Water Slapping the Hull of Aluminum

L

Larry Eckart

Well-known member
Guys,
Yesterday I had the pleasure of hunting with Bob Petrisch of New Bern, NC and also of this website. I will write about that hunt soon, but I have a question.

While we were hunting from his 18' Crestliner a nice chop came up and the water was making a rather loud slap on the side of the boat. I remember this also happened with my 18' Starcraft back in Michigan.

First question: can't remember. Does fiberglass slap the same way?

Second question: do you think this bothers the ducks?

Third question: anyone ever tried to minimize that slapping sound on their aluminum boat?

Larry
 
Larry,

I've had the same slapping on both aluminum and glass boats when anchored with the bow into the wind. I have usually been able to eliminate or greatly reduce this by shifting weight around to change the angle where the hull meets the water.

Don't think one could do much with waves slapping the sides except tying off at a different location of the hull to rotate the boat a bit in relation to the wave action.

To answer you 2nd question; Not sure it bothers the ducks but I can see it NOT being a good thing. Besides, it bothers the crap out of me and that's reason enough to try change things up. :>)
 
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If ducks are close enough to hear waves slapping the hull, they should also be close enough to hear pellets whistling around them :)

I've actually put some thought to what a duck can hear in flight-seems to me that flying along at 50 or so mph would be a pretty noisy experience-I've hit that speed on a snowboard and the wind noise is pretty extreme! Then again a duck's ears are buried under feathers so who knows!
 
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Given all the other wind and wave noise I don t think it matters. But it can be annoying!!
 
Phil I agree with you. I'm by no means a scientist but I would have to imagine that evolution would have made it so ducks can hear well during flight. I've seen teal respond well to soft subtle peeps on a whistle and that isnt nearly as loud as some of the water slapping my hull on my boat.

To answer the questions though they both make a noise but they are diffrent in my experience. Aluminum is a bit sharper and fiberglass a bit more muffled and a dull thud in comparison. While I've killed ducks with the wind slapping my boat I've also had them flare off. Now I'm not sure if this is a result of the noise or possibly they can see that "part of land" that is now moving and bobbing and that's what put them off. Or maybe something else all together. I no longer anchor out in the middle and usually hunt from layout blinds on the shore now but when I am in a boat blind I try my best to be completely in a Lee and therefore don't have to worry about noise or the movement of the boat
 
Larry, it was very loud that day. I think it is a factor of wave ,or more accurately, chop size. When the chop hits the boat at the right height and angle....the bell starts to ring.
It might have gotten better if I set the boat at a different angle. Could have moved the bow line from the tow eye to a corner cleat. Could also relocated the stern line although that would take more work. Remember if you start working in the boat guarantee that birds will come in.
I lived on a sailboat for a year, sleeping in the V birth. Some nights quiet and other nights it was like sleeping in a kettle drum. Worse nights was with a mild wind. Heavy wind caused larger waves and they did not make much noise.
 
Tod hit the nail on the head with his advice.

Wooden boats are a pleasure to hunt & fish out of, but of course much more costly.

I'm not certain about the sound flaring ducks, but it sure does not help fishing at all, Lyman made some wonderful boats that were fishing dream machines, and still are.
 
Phil-I'm not saying they can't hear, just that an ambient noise like waves breaking or water slapping a hull probably won't register to them. I'm sure they can hear calling. I've got absolutely no proof to back any of this up, just pure speculation.
 
You can quiet the noise quite a bit using vibration damping tape. This type of product is what is used to quiet many appliances, cars, airplanes and anything where vibrations cause noise. There are many types on the market but I would stick with a 3M product called 2552 Vibration damping tape. The adhesive used, and the damping material are what make this product different from competitors. Technology involved is called multi component multi cured. Because of this technology, the foiled tape will dampen vibrations (noise) over a very broad temperature range. Most other products of this nature will only damp vibration over a very narrow temperature band.

I don't know where you would get this Larry but I bet it is not cheap. You would have to experiment where to place it as well. It would work, I just don't know how much it would cost and how much time it would take.

Mark w
 
Don't worry about the water slap too much if you are hunting over plastic blocks...the noise from all of them slapping against the water will help drown out your hull slap. ;)
Hunting in a large stake blind pretty high up over the water this year I noticed how noisy all the plastic decoys were...noisy enough to definitely flair birds. Corks or foamers are much quieter.
 
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