Refine the Ride
Refine the Ride Do drivetrains fitted with thrust bearings (and associated joints) reduce noise and vibration? Indeed they do—provided the mechanical connections are properly specified, installed, and maintained. Text and photographs What can I do to make my boat a compression of air, creating waves. by Steve D’Antonio quieter? So, many onboard sources from audio It’s a question I’ve been asked many speakers to diesel engine blocks, have times in my years as a boatyard man- the capacity to make noise in the form ager, technical writer, and marine of compression waves that reach your industry consultant. ear directly; or to cause other objects Insulation, perhaps the first thought, aboard the boat to resonate in sym- is not the answer. Granted, the more pathetic vibration, and thus generate you surround noisy engines, generators, their own sound waves. Isolating such pumps, and compressors with sound- sources of vibration gets challenging, absorbing material, the less noise will especially in the confined space of an reach your ear. But where noise and engineroom, where drive components vibration are concerned, isolation is must be hard-mounted to a vessel’s Above–A good thrust-bearing system— even better than sound containment, structure. like this one supported by a substantial and that’s where thrust-bearing drive- metal “bridge” that spans the vessel’s trains come into play. Traditional Running Gear stringers—can effectively absorb all Isolating rather than absorbing The following traditional approach propeller thrust and vibration, reducing vibration minimizes noise from the to running gear has worked exception- wear on the transmission.
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