Awakening from the Dream

Boat Owners Love Acoustiblok – Summer is here, and boating enthusiasts are flocking to the waterways. They are ready for some relaxing fun in the sun and waves. Most have an idyllic vision of lazy days spent cruising on the water. But they are often met with the unexpected reality of extremely loud engine noise. Noise so loud, conversation becomes impossible and the noise itself becomes an assault on the senses. To say nothing of the impact on wildlife and local residents living near the water.

Roy and Chris Emerson couldn’t wait to hit the water last August. They had recently purchased a Yamaha SX230. A 320-horsepower, 23-foot, high output jet-boat, designed for luxury and performance. It seemed like the perfect craft for spending a comfortable day on the lake. What the Emersons didn’t realize was the unbearable nature of the noise emanating from the boat’s dual engines. It was a high decibel whine that resonated up through the cabin floor area. The Emersons had to shout to carry on a conversation, which diminished their enjoyment on the water.

The Dream Became a Nightmare

The thrill quickly turned sour. “My wife said she didn’t know if she could deal with the noise,” Emerson said. Being near the end of summer, Roy had the entire winter to research noise reduction options for their boat.

“I belong to a group of Yamaha jet boaters. I asked some of the members if they had found any noise reduction material that worked,” Emerson said.

“Almost everyone who had tried one solution or another told me they were disappointed with the results. But one guy had used Acoustiblok on the sides of his engine wall, and he said it worked great.

“It was the only noise solution that anyone found to work on boats, so I decided to try it.”

Emerson contacted Acoustiblok, and with help from one of their representatives, he purchased a quantity of the Acoustiblok material. Emerson custom measured, cut, and applied the material himself. He covered the sides of the engine wall, the engine cover, and the large gas tank cover.

The results were impressive. Emerson says the boat is now so quiet, he and his wife can talk and relax while underway. They now enjoy their boating getaways without the rattles and roar that had them questioning their choice of recreation.

Emerson completed the project just in time to enjoy the entire summer. The spent it cruising and relaxing on the waters of Brookville Lake and Lake Cumberland. These are two of the couple’s favorite boating spots.

“The change was immediate,” Emerson said of the couple’s first trip out on the boat after the Acoustiblok installation. “Now we’re experiencing the fun of the recreational boating lifestyle we envisioned when we first decided to buy the boat.”