Noise laws
 

It seems like I never heard any really loud go fast boats this year :) . Are there new noise laws now? Seems like they were discussed last Winter but I don't recall the outcome. Mufflers are a good thing.

I also noticed the noise from motorcycles was way down this year as compared to years past. And I am very happy about it.:D

New noise laws... on the spot testing... Very good thing!

I think alot of people see noise and speed as synonymous. if you hear a big boat, it must be going fast. I informally polled my friends and it seems to me that it was an almost even split 50/50 pass/fail. Alot of people who failed the spot test later passed the drive by test. Perhaps in an "ambient noise level" issue with the spot test? No doubt the MP are compiling stats so as to iprove the test. I have not yet been "officially" tested, but unofficially my boat passed.

Now if they would just allow switchable exhaust.... as long as you passed the noise test both ways!

Woodsy

Me too, but it took a ½-mile of muddy roadway to keep them from my doorstep!

As to boats—about the same as last year: many of the usual speedboats rafted in a relatively wake-free area near a public beach, rather than burn fuel. (I guess). :confused:

Over the past four months, I called the MPs for several noisy ones: one was likely a drunk and operating recklessly. An MP appeared shortly, chased him for about 30 seconds into a long narrow cove, turned around and gave up! :eek:

BTW: Are there any Crownlines without selective exhaust?

There's a big Crownline dealer (Oxbow Marina, if memory serves) in South Hampton (I think) MA that seems to outfit every boat on the lot with selective exhaust. I spent a weekend on the CT River in July and could not believe the noise coming from all the Crownline "family" (NOT GFBL style) boats, roaring up and down the river. I bet many are trailered to NH now and then.

It was nice to see GFBL boats flying accross the broads making little noise this Summer. They are not my scene, but as long as they are quiet, I think they are pretty neat to have around. Some of the loudest boats
I heard this season were old (or old looking) mahogany speed boats. They "rumble" nicely though, they don't "crackle" like some of the GFBLs used to.

I think loud motorcyles are awful too, especially the slow ones... Mine are all quiet.

Dave R, your statement is profound and the GFB'ers could do themselves a huge favor by taking note.

DaveR --- I find that comment about the Marina in Western MA strange (not that i don't believe you) because Mass along with NH BOTH do not allow Switchable exhausts --- as recently as last year on our new Crown I tried and was denied by the dealer (NH based). It was eithor through the prop or sideport exhaust (baffled).

I have a friend who just had through the hull exhaust installed in his Crownline.Don't know where but it was done locally at the lake.

Switchable exhausts a good idea?
 

As we all know NH does not allow switchable exhausts. However is does not mandate which exhaust ports must be used.

I assume that the selector lever is built in (at an expense) by the builder to give the operator the option of bypassing the muffling system when doing their go fast thing (usually done in open, uncrowded places) and then cutting them in when reducing speed and entering more populated areas. If only to be polite.

A rule that removes this option to me is just dumb. I do not think that the owner if given a choice of one or the other will choose the system that reduces the shaft horsepower of his go fast boat. He got the boat for a thrill and speed and I expect that he will choose the latter.

I have done many Vessel Safety Checks and have never seen a go fast that chose not to go "on the wild side"!

Just a thought.

Misty Blue

There is no law against through hull exhaust as long as:

1) Effective mufflers are installed
2) The sound level is within limits (for that vintage vessel/powerplant)

Notice I didn't mention an adjustable mechanism, because that is another issue.

Misty...

My boat has the switchable exhaust (mechanically disabled) and it also has mufflers... I think switchable exhaust should be allowed as long as the boat passes the sound test either way...

Sometimes, (as witnessed by the 3 sailboaters in the broads last weekend) I just like to put along at headway speed. It would be nice to be able to do this silently instead of just quietly....

I don't mind exhaust noise when your out in the middle... but I tend to agree with most that some boats are too loud, especially at night when the ambient noise level is low...

Woodsy

Maybe they all just have loud boats down there... The local folks I was with said "Captain's Call" was a popular option and that Crownies with through hulls had it. Spoke with a Monterry 298 SC (really nice boat) owner down there and his boat had switchable exhaust (he showed them to me). His boat had the same sort of noise levels at speed as the Crownies.

Maybe I'm an old fart but, seems kinda silly to have loud exhaust on a 35 MPH cruising speed bow rider. I think the droning would get tiring quickly for the passengers.

I think switchable exhaust is a great idea and should indeed be allowed if it passes the noise test in either mode.

Switchable exhaust that passes sound test either way?:rolleye2:

Adjustable exhaust systems are an expensive option that can add several thousand dollars to the price of a boat.

How many people do you think would spend that money on a system that would not exceed legal sound level limit in the open position?

That would be like buying an option on a car that would allow 45 mph top speed adjustable to 65mph top speed.

Those that say they want adjustable exhaust to make the boat quiet are fooling nobody. They want it to make the boat loud. If they really wanted quiet, they would choose a boat with through the prop exhaust. If they want mellow, then they could choose through hull with GOOD mufflers.

What is the difference?
 

Does anyone have definitive information about how much difference in speed it makes for all the aggravation and cost involved?

Make it Quiet
 

How can you possibly pass the noise test with the mufflers bypassed? I say make it as quiet as you can, pilot it in a sane manner, and the speed limit issue will go away!

on my bosses boat with the exhaust open it's about 1 mph maybe 2 faster on the GPS

I agree with those that can't see a reason that family bowriders have loud exhausts, there's sylvan bowrider with through hulls that aggravates me every weekend going up and down the channel usually at more than no wake speed.

For the record, I like a nice rumble as much as anyone, but unmuffled straight exhaust is unacceptably loud.

I bought my Donzi 26ZX used, but the boat came from the factory with Corsa Mufflers and the Quick and Quiet system. If you set the Quick and Quiet to the open position, 100% of the exhaust exits thru the mufflers. In this position my boat will have no problem passing the noise test. If you set the Quick & Quiet system to the closed position, approximately 80% of the exhaust is diverted thru the prop, the other 20% or so still exits via the mufflers. This quiets my boat down even more... obviously, it will pass the noise test in this position. I don't understand why switchable exhaust should be illegal if the boat passes the sound test either way? I really don't understand all of the opposition to it either...

Due to noise laws around the country most hi-performance boats sold nowadays are equipped with the switchable exhaust and mufflers too... I also know for a fact ole Merrill Faye sells his Chapparalls with switchable exhaust.... even though they are illegal in NH.

I don't think very many people will go thru the trouble of installing the switchable exhaust on an older boat... although with the current noise laws they will probably have to pony up the $$$ for a set of mufflers. The days of straight pipes are done! But those of us with newer boats that have a switchable exhaust can at least be mindful of our neighbors and be a little quieter... especially at night when people would be sleeping.

Woodsy

I would add a swichable system if it were legal.

My boat currently has a thru hull system that is muffled, legal and meets back pressure requirements from Mercruiser. I would not change this part of my system but in some situations it would be nice to have more noise reduction, late night, town docks, crowded areas.......

The cost of a system is not bad at all. Cost is pretty minimal when you consider the coat of most boats and accessories. I know people who have spent more on fish finders, and chart plotters. I would gladly spend the money and I have come close, however I can’t get past the fact that updating my boat with the ability to be even more respectful to others would be reason itself for a ticket. Then there is the part of the law that would keep me off the lake until I disabled the system. Cost would become an issue once I was forced to disconnect it.

Until the law changes, I will run my boat as is .....Legally loud and I will spend my exhaust budget on stereo upgrades. That is until some groups lobbies to outlaw the volume control knob in the name of safety.


Chase1

But can you hear signaling-devices, such as the whistle the MPs require us to carry?