as possible from the compartment walls

If your boat is anything like mine, you have hoses and pumps and other accessories screwed into the wall of the engine compartment.  If you can remove as many of these as possible it will make the installation of the new insulation much easier.  Before you start, take pictures of how everything looks so that you will be able to re-install everything the same way. 

Step 2:  Clean out the old foam.

The next step in the process is to scrape out all of the old insulation.  This was not a difficult process and I found that a drywall spreading blade worked well as a scraping tool.  Because the new insulation relies on an adhesive backing to stay in place, it is important to get the underlying engine compartment walls as clean as possible.  

Step 3:  Cut the new insulation to fit the spaces appropriately

The adhesive on the foam is delivered with a peel-off layer.  It’s useful to measure the foam carefully and then ‘dry-fit’ it once or twice to ensure a good fit.  Then peel off the protective layer and stick it on.  Here’s a photo of the back of my engine compartment, after I had completed the rear wall and was at work on the port side.  I elected not to remove my fuel filter and coolant tank overflow from the wall, and I could install the foam behind the bilge pump hoses.  

The ¾” West Marine foam includes special fasteners for attaching the insulation to inverted surfaces.  One of the fasteners I used for the ceiling of the compartment is circled in green: 

 After the insulation was installed, I used the included reflective tape to seal up the exposed edges as best as I could: 

At this point I had expended the majority of the foam included in my first kit.  The roll is only 32” by 54”.  I needed a second kit to complete the compartment cover.  

Fast forward a couple of months and I had a good opportunity to work on the much more accessible compartment cover.  I went to West Marine and bought another kit. 

My second kit did not come with the same fasteners my first kit had.  Indeed I had not realized until I reached the end of the process that I had purchased the ½” foam kit instead of the 1” foam that I used for the back of the compartment.  By that time, with the pieces cut up and adhered to my compartment cover there was no taking everything back to exchange it.  To keep the foam fastened to the inside of my engine compartment cover in addition to the adhesive backingI used some plastic-capped roofing nails driven lightly.

I think the 1” insulation is a better product.  It is stiffer and will no doubt do a better job of insulating sound than the ½” version.  

The best part about completing this small project is that I won’t have to worry about insulation foam gunk underfoot, at least for, hopefully a decade or so. 

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Taming Engine Room Noise

Practical Sailor reader Duncan Hood wrote us last week, asking about engine room noise insulation and prompting me to dive into our files to find our last test. Its been over a decade, so were due for another round of testing, but much of the information in our last report is still helpful.Many of the players are the same, and one of the most prominent players in our last test, Soundown , is still regarded as a leader in the field.

For those like Hood who are contemplating ways to silence the engine, the following excerpt from that article offers some general guidance. (Subscribers can access the complete insulation test of 10 different insulation products online.)

Engines make noise. Crew-especially when theyre trying to hold a conversation, sleep, or just relax-don’t like noise. The solution? Isolate the crew from the engine noise and vibration.

Noise and vibration are inseparable. Noise exists because vibration causes variations in the air pressure that reaches the ear. This is perceived as sound. An effective control deals with both the vibration and the airborne noise.

Noise levels are measured in decibel units, usually referred to as dBA (the A denoting that the measurement is adjusted for the frequency response of the human ear, rather than the total sound level energy). Everyday sounds fall into a range from roughly 25 dBA (a suburban bedroom at night) to 100 dBA (a chainsaw at a distance of 3 feet).

A sensitive ear can distinguish differences of 1 dBA, but it takes a 5-dBA difference to be noticeable. On a boat, an unshielded diesel genset will produce sound levels of 100 dBA at 3 feet; an inboard typically raises the noise in the engine room to about 110 dBA. The object is to drop those levels to approximately 75 dBA for more-or-less normal conversation, and another 20 dBA for comfortable sleeping with the engine running.

There are three basic approaches to making your boat quieter. The first step is to use flexible mounts to isolate the vibrating machinery from the hull. These help prevent the transmission of vibration through the solid structure of the boat, and the consequent reverberation of hull sections that can act like amplifiers. Correcting any engine-shaft misalignment will certainly help.

The next step is to surround the noise-producing machinery in a tight, insulated enclosure to reduce air-transmitted noise.

The final step is to line enclosed living quarters, such as cabins, with sound-absorbent materials.

Once youve reduced vibration-and the associated structure-transmitted noise-youre ready to deal with airborne noise. The first step is to enclose the noise-generating components-the engine-in some sort of box or compartment. Almost any sort of enclosure will reduce noise levels by 5 to 10 dBA, but improving on that takes an understanding of the nature of noise.

There are only three things that can be done with the air vibrations that we regard as noise. They can be reflected, transmitted or absorbed. Transmission doesn’t do us any good in terms of noise reduction. The 5-10 dBA reduction that comes from putting the engine in a box is due almost entirely to the sound energy absorbed by the box; most of the noise is transmitted right through the boxs walls. Reflection may have some value in some situations, but reflecting sound waves back into an enclosure simply makes it noisier inside the enclosure. A reflective material works when theres somewhere to reflect the sound.

Sound, after all, is a form of energy, and you can’t just make it vanish. You can, however, convert sound energy into another form of energy-heat. The energy dissipates when the absorbent material becomes displaced or compressed.

The amount of energy absorbed depends upon the mass (or weight) of the material, how far its displaced or compressed, and the materials damping capability. Materials like lightweight foams and fiberglass wool have good damping but not enough mass to be effective by themselves. They have a role in dealing with noise, insofar as they can reduce reflection. More specialized sound-absorbers are more effective. These are composite materials with a high-mass layer, one or more damping layers, and (usually) a thin plastic film at each face to protect the damping layer(s) from mechanical damage and moisture.

The high-mass layer should be heavy, limp, and nonporous. It should also be as thin as possible, simply because space aboard is usually at a premium. A sheet of lead works best, but a lead-filled sheet of plastic can be used where a physically tougher material is required. Mass layers of lead typically weigh 1-2 lbs. per square foot; lead-filled plastic weighs about half that for an equivalent thickness.

On either side of the mass layer is a layer of foam or fiberglass mat. The layer facing the noise source is called the absorption layer; its function is to damp out the vibrations caused by the movement of the mass layer. On the other side of the mass layer is an outer layer of foam or fiberglass: the decoupling layer. It isolates the heavy layer from the engines enclosure.

The range of frequencies that a sound-isolation material can deal with effectively varies with the product of the square root of the weight of the mass layer and the thickness of the decoupling layer. Thus, a 1-lb. per sq. ft. barrier on a 1/4-inch decoupler might only be effective in dealing with high-pitched sounds (500 Hz and higher); doubling both the weight and the thickness extends the useful frequency range to 125 Hz.

Reductions in dB are additive. Lets say an unshielded engine produces a noise level of 110 dBA. If we build a box from 5/8-inch plywood around the engine, wed lower the sound level (measured at 1 foot) to roughly 100 dBA, assuming that the box doesn’t leak and that all openings are taped. If the vent openings to the box lead overboard rather than into the cabin, you can reduce noise by another 15 dBA or so. Make sure that your vent ducts are baffled, or make up a labyrinth with several 90-degree turns.

If you line the box and the vent ducting with a simple absorption layer of fiberglass or foam, youd only lower the noise level outside the box by 5 dBA or so, even if you used a thick layer of sound-absorber. If you lined the box with a composite material (1-lb./sq. ft. mass layer, 2″ thick overall), youd get the noise level 2′ from the box down to a bearable 76-78 dB, or 61-63 dBA if the engines air vents are ducted overboard.

The actual noise level in the cabin will depend on the distance between the engine box and the cabin; sound levels drop by 6 dBA each time you double the distance from the source. If the berths are close to the engine, you can also apply absorbent material to the cabin ceiling and walls (1/2 to 1-inch foam-backed fabric and perforated vinyl headliners are popular choices). If you find that noise is coming up through the floor, try noise-absorbing carpet. As a bonus, these materials are also good thermal insulators.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Any advance on noise cancelling head phones effective for typical small boat diesels?

An excellent article. Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you

This might help you on how to soundproof your boat engine. Check this link https://soundproofwarehouse.com.au/marine-soundproofing/

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The Best Guide to Soundproofing a Boat Engine Compartment

Cruising on a boat can be a thrilling experience. However, excessive engine noise and vibration may ruin the fun. Fortunately, there are ways to soundproof the boat engine compartment which are laid out in this guide.

In this article, I’ll show you how to fix this problem. But before we proceed, it’s essential to identify the reasons for the uncanny noise from your boat’s engine so you can know what solution to apply.

Also, read these Handy Tips on How To Quiet Your Boat

Why Is My Boat’s Engine So Loud?

As an affiliate, I may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

If your boat’s engine is loud it may be due to a malfunctioning exhaust or a wrong propeller pitch. However, new boat engines can also be loud due to a lack of sound insulation.

New engines can be annoyingly loud. This in no way implies that the engine is defective. A new fiberglass boat has little to no sound insulation.

There’s also the issue of the propeller pitch. Installing the wrong propeller will affect the boat engine’s revolutions per minute (RPM). RPMs over 4,800 are bad for your engine.

A bad lubricant or gasoline identified by the engine sensors might also impact propeller pitch, causing the noise levels to rise. Listen to every sound, especially the one coming from your engine room, when sailing your boat.

Ensure you fix these problems before you resume sailing on your boat, as high noise levels are not suitable for your health, boat, and even aquatic life.

Soundproofing a Boat Engine Compartment – Step by Step

Here’s how to reduce noise in your boat’s engine compartment:

• Service your boat’s engine.
• Replace the engine propeller.
• Seal all openings except the vent.
• Isolate vibrating parts.
• Install a soundproof material in the engine’s compartment.
• Line the walls and ceiling of your boat’s engine room with soundproofing materials.

1. Service Your Boat’s Engine

This step is the first and most important. Before you go on sealing compartments, you must ensure the engine is in good condition. If the engine fails, there’ll be no boat ride after all. Get an expert to check the engine. Change lubricants if necessary.

2. Replace the Engine Propeller

If the wrong propeller is installed, you’ll have a lot of noise from your boat’s engine. The propeller is responsible for your boat’s revolutions per minute, affecting the noise. The simple solution is to replace the propeller with something more adequate.

3. Seal All Openings Except the Vent

Seal all areas that allow sound passage except the vent. You don’t seal the vent because, like every other system, the engine needs air to function properly. Using a soundproof material, seal the following places:

• Panel joints
• The spaces left by wire connections
• Pipes that lead outside
• The areas that lead from the engine room like the Lafayette
• Every single slight opening except the vent

4. Isolate Vibrating Parts

When two items collide or an object rattles, vibration occurs. Use light materials to separate solid objects that could collide in a boat engine compartment or use it to isolate concrete elements to reduce vibration. The light material allows the solid section to move while keeping the vibrations contained.

5. Install a Soundproof Material in the Engine’s Compartment

Sound absorption materials like foam-backed material and vinyl can help reduce noise inside a boat engine’s compartment. Insulating the engine compartment will reduce and absorb noise from the engine room. In addition, spread a waterproof carpet over the engine to reduce noise and keep water out.

6. Line the Walls and Ceiling of Your Boat’s Engine Room With Soundproofing Materials

You can use soundproofing materials such as 1-inch foam-backed cloth (foam spray) or perforated vinyl headliners to cover your boat’s walls and the ceiling of your boat’s engine compartment. Take a step further by covering the engine bay with these materials.

Adverse Effects of a Boat Engine’s Noise and Vibration

Constant exposure to engine noise and vibration can harm you and your boat. Some of these effects include:

• Boat squeaking
• Disruption of aquatic life

Let’s analyze these points below:

• Deafness: Noise is measured in decibels (dB). The human ear can tolerate sounds below 85dB. Sounds from 100dB and above can cause deafness. A loud boat engine produces sounds of up to 100dB. Constant exposure to sound at this level can damage your ear.
• Boat squeaking: Constant boat vibration can loosen fasteners and other weak sections of the boat. Those components will begin to squeak and make various unpleasant sounds. This can reduce the boat’s lifespan and even make a new boat appear old.
• Disruption of aquatic life: Boat Engine sounds affect the coral reef, stimulating erratic behavior in adult fish. Enraged adult fish can start attacking other younger harmless fish. This results in a higher rate of mortality in aquatic life.

How To Maintain Your Boat Engine and Prolong Its Lifespan

Boats are pretty expensive, so It’s pointless to spend money on a boat only to have the engine fail after a year or two. Here are five suggestions for extending the life of your boat engine.

• Warm up your boat regularly. Your boat’s engine can become cranky if you leave your boat for weeks or months without warmups. If you’re not taking the boat out, turn on the engine and let it rev for a few minutes now and then.
• Cruise more often. The longer you leave your boat’s engine idle, the weaker it gets. If you can afford it, cruising regularly keeps the boat’s engine alive and responsive.
• Keep fuel and oil fresh. Check your fuel and oil levels regularly.
• Regularly flush out salt water . Saltwater is bad for your boat’s engine. So you must always thoroughly flush immediately after sailing on salt water.
• Cover your boat. As simple as it sounds, it can be a burden. Always cover your boat when not in use. A boat cover will keep many unfavorable factors out of your engines, such as harsh weather and dust.

Cruising on your boat can be a delightful experience, but the noise and vibration from the engine compartment may spoil the fun.

Take simple measures in sealing up your engine room and engine compartment to reduce the noise so you can enjoy your time on your boat.

Developing a maintenance culture will keep your boat’s engine in good condition and help prolong its lifespan.

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Marine Insulation…

With 36 years of experience of producing acoustic materials for Soundproofing and Noise reduction, we have the perfect solution for your marine acoustic problems. Our marine insulation products are ideal for sound-proofing boat engine rooms and controlling noise and vibration problems. Acoustafoam’s Class O composite products offer the best possible acoustic result especially for engine room sound insulation due to the multi-layer combination.

Acoustafoam laminates are used in many industrial applications but mostly used for the marine industry engine room noise problem areas.

Acoustafoam Laminates have three layers in addition to a protective facing for cosmetic and practical functions:

The Absorption Layer

A thick layer of 25mm fire zero rated Class O foam which soaks up noise and stops it bouncing around the engine compartment.

The Transmission Layer

A high-density 5kg per square metre polymeric barrier that provides the highest possible mass for the job of transmission loss (stops noise from getting through to other areas of the boat at the application wall).

The Isolation Layer

This 6mm layer of foam has a crucial function, it acts like the gap in double glazing and stops the noise that hits the transmission layer being carried through to the bulkhead.

Acoustafoam Marine Laminates can be supplied with a range of facings. PU Films Black and White, Glass Fibre, Aluminium Coated Glass Fibre, Aluminium Foil, Fire Rated Fabrics or a range of Sprayed Fire Rated Paints.

Acoustafoam offers a standard variety of products for marine insulation applications. Sheets 990mm x 590mm x 32mm – 4 sheets per box with a self-adhesive backing. Installation is easy. Simply cut the material to shape, peel off the release paper and fix to the affected area. Use Acoustafoam jointing tape to seal butt joint edges.

Acoustafoam manufactures marine acoustic insulation made from Rockwool fire pro. RW2000 is a rock mineral wool slab engineered to provide A-rated fire protection aboard ships and offshore installations. This product is Lloyd Register of Shipping and MED certified A30 and A60 fire protection to steel decks and bulkheads. It can be used to provide fire protection, thermal insulation and sound reduction with the minimum of weight. The product is laminated with B67 foil coated glass Class O fire rated.

Material code: RW 2000. Description : Marine Rockwool Colour: Foil faced (B67) Sheet size: 1000mm x 600mm.Thickness: 25mm – 40mm – 75mm. Thermal conductivity: 0.033 w/mk at 10*c.

Acoustics: Marine Rockwool foil faced slabs can considerably reduce the level of environmental sound.
Fire specification: RW 2000 is Lloyd’s Register of Shipping certified, and MED approved to provide A30 / A60 fire protection.

Applications: Fire protection, thermal insulation and acoustic treatment of marine and offshore installations.
Finishes: The sheets can be supplied with a factory laminated reinforced foil facing. The foil is intended as a vapour barrier, and butt joints should be sealed with foil tape (b67/50mm/s.a.).

Fixing: Contact adhesive, Mechanical fasteners and Self-adhesive backing if required. Work on the site: Fit to clean, dry surface sheets of pre-cut shapes. All but joints cover with self-adhesive 50mm b67 foil tape. Sheets can be cut using a sharp knife. This product is also supplied with pre-cut shapes and edges material wrapped.

We’re Waiting To Help You

Therefore, get in touch with us today and let’s help your business acoustic solutions.

We are the founding company of the Acousta group. We specialise in the manufacturing of foam, rubber and plastic components for a wide variety of sectors. The components are processed from blocks, sheets and rolls of materials using our band saws, CNC machines and water jets to our customer’s specification.

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Boat Engine Compartment Insulation Kits

* Made In USA*

Second Skin Boat Insulation Kits have all the materials you need to annihilate unwanted engine noise and get back to relaxing on your boat. No more yelling required when friends and family need to SIT DOWN or GRAB THE ROPES the next time you idle your way up to the dock. Add (or replace the old!) insulation in your engine compartment, and cut the noise level at the same time.

Our insulation kits are designed to work whether you have a doghouse or a full engine compartment. Start with a layer of Damplifier Pro to stop the structural noise due to the compartment vibrating. 100% coverage will increase the density of the compartment and help it BLOCK more noise. Use the foil tape to seal the seams and protect from water. Finish off with a layer of Heat Wave Pro or Mega Block to insulate and ABSORB/MUFFLE the engine noise. Seal edges again with the foil tape to extend the material life as long as possible. Results range from 4 to 8 dB reduction depending on the engine compartment's construction and how much coverage you get inside the compartment (30-50% of perceived noise). Pretty awesome for a project that takes a couple hours.

For your standard, curved Doghouse project, we recommend using one of the standard kits with Heat Wave Pro. It's more flexible and very easy to bend however you need. If your application is on a primarily flat surface (like the lid), Mega Block is a great upgrade option as it's more absorptive.

Expected Sound Reduction: 4-8 dB

Standard Boat Doghouse Insulation Kits

Small Compartment (12 sq ft)

• Damplifier Pro  - 13.5 Sq Ft (8 sheets, 12" x 20" each, 2mm thick)
• Heat Wave Pro  - 24 Sq Ft (1 sheet, 4' x 6', 3/8" thick)
• High Temp Spray Adhesive  - 16 oz can
• Foil Insulation Tape  - 1 roll (2" x 150') 
• Wooden Hand Roller  

Standard Compartment (24 sq ft)

• Damplifier Pro  - 25 Sq Ft (15 sheets, 12" x 20" each, 2mm thick)
• Heat Wave Pro - 24 Sq Ft (1 sheet, 4' x 6', 3/8" thick)

Large Compartment (36 sq ft)

• Damplifier Pro  - 36.5 Sq Ft (22 sheets, 12" x 20" each, 2mm thick)
• Heat Wave Pro  - 48 Sq Ft (2 sheets, 4' x 6', 3/8" thick)

These kits are ideal for a doghouse style compartment with aggressive curves, and can also be used as van or  RV engine compartment insulation for any vehicle's doghouse. 

Premium Boat Engine Compartment Insulation Kits

• Mega Block  - 12 Sq Ft (3 sheets, 24" x 24" each, 1/2" thick)
• Mega Block  - 24 Sq Ft (6 sheets, 24" x 24" each, 1/2" thick)
• Mega Block  - 36 Sq Ft (9 sheets, 24" x 24" each, 1/2" thick)

Install Guide

Step 1: Damplifier Pro on the Fiberglass Doghouse

Clean the doghouse with denatured alcohol. Don't use degreaser or any cleaner that will leave a film behind, because it will negatively impact the mat's adhesion. Just cut, peel, and stick. It's easiest to cut any holes after you install the material. Damplifier Pro will stop the structural vibrations of the compartment itself and with 100% coverage will make the doghouse a more effective noise barrier. Both will help to reduce noise.

Step 2: Foil tape the seams

Adding foil tape on the seams adds extra protection. Not required, but recommended.

Step 3: Heat Wave Pro as your insulator and sound absorber

Heat Wave Pro adds some much needed sound absorption to help further reduce engine noise. Think of your engine compartment as a box with sound reverberating around inside it. With Heat Wave Pro absorbing those sound waves instead of them bouncing off the hard surface, you have less build up and less overall noise escaping the compartment.

Damplifier Pro™ Sound Deadening Mat

Heat Wave Pro™ - Jute Thermal Insulation

Mega Block™ - Hydrophobic Foam Heat Shield

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Insulating the Engine Compartment

• Low Temperature Machine Room Merfocell PU : up to +80 °C, with oil- and moisture-tight top layer. Acousticcell PU : up to +80 °C, equipped with an oil- and moisture-tight top layer.  
• High Temperature Machine Room Merfocell GW : up to 110°C. Merfocom : up to 100 °C, combined absorption and insulation board. Flamex GW : up to 150°C, can only be used on flat surfaces.

Tip  You will find all facets of yacht and ship insulation on the Boats and Yachts  page and on the  tipspage .  All described products to insulate the engine compartment can be found below

• Insulating Engine Compartment 9 items
• Floor insulation 1 item
• Insulating steering Box 1 item
• Insulating Propeller Noise 1 item
• Making Air ducts quieter 1 item
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• £20.00 - £30.00 5 items
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• £80.00 - £90.00 1 item

• Melamine foam with PU top layer
• Sound-absorbing panel with oil, moisture and dirt-resistant top layer
• Equipped with adhesive

Starting at £32.39

• Moisture and dirt repellent
• Application including engine compartment
• Hygienic areas

Starting at £28.01

• Fiberglass cloth (FC) top layer
• Heat-resistant Max. 150 degrees
• For boats and vehicles

Starting at £52.97

• Equipped with sound insulating barrier
• Sound-absorbing and Sound-insulating
• Equipped with an oil-resistant and fire-resistant top layer

Starting at £106.36

• Oil and moisture resistant top layer
• Sound absorption
• Self adhesive

Starting at £32.40

• Mass loaded vinyl
• Sound insulating
• For flat surfaces

Starting at £26.15

• Finishing for seams and cracks
• Resistant to 60°C
• Roll length 15 metres

Starting at £55.93

• Glass fibre cloth (FC) top layer
• Moisture and heat-resistant
• Applicable in engine compartments

Starting at £57.96

• PU foam with aluminium top layer
• Oil, moisture and heat-resistant top layer, reinforced with fiberglass mesh.
• Equipped with a sticker

Starting at £33.70

Place sound insulation and sound absorption in your boat's engine compartment

Sulating the engine room The engine room is often adjacent to other rooms such as a sleeping area, wheelhouse or aft deck. The engine noise is best stopped by insulating walls and shutters by providing them with Isomat TS (or for larger projects with Isomat KE ). These plates can be glued with Saba Select glue (use 0.5 liters/m²). For extra good fastening, we recommend using some flat-head screws on the corners of the plate.

Sound isolation, in the form of mass plates such as Isomat, works particularly against the low frequencies of engine noise. The best result is achieved when the mass of the walls and/or shutters can be doubled. Make sure that the insulation boards connect seamlessly so that there is no sound leak

After the application of sound-insulating products, a sound-absorbing material is applied to "extinguish" the sound from, for example, the engine, compressor or other sources. In an engine room there is generally enough space between the engine and the absorption material, heat is not a problem here. Acusticab , Merfocell PU or Flamex PU , the latter product can only be applied to flat parts! Here, too, the plates must connect well to each other to prevent sound leaks. Tape the seams between the plates with AcustiTape so that no moisture, dirt or dust can penetrate it. Sulate the engine casing In many pleasure craft, especially in sloops, the engine is shielded by a casing. This is often a "box" placed over the engine. The material of this box is often lightweight, for example thin plywood, and therefore does not block much noise. Also, the engine casing often does not connect to the bottom of the vessel which then forms a sound leak. The easiest way of insulating is to provide the inside of the casing (box) with Merfocom . This combi plate consists of several layers and provides both insulation and absorption. You can also put together products yourself in order to achieve the optimal insulation for your situation. Provide the casing inside with Isomat TS (the heavier, the better) and finish this with an absorption material of your choice. If there is little space (-10 cm) between the motor and the absorption material, use Merfocell GW or Flamex GW . With a spacious (+12 cm) casing you can use Acusticab , Merfocell PU or Flamex PU . Instead of combining products, you can also only use absorption material, for example in a renovation job. Attention points Prevent sound leaks through cracks and seams, but make sure there is sufficient ventilation / cooling for the engine. Silent ventilation can be done by making a labyrinth through which the air is supplied or fed. You line this labyrinth from the inside with Acusticab 13mm thick. For example, air can go to the engine, but the sound can hardly go out. Another way is to use the Aluphon damper . An aluminum tube with a 25 mm thick wall that is perforated inside and filled with an absorption material. If there are already ventilation facilities, you may be able to improve them acoustically by using Tecnocell or the round Inno dampers , depending on the shape of the ventilation duct.

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Technical Help & Advice

Marine soundproofing and noise insulation sheets suitable for the engine room / engine bay or other sources of noise on board the boat. The Quietlife soundproofing range consists of foam based soundproofing sheets and rockwool based soundproofing sheets. These also act as fire proof barriers, to add to their noise reducing capabilities. Foam based products, which include the Slimslab, Standard, 2 Quiet, Super and Quietlite ranges have a fire proof rating of BS476 (Part 6, 1998 and Part 7, 1971), whereas the FireBatt barriers, made from Rockwool, meet BS476 (Part 4, 1988) making them suitable for Class V vessels.Here is a quick guide to our foam based soundproofing products to help you make the correct choice for your application: ModelThicknessDescription SlimslabStandard2 QuietSuperQuietlite23mm32mm45mm58mm58mmGeneral purpose noise control, ideal for use where space is limited.Brilliant general purpose soundproofing - this is our most popular insulation!The best noise solution, has a twin barrier! For older engines and low frequencies.Excellent soundproofing for turbo charged engines and higher frequency sounds.Lightweight barrier and good performance - provides dramatic weight savings. We also offer the Rockwool based Marine FireBatt 2000 range of sound proofing materials, which is Lloyds approved. We recommend this sheet is combined with a damping barrier for better noise insulation results.

Marine soundproofing and noise insulation sheets suitable for the engine room / engine bay or other sources of noise on board the boat. The Quietlife soundproofing range consists of foam based soundproofing sheets and rockwool based soundproofing sheets. These also act as fire proof barriers, to add to their noise reducing capabilities. Foam based products, which include the Slimslab, Standard,...

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Moove over Easter Bunny! AMI is making everyone lucky by bringing back the Acoustic Panel Sale. 10% off Udderly Quiet Acoustic Panels. Call 866.949.9269 for pricing and details.

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• Soundproof a Space – Restaurant – Office
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Boat Soundproofing

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Soundproofing Barriers

Quiet Barrier™ HD Soundproofing Composite

Quiet Barrier™ HD Soundproofing Composite (w/PSA)

Quiet Barrier™ LD Soundproofing Composite

Quiet Barrier™ LD Soundproofing Composite (w/PSA)

Quiet Barrier™ MD Soundproofing Composite

Quiet Barrier™ MD Soundproofing Composite (w/PSA)

Quiet Barrier™ Specialty Composite

Quiet Barrier™ Specialty Composite w/PSA

Silent Running Soundproof Coating (5 gallons)

Silent Running SR-500 (1 gallon)

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Vibra Block® Sound Deadening Material (Sheet)

Vibra block® sound deadening material (strip), boat sound absorption products.

Quiet Board™ Water Resistant Panels

Echo Absorber Acoustic Panel (Natural Blend – 1″x2’x4′)

Echo Absorber Acoustic Panel (Natural Blend – 1″x4’x4′)

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You bought your boat to enjoy time with family and friends. Is your boat a place of peace and relaxation, or has a noisy motor made it hard to hear the conversation?

Distracting and annoying noises reduce the quality of a boating experience. Boat owners commonly receive noise complaints due to noise from the engine room disturbing people in the cabin or upper deck. Shouting to be heard is not the perfect picture they had in mind when buying the boat.

The generator or air conditioning system can cause annoying noises even when the boat is still. At night, the sounds of lapping water can bother those trying to sleep. With Soundproof Cow marine soundproofing products, you can take advantage of all the peace and relaxation your boat offers.

There are many different types of boats, from cozy houseboats to luxurious yachts. Although you might not be concerned about soundproofing a canoe, soundproofing can make a big difference in your maritime experience on an engine-powered vessel.

Motorboats are loud. Boat owners face noisy engines, wind sounds and water hitting the hull simultaneously. Any noise reduction can significantly improve your experience. The top reasons to soundproof your boat include the following:

• Reduce noise in the cabin so you and your guests can enjoy each other’s company and not be bothered by the distraction of noise coming from the engine
• Provide a more enjoyable stay for your guests by reducing noises when docked
• Improve the sound quality of the boat, so you don’t have to shout to be heard by others
• Reduce noise for other nearby boaters

When you maximize sound quality and reduce noise through soundproofing, you and your passengers can enjoy all the benefits of the water. Being on or near water is great for the body and mind. Research shows that being on a boat brings peace, calm, unity and happiness. It releases feel-good chemicals in the brain, like dopamine and serotonin and reduces stress levels. For example,  72% of Americans  feel healthier after being on the water. Perhaps this is the reason millions of Americans go boating every year.

However, if extreme boat noise causes stress and anxiety for you and your passengers, you cancel out the therapeutic benefits of cruising blue waters. If your boat is too noisy to enjoy a soothing sail, it’s time to consider boat soundproofing materials. By reducing noise levels on your boat, you’ll enjoy the following benefits:

• Increased hearing safety:  Boating Magazine says boat engine noise  can reach over 100 decibels  (dB).   This is a dangerous level of noise. Sounds over 85 dB  can cause hearing loss  after prolonged or repeated exposure. The higher the dB, the less time it takes for hearing damage. How do you know if your boat is dangerously loud? If you have to raise your voice to be heard or can’t understand someone standing three feet away, it’s time to consider noise reduction.
• Better operational safety:  Noise is distracting and masks other sounds that might point to danger. For example, the typical smoke detector  emits 85 dB of sound . You need to be able to hear smoke detectors no matter where you are on your boat at all times. By soundproofing the boat engine compartment, you can maintain safe noise levels and be able to hear alarms.
• Reduced noise-related stress:  Noise causes stress, defeating the purpose of a relaxing cruise with family and friends. One  study from 2016  found that annoying noise increases depression and anxiety. Noise also  triggers your body’s stress response , which can eventually lead to the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Just  a 10 dB increase  in noise can negatively impact mental health. When it comes to noise, it’s just not worth dealing with if you can soundproof your boat.
• Improved insulation:  Marine soundproofing insulation can reduce noise and help insulate your boat for a more comfortable experience. Many soundproofing materials like wool and fiberglass can help keep a boat cool in the summer and warm in the winter. With marine sound insulation panels, you’ll be able to enjoy your boat more year-round.
• More peaceful water for sea life:  A quieter ship makes everyone happier — including sea life. Soundproofing your boat allows you to cruise along without disturbing marine life as much as before. Consider a study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin investigating the effects of noise from a cabin cruiser. They concluded that a cabin cruiser  negatively impacts the communication  of resident fish. Although you can’t make a boat engine completely silent with soundproofing materials, you can make a difference by reducing noise.
• Meet Sound Ordinances:  Some states have a maximum noise level for motorboats. For example, in Alabama, noise  cannot exceed 86 dB,  measured at 50 feet from the vessel. In New Mexico, boaters must be careful not to generate complaints from other boaters in state parks. Soundproofing is one way to keep your boat in line with state regulations and make other boaters happy.

What Parts of the Boat Need Soundproofing?

Certain boat parts might need more soundproofing than others. The amount of noise your boat generates may also depend on its materials, quality and age. For example, newer boats tend to hold new parts, meaning the machinery will generate more noise. On the other hand, a very old boat may be on its last leg, producing more noise due to faulty parts. The boat’s materials and quality may also influence how the boat conducts noise.

Some engines on high-quality, expensive boats may have existing soundproofing features, while others require you to purchase soundproofing products in your own. Whatever kind of boat you choose to invest in, be sure to consider the materials, quality and age of the boat and remain educated on what types might produce more or less noise.

For those who want to learn what parts of a boat need soundproofing, the boat’s engine, doghouse and compartment area are a great place to start. These areas and machinery need the most soundproofing out of the entire boat. Before you begin soundproofing, you might want to educate yourself about sound. Simply put,  sound is a vibration  that can travel through solids, liquids and air. Your goal as a soundproofing DIYer is to focus on reducing the transmission of vibrations through air and solids.

For example, you might find noise from the wind as you sail, or from the vibrations of water hitting the boat. However, a loud engine is the number one cause of the noise, meaning that soundproofing your engine room can increase guests’ boating experiences and make it easier to hear others during your trip.

Some benefits of boat engine room soundproofing include the following:

• Pleasant experience:  With less noise, you and your guests can focus on your surroundings. You can explore different rivers and lakes without distractions from noisy engines.
• Increased health:  A noisy engine can produce sounds that may damage hearing over time. With soundproofing, you and your guests will be safer.
• Happier guests:  Many guests complain about loud engine noises when out sailing. After soundproofing the engine room, you will improve your guest’s experience and reduce noise complaints.

A boat’s engine might be loud for a variety of reasons. Most likely, the engine has the wrong propeller pitch or a malfunctioning exhaust. Improper or malfunctioning parts could lead to increased revolutions per minute (RPM) and rising noise levels, which have adverse effects on the engine.

If you’re ready for a nice quiet ride, asking  an acoustics expert  for help is easiest. An expert can determine which parts of the boat need soundproofing and the best materials to use. If you’re a DIY boater, you can purchase boat engine sound insulation and other easy-to-install materials to quiet your boat. Soundproof Cow products come with simple installation instructions, and many only require a few essential tools.

If you’ve ever spent time on a boat, you know the engine can be extremely loud and is likely your boat’s greatest source of noise. There is a tremendous amount of vibration noise due to the action of the engine reflected by the metal frame of the boat.

The result is that guests on your boat often need to shout to be heard, and you and your fellow boat passengers could even be sustaining long-term hearing damage without even realizing it.

Marine engine soundproofing can make boat trips much more pleasant and desirable for all involved. Since soundproofing a boat is not all that difficult and quite inexpensive relative to the cost of the boat itself, there is virtually no reason not to soundproof your boat engine. Here are  three common boat engines  that may need soundproofing:

• Inboard drive:  An inboard drive, sometimes called an inboard motor, is an engine enclosed inside the boat.
• Outboard motor:  Outboard motors are a common type of boat engine mounted to the rear wall or transom of the boat.
• Sterndrive:  A sterndrive is an inboard drive and outboard motor combined.

You can use soundproofing materials to reduce noise and improve sound quality regardless of the boat’s motor type.

You may also need to soundproof other boat parts to dampen sounds like water lapping against the boat, making sleeping difficult on overnight boat trips. This might include the hull, which is the body of the boat, and the cabins.

The best way to tackle boat noise is to focus on soundproofing the engine compartment. When soundproofing an inboard motor compartment, install a quality foam barrier to  lose more than 30 dB  of noise.

Also, you’ll want to seal panel joints with a  soundproofing sealant  or  tape  to keep sound from leaking and ensure panels fit tightly together. Also, close up gaps around any pipes or cables penetrating the soundproofing material and make sure hatches and doors close tightly. Lastly, avoid sealing up vents to ensure your engine gets proper ventilation. Here are a few installation tips to keep in mind:

• Thoroughly read all instructions provided with soundproofing materials and adhesives before getting started.
• Make templates to make sure you cut the right-sized soundproofing panels.
• Be sure to leave adequate ventilation.
• Avoid placing sound insulation materials in any wet areas unless the material is waterproof.
• Keep a minimum of six inches clear between soundproofing and exhaust manifolds.
• Use sharp tools when cutting soundproofing materials for a clean cut.
• Seal all edges, joints and corners with seam tape to keep water out.

We recommend one of our  Quiet Barrier™ Specialty Composite  products to soundproof your boat. This four-layer composite effectively reduces airborne and vibration noise transfer from high noise-producing entities like cars, heavy construction machinery and boats. The top film layer resists heat and high-frequency sound and is easy to clean. The next layer is a thick sound-absorbing foam that soaks up all frequencies. The third layer is our superior sound-blocking  Quiet Barrier™ MD Soundproofing Material . Finally, the fourth foam layer isolates the barrier layer from vibrating surfaces to enhance its power.

The Quiet Barrier™ Specialty Composite has multiple barriers and foam levels for maximum strength. You can choose an easy peel-and-stick backing to place it easily and stay in place, giving you reliable and consistent noise protection on your boat. You’ll only need a few basic tools, such as a utility knife and a tape measure, to install Quiet Barrier™ Specialty Composite. Adding this soundproofing barrier around your boat engine makes it easier for you and your boat passengers to relax and enjoy the ride, free of the most troubling noises boat riders usually experience.

You can also use Quiet Barrier™ to line the hull or cabin walls or as a cabin carpet underlayment. Our Quiet Barrier™ Speciality Composite includes:

• Quiet Barrier™ HD Soundproofing Composite:  Our   Quiet Barrier™ HD Soundproofing Composite  is a thicker composite that includes a 1/4-inch industrial-grade soundproofing barrier. This powerful barrier is also available with  a peel-and-stick backing .
• Quiet Barrier™ MD Soundproofing Composite:  Our  Quiet Barrier™ MD Soundproofing Composite  features a medium thickness with a 1/8-inch barrier and is also available with  a peel-and-stick backing .
• Quiet Barrier™ LD Soundproofing Composite:  Our  Quiet Barrier™ LD Soundproofing Composite  is our thinnest Quiet Barrier composite with a 1/16-inch barrier layer. This barrier is easy to fit anywhere. Choose Quiet Barrier™ LD with  peel-and-stick backing  for simple installation.

You can also use the following noise-blocking  barriers to soundproof your boat :

• Fiberglass composites:  Fiberglass composites are designed to go wherever you put regular insulating materials. Our  Quiet Barrier™ Fiberglass Composite  is perfect for silencing noisy pipes or applying to the ceiling. These barriers are extremely flexible, so they can fit just about anywhere you need noise control.
• Mass-loaded vinyl barriers:  Mass-loaded vinyl (MLV) is as tough as it sounds. MLV  barriers are made of salt , small metal particles and sand. They add mass to block sound waves and keep them from penetrating walls and ceilings. You might use easy-to-install  Quiet Barrier™ MD Soundproofing Material  to line cabin walls and avoid boat engine noise.
• Temporary barriers:  Our  Quiet Barrier™ Acoustic Quilts  offer a quick and simple soundproofing solution for various situations. These fiberglass quilts feature a vinyl cover and are designed to absorb sound. You can lay them on the floor, line hulls, cover hatches or line engine compartments, and watch your family get restful sleep.

If you have an outboard motor, you may have an engine cover called the cowling. Typically, a cowling does very little to reduce motor noise. Consider lining the cowling with  acoustic foam panels with aluminum facing . These panels are designed to handle high-heat areas and are available with peel-and-stick backing for easy installation. The aluminum surface helps protect the foam from heat, grease and fuel. You can cut panels to the size you need and place them inside the cowling to eliminate unwanted sounds. You’ll want to cover the inside of the cowling as much as possible without blocking air vents or touching moving parts.

Tired of waves slapping against the hull all night? Do you wish you didn’t have to wear earplugs while resting in your cabin? Here are some other soundproofing materials to fit your needs so you can watch your worries sail away:

Enjoy Smooth Sailing With Soundproof Cow

Seagulls, gentle conversation and laughter are music to your ears when you’re aboard your ship. A roaring engine, on the other hand, does not make for pleasant background music.

We understand if you prefer to sleep at night or hear others talk. Let us help you prepare for a peaceful voyage. At Soundproofcow.com, we’ll gladly suggest the best marine soundproofing materials for your unique situation. We’re all about finding soundproofing solutions and ensuring our customers enjoy a noise-free sail. Don’t let boat noise stop the  moosic –  shop Soundproofcow.com today !

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How to Soundproof a Boat Engine – The Ultimate Guide

I was never a big fan of boat rides, but about a month ago, my friends invited my family and me to go out on a boat to cruise and chill.

My wife was very excited, and was enjoying every moment of the trip. I was having a lot of fun at first, but the noise from the boat’s engine eventually became unbearable, and I could no longer have a good time.

The disturbing engine noise is definitely one of the main downsides of owning a boat. While on the trip, I made a few suggestions to the boat’s owner in regard to reducing the sound that was coming from the engine.

In this guide, I’ll share these same tips and tricks with you. In all honesty, it’s impossible to completely eliminate all the noise coming from a boat’s engine. However, if you follow these steps carefully, you’ll be able to reduce it to a manageable level.

How to Soundproof a Boat Engine

1. soundproof the outboard motors.

First, you’ll start by soundproofing the outboard motor, and then move on to the inboard motors.

Install Insulation in the Cowling

As you may have noticed, most boat engines are covered. The cover is called the cowling and is usually made of thin fiberglass. The cowling is actually a part of the engine, so it should be treated with care. One wrong move from you could cause it to malfunction down the line.

You can reduce your boat’s engine noise by insulating the cowling. For this, you’ll need to purchase some closed-cell polyurethane with aluminum backing to properly protect the foam from heat, grease and fuel.

The product I highly recommend using is the Uxcell insulation mat.

This will work extremely well, but although the foam is highly effective, it’ll only go as far as eliminating high-frequency sounds. If your main goal is to eliminate both high and low-frequency sounds , then you’ll need to use a dense and flexible material like Mass Loaded Vinyl .

MLV is flexible and thin, which makes it applicable in nearly any location you can imagine. The only downside I’ve found so far is the price, and this is why I specifically recommend the Stinger sound-dampening material .

When installing the material, make sure you cover as much of the inner cowling as you can, without obstructing any air vents or letting it touch any of the parts that move.

Obstructing the air vents can lead to the engine’s overheating. Furthermore, if the engine’s moving parts are obstructed, this can even cause engine failure to occur, although this rarely happens.

Insulate the Outer Part of the Cowling

If you don’t care how your engine looks, consider covering the outer surface of the cowling with insulation as well.

To insulate the outer surface, you’ll need a premade cowling cover, which you can typically find online. These covers are custom-designed; they should be very easy to use and it won’t cover any air vents.

Make sure you pay close attention when slipping one of these on. If you put one on incorrectly, this can cause overheating to occur.

2. Soundproof the Inboard Motors

Insulating the inboard motors will be a bit easier, as they’re already enclosed.

Get Some Rubber Insulation Matting

The first thing you’ll need to do is purchase some rubber matting, and I highly recommend this type .

It’s important that you don’t buy too much or too little. You can simply measure the area you need to cover and base your purchase on the measurements. Afterward, you can simply fit it under your engine.

Installing insulation matting will help decrease the amount of vibration between the motor and the boat.

Install the Insulation

You can now line the inside of the enclosed motor by using sound-deadening materials such as Mass Loaded Vinyl ( check out the current price online ). You’ll experience the best soundproofing results by using insulation panels that contain self-adhesive, as this will make the installation process a lot easier.

If you can’t find any of these panels, then it’s best to use green glue to stick the panels firmly to the motor. Make sure that you cover all the exposed areas, as even the smallest gaps will decrease the overall effectiveness of the insulation. I also suggest using mylar tape to cover all the corners and edges.

3. Cover all Gaps and Cracks

You should check and see if there are any gaps between the sheets of insulating material, and cover them with aluminum foil tape. You can also use this tape to cover any small gaps or cracks in the cowling and the engine compartment as well.

By covering all gaps, you’ll block all unnecessary areas through which sound may be able to escape. For the best results possible, I also advise using a few layers of tape on each gap.

4. Add Thickness to the Floor

I don’t recommend doing this for every boat—it all depends on the design. If the boat’s cabin or starboard is located above the inboard motor, then it would be a great idea to cover the floor with a sound-deadening mat .

I would personally go with this Rubber-Cal Shark Tooth Heavy Duty Mat . It may not look very appealing, but you can always cover it with something a bit more attractive, like a colorful rug to match your fancy cabin.

What Causes Boat Engine Noise?

Combustion engines always produce a lot of noise, because these engines are known for controlling explosions. Such noise is created by the vibration of the exhaust, as well as the propeller in the water.

If you follow the steps above carefully, you should have a quieter boat engine in no time. Before starting, though, keep in mind that these methods won’t eliminate the engine’s noise completely, although they will dramatically reduce it.

If you have any questions, please let us know by leaving a comment down below. For more information on soundproofing various objects and areas, you may want to check out our article about the best sound-deadening materials .

image: Pixabay

1 thought on “How to Soundproof a Boat Engine – The Ultimate Guide”

Bonjour, Pour isoler la surface extérieure du moteur HB vous préconiser d’utiliser une couverture de capot préfabriquée et vous joignez un site comme exemple. Sur la présentation il n’est pas fait mention d’isolation acoustique et sur un autre site le même fabricant mentionne spécifiquement ‘Do not use cover while motor is running.’ http://old.attwoodmarine.com/store/product/custom-fit-mercury-motor-covers

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Boat Engine Soundproofing: How to Reduce Noise & Vibrations

In all honesty, I never quite understood the appeal of boats and cruising in them until I was a fair bit into adulthood. It just seemed like a pointless risk to me, the sort of thing you do when you feel like getting the same enjoyment out of lying at the beach is too ordinary for you.

My mind has been changed, though not entirely, by relatively recent events. My family and I were invited to go on a friend’s boat, out into the water to cruise and have fun.

My husband was loving every moment, acting like he was going to buy about 4 different boats as soon as we got back. My kids loved it even more, somehow, taking photos and just having a blast.

Then the noise became noticeable. An ungodly, core-shaking level of loudness that nearly ruined it for me.

I kept thinking about suggesting various solutions and ways to mitigate this to the boat’s owner. Let’s go into them now.

All About Boat Engine Soundproofing

Let’s go over some essentials in regards to the reasons why you should soundproof your engine compartment and the benefits. Next, we’ll explore how to do it in detail and ideally not pay out the nose for it.

Why should you soundproof your boat engine

• The therapeutic and health benefits versus the issues that may arise
• The social benefits versus the social negatives

Let's take a look at both of these. While they may seem obvious, there are a thousand little details that can be forgotten, when discussing this topic.

First of all, let me list some examples of negative consequences to your health if your boat's engine is too loud and vibrates it too much:

• Hearing damage over time. As boats can easily create noise above 110 decibels , this is a very real and very terrifying risk.
• Degradation of your bone and muscle structure. Vibrations , at a high enough intensity, are quite capable of causing these types of physical ailments in some people.
• While not common, they’re still a possible danger and betting that you’ll be one of the lucky ones is never advisable.
• Risk of injury. From miscommunication to slipping up, the ways to injure yourself in these kinds of situations are far too numerous to count.

Now let’s look at the positive aspect. Boating, after all, can be very beneficial to your health.

It reduces stress, anxiety, acts therapeutically towards any mild ailments due to the fresh sea air and even helps keep your wits sharp. After all, remembering all those nautical terms, how to steer a boat and so on do help to keep you on your toes, mentally speaking.

How to soundproof your boat engine

Let’s see how you can reduce the noise of your boat to a level you can cope with, so you can fully enjoy and embrace all the benefits of it.

Be aware that there is no such thing as eliminating the noise fully. Regardless, you can reduce both that and the rumbling to very tolerable levels, making it moot.

There are generally 2 major steps to dealing with the noise:

1. Soundproofing the outboard motors

While most engines have a cover over this type of engine, it usually does very little to mitigate noise. This cover, called the cowling, is largely ineffective unless you supplement it with something far better.

Keep in mind that your cowling is a piece of the engine that you need to tread lightly with. Generally speaking, it’s not that delicate, but some wrong moves can cause issues down the line.

Depending on the material used to make it, it may be more or less prone to malfunctioning, if tampered with, as well as sturdier or more brittle. Make sure to thoroughly consult your manual, first.

Let’s see how you can reduce the noise by installing insulation into the cowling and, optionally, on the insulation as well. While this may seem redundant, with how loud the engine can get, it may not even be enough, despite you potentially soundproofing both.

• Foam can be useful, but it only eliminates the high-frequency sounds. For best results, I recommend getting something like this , since it eliminates both ends of the spectrum, being dense flexible enough to do so.

Make sure to shop around and see what fits your needs best. If you have to, consider bringing in an expert, or at least someone with experience dealing with things like this, to aid you.

• Fit the material, covering as much as you can of the inner cowling. Do not obstruct any air vents or let it touch on moving parts.

Obstructing the air vents can lead to overheating, among other things. At best, this erodes the integrity of the motor and at worst it can be an actual safety hazard, the type that may end up causing an accident.

Furthermore, moving parts can cause friction, if they are obstructed and the possibility for disaster there is endless. If that wasn’t enough, they can even cause total failure of the engine, in some rare cases.

Check if air can still flow regularly. Make sure to not be causing a block anywhere or there might be issues down the line.

• Next, consider the effect you’ve gotten so far. If you think you need more soundproofing, go for a cover on the surface area of the cowling itself.

As a general bit of advice, try not to expect miracles from either the first or second step here. While what you just did will reduce the noisiness by far, it’s still reducing something that’s massive in the first place.

Products like these are generally your best bet. They're custom designed and should be easy to use while being better than any alternatives.

Be wary of slipping these on wrong, however, because the engine might overheat. If something does not look right to you, adjust it.

2. Soundproofing the inboard motors

• These tend to be a lot easier to soundproof, due to being pre-insulated. Get some rubber insulation matting from the choices you can find online or at your nearest store.

Make sure not to buy too much or too little, since that’s a common mistake. Even if it may be tiresome, measuring the surface area you need to cover or using the manual, at least, as a reference, is best.

• Line the insides of the enclosed motor with the matting. I recommend using the self-adhesive ones, for best results and ease of use.

Covering everything you possibly can is best, but be wary of covering too much. The possibility of overheating rears its head here as well if things go poorly.

Generally speaking, you don’t need to pay much attention here, but keep in mind that cracks in the insulation or lopsided application will provide worse results. Go slow and be patient for the best possible outcome.

One thing I recommend is taking your newly insulated motor on a test-run. Carefully maneuvering around the pier itself will give you a good notion of whether it worked or not.

Taking any risks with this is ill-advised and you should always tread with caution. For the best results, checking if everything works methodically will be your best bet.

Not to say you shouldn’t enjoy your newfound quieter cruising, just be understandably slow at first.

Conclusion: On Boat Engine Soundproofing

While it may seem like a big deal, once you first experience it, a noisy boat engine is very much an easy problem to fix. With these steps, you can take measures to both correct the problem and make the most of your boat.

That way, you’ll get all the benefits, without any of the downsides and you’ll only enjoy yourself all the more.

Boat Engine Soundproofing: How to Reduce Noise & Vibrations

Is your boat engine noisy and vibrating hard? In our boat engine soundproofing guide, we talk about why you should soundproof it and how you can do so.

Instructions

• Soundproof The Outboard Motors
• Soundproof The Inboard Motors
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New Sound Insulation / Sound Proofing The Engine Compartment

New Soundproofing / Noise Insulation Materials, bat with adhesive, Mylar Tape and mechanical fasteners.

Last spring I needed to replace and upgrade the Sound Insulation / Sound Proofing on my boat after upgrading and installing a new engine in the boat.

The engine compartment and panels had to be modified with the port side of the engine compartment needing to be moved out 1.5 inches and a new front panel made and Sound Insulation / Sound Proofing added to the new panels.

When installing sound insulation materials details count!  A small hole or gap in the insulation can reduce the effectiveness of the insulation.  Also sound can be transmitted through the structure of the vessel.  Make sure that any joints between bats are properly taped, this prevents vapors from getting into the bat and causing deterioration of the batting material, deterioration of the adhesive or reduction of the effectiveness of the sound insulation.

Be extra careful not to leave gaps in the Soundproofing / Sound Insulation, bats on removable panels, a bit of compression where the bats meet is desired to keep sound from leaking out through an air gap.

I picked the Sound Insulation / Soundproofing batting that had a high strength adhesive already applied to one surface, since I did not want to mess around with applying adhesive and the mess that I thought it would entail, and the cost difference was not much at all.

If the surfaces are porous (such as wood) the surfaces should be properly sealed to improve the adhesion of the Sound Insulation / Sound Proofing.  Having the bats come loose is not a pleasant experience.  If the surface is existing paint or fiberglass clean the surface well to remove any dirt, loose material or oil that might prevent the adhesive from sticking firmly to the surface.

I had some old Some of the Soundproofing / Noise Insulation to replace also.  I removed the old bats and scraped much of the old deteriorated foam off as I could with a flat scraper.  The old adhesive and foam was then cleaned off with 3M Adhesive Remover to remove the last traces of the old foam and adhesive.  Be sure to protect your hands and use lots of clean rags.

I used Soundproofing / Noise Insulation manufactured by Soundtec (North American Distributor General Insulation Company )   from Fisheries Supply in Seattle, Washington.

The basic Sound Insulating materials, a bat of sound insulating material, Mylar Tape with extra sticky adhesive and a steel fastener plate with a 2 inch pin, a steel speed washer and an aluminum domed cap (the cap is to prevent the end of the pin from injuring someone or causing the pin to catch someones clothing.

The sound insulating bat came with high strength adhesive already applied (see the blue protective sheet.

Also needed are heavy duty scissors or shears, marking pen, tape measure, straight edge.  Sheets of poster board or some heavy craft paper is also nice, make a pattern for the sound insulating bat.  Making a pattern is easier than just marking on the bat and cutting, less errors are also made with the pattern method.

Cutting the New Soundproofing / Noise Insulation Materials, with heavy shears

The sound insulation can be cut with heavy scissors or shears.

The sound insulation material is a bit stiff so it takes a bit of doing to cut the roughly one inch thick bat of insulation in this example that has several layers.

Remember to mark the Soundproofing / Noise Insulation Material bats so they will not get mixed up.

Mark the insulation in some manner before cutting the sheets so the insulation will be installed in the correct position.

Also make marks or put pieces of tape on the material the insulation is fastening to to help with proper placement of the insulation bats.

You want to dry fit the sound insulating bats to make sure everything fits correctly.

Remember to seal or finish the surface of the panel first, that will help the adhesive for the sound insulation bats stick better.

The steel plate, pin and washer are to hold the bat in place should the adhesive holding the bats in place fail.

Soundtec (the manufacture of the sound insulation I used) recommends the bats be mechanically fastened every 15 inches starting at the center of the bat in case the adhesive fails or the bats deteriorate.  If a bat comes loose it can fall down onto the engine or rotating equipment that could  cause serious damage.

The surface the Sound Proofing / Sound Insulation bats is applied to should be clean and dry with no oil or other contaminates that would prevent the adhesive from sticking to the mounting surface.

This batting uses two layers of foam with a very dense layer of mass loaded vinyl sandwiched in the center between two layers of polyether fire retardant open cell foam.

The far side is a silver Mylar vapor barrier that is also easy to clean.  The barrier keeps vapors such as fuel and lube oil from getting into the foam.

Lead used to be used as the center layer but it has now been replaced with very dense vinyl materials in this bat.

The blue adhesive covering has been partially removed at this point.

The adhesive is very aggressive so make sure the bat is in the proper position before the adhesive is allowed to touch the panel the batting is being attached to.

Pressing firmly with your hands and moving the hands only an inch or two between presses is a good idea.

The bat is ready to apply the Mylar Tape to the edge of the bat to seal the edge of the bat to keep fumes and moisture out of the batting.

I made an error here and put the washer on ahead of the Mylar Tape and had the tape on top of some of the washers with the tape not sticking completely to the batting in a couple of places.

The pin has been trimmed down to 1/8 inch above the speed washer and the aluminum domed cap has been placed over the end of the pin.

The domed cap protects people from getting injured by the raw end of the pin.

Remember to put the Mylar Tape ahead of the washer and domed cap.

Thanks for your interest in and support of boating safety

 – c / m –

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Sound Insulation

VETUS sound insulation consists of a versatile range of materials especially developed for marine applications. These products are liquid-tight and fire-resistant, with the four main product lines based on the highest quality insulation foams including Sonitech and Prometech. The sound absorption coefficients of these base foam materials are tested according to ISO 10534. VETUS sound insulation is available in various sheet thicknesses.

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