Ultrasonic Hull Protector?

Jun 11, 2004
1,621
Oday 31 Redondo Beach
From a long ago article I read (Popular Science).
The Navy pulled a ship our for bottom paint due to large scale barnacle cover. There was a large area of bottom near a porthole free of any barnacles. They investigated and found that a couple of very young seamen were bunked it that area and kept a radio playing rock all the time. Apparently the vibrations from the continuous music extended to the hull area and made it impossible for barnacles to attach with all that vibration. It was a pretty extensive two page article.

I guess barnacles do not like rock music.

I guess a loud radio playing rock music all the time inside boat will make barnacles sick and leave boat alone. I am going to try it on my sailboat this year. I've got an old radio I can leave inside boat full time. Hopefully it will keep the damn slime off also.
Please report back with results after a year. Be sure to include the playlist!
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,027
-na -NA Anywhere USA
@Solarfy

Hello Bellow said it well. You know us old sailors had our own music but the youngsters have their music. If the barnacles are old salty seadogs like us, RAP vs. Rock and Roll, will RAP make the barnacles run away faster for us old farts?
 
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Likes: Solarfry
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
Except that rap is not music. To be music, it would need to have both rhythm and a tune. As an art form, it is poetry, but it is not music. Truthfully I'm not sure it would scare away the sea creatures. When ever I would crank music with a heavy rhythm, my goldfish used to dance to it - seriously! They never danced to Vivaldi, even though I crank that as well.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
I can't remember who or where, but someone installed a tiny speaker (like a tweeter) in the fiberglass of the cockpit seats. This tiny speaker is designed to re-verb sound through solid materials, I wish I could remember what it was called but other than that there are no regular speakers installed. Well, if anyone wanted to test the theory of music vs bottom growth I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper to bed a few of these little speakers to the hull rather than a fancy ultrasonic system, then just put your iPod on shuffle, LOL.
 
Oct 6, 2007
1,023
Hunter H30 1982 Chicago IL
Then of course there is the Bilge-Dry system to get that extra ounce of water your bilge pump will not get. I was interested until the rep told me the minimum system was $1500. :yikes:
The ultra sonic hull cleaning system sounds dubious to me, but I do have a Bilge-Dry system. Mine is the economy model though.
IMG_0637.JPG
 
Jul 26, 2016
94
American Sail 18 MDR
@Solarfy

Hello Bellow said it well. You know us old sailors had our own music but the youngsters have their music. If the barnacles are old salty seadogs like us, RAP vs. Rock and Roll, will RAP make the barnacles run away faster for us old farts?
Not enough bass. You need the low end vibrations to knock the silly lil bastirds off. It's the low end that shakes em.

I imagine a couple of sub-woofers in there would do the job. Going to install a pair of JL Audio 12" boomer in there. That oughta rock em off. [;~)
 
Jul 26, 2016
94
American Sail 18 MDR
The ultra sonic hull cleaning system sounds dubious to me, but I do have a Bilge-Dry system. Mine is the economy model though.
View attachment 142098
I sure need one of those in my motorboat. I always have about 1/2" of water in there I can't suck it out with the industrial wet dry vacuum cleaner. Maybe it needs more suction?. I had a friend once that would o kept it dry but..
 
Sep 15, 2013
707
Catalina 270 Baltimore
Very interesting stuff. The problem with all of these experiments is you have to start with a clean bottom. Which means you would have to haul the boat and clean the bottom. And who hauls the boat and cleans the bottom without putting on new bottom paint if it needs it? Not me.
 
Sep 15, 2013
707
Catalina 270 Baltimore
Likely as much snake oil as the ultra sound devices for ridding your houses of bugs... but at least they only take you for 39 bucks....
My Girlfriend's parents have these things in their house and I have very rarely seen a bug there. They do not have an exterminator. The house is 15 years old and they have had them since it was built. I have to make an informed statement that in this case they appear to work. Now that I have a trustworthy charger I think I will buy a few and plug them in onboard. I will report back next year as to their effectiveness.