When we mounted that fire extinguisher there, we had no idea that it would quickly become the most annoying thing on the boat. Well, at least when we motored.
The minute we turned on the engine, the bottom corner would vibrate against the wall. It was going to wear a hole in the wall in no time (it’s gelcoat) but more than that, it was driving us nuts. Vibration noise is very wearing and we make every effort to stop every bit of it that we can.
I walked down to take the fire extinguisher off the wall for the duration of the trip, and my eye caught a scrap of Velcro from a project I’d done earlier.
Hmm, a little piece of adhesive Velcro? The fuzzy side?
I trimmed up the edges to make it a nice small rectangle — maybe 1/2″ by 1″ — and stuck it on the wall where the fire extinguisher was hitting it. Instant silence.
Unless you look for it, it’s unnoticeable as the white is very close in color to the wall. I even had a hard time getting a photo where it was obvious.
Got something on your boat that’s vibrating and making a racket? Would a little piece of fuzzy Velcro silence it? Got another innovative solution?
Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
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Diana K Weigel says
When we get back in the water I’m going to go hunting with my trusty Velcro for noisy items. Thanks for the tip.
John Brethauer says
Chair leg felts. We also used cabinet door felt dots on the floor board corners.
James Edgerly says
Why not put the Velcro on the extinguisher? It would keep the boat clean looking, but silence the vibration. The only time you would see it on the extinguisher is when it is in use…and hey, you would probably be too busy to notice it at that particular point in time.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Good idea. That would work well particularly on surfaces where the Velcro wouldn’t stick well. In my case, the velcro matched the wall better than the red extinguisher.
Keith Davie says
And then there are the slapping halyards – annoying both aboard AND to anyone else in the anchorage! We’ve learned to tie them back to the shrouds far enough to silence them, and I’ve even been known to board unoccupied boats nearby to secure those – but I doubt Miss Manners would approve of that! Why don’t people tie them when they leave the boat?
Stephan February says
Am I the only one who gets annoyed by the vibrations, then get scared when they go away by themselves ? 🙂
The Boat Galley says
Oh yeah. When any “funny” noise on the boat goes away by itself. Question: what just fell apart?
Becky Croston says
We have a door that gets held open by a long hook that rattles annoyingly. I cut a piece of pipe insulation foam tube that has a slot down its length. long enough to fit a little tight between the door and wall. Stopped the rattle. Peace!
Dave Paoletta says
At certain rpm’s the stainless divider (above the heating element) inside my propane stove/oven unit makes a mighty racket. I have wrapped the wire racks in rubber shelf liner but the actual innards of the oven still make tons of noise. When not in use, I typically secure the stove and don’t allow it to swing on it’s gimbals when under way…
Any suggestions?
Carolyn Shearlock says
I’d start by tightening every screw you can find and using Loctite on each. That helped tremendously on our stove!
Cathleen Speaker Holzknecht says
Great idea! Furniture felt pads work good too.
Dave Skolnick says
Contents of lockers vibrating, clinking together, and generally rolling about can be a problem as well. This is particularly a problem in pantries as we eat our supplies. There are limits to how often we want to consolidate lockers. “Sorry we can’t come to the beach barbecue – we have to reorganize our lockers.” My solution is to make sure we have plenty of paper towels and toilet paper. The paper products never go bad, are always useful for their primary purpose, and make dandy rattle stoppers in lockers.
Scott Doublisky says
My entire boat buzzes like a bee hive when I run the outboard at certain rpm’s… That gets old fast
Joysealife.com says
I would think putting a few large rubber bands around it would work. Those big blue ones that come on vegetables could be put around bottles. I’ve put things in koozie drink holders too.