COMMERCIAL VESSELS

Most commercial vessels hold one thing in common. They are maritime businesses.

There is a subcategory beneath this major heading, those that include overnight passage and therefore necessitate being fitted out with sleeping quarters. These might include freighters, cruise ships and steamboats among others.

Then there are those whose function is completed within the space of a business day. In the literal sense of the term, they might be thought of as "day trippers". This type might include casino boats, whalers, ferries, sport fishing craft, launches and water taxis, patrol boats, pilot boats and tugboats.

Each type of water craft seeks noise and vibration mitigation in its design, but to different degrees and for different reasons. For the sleeping comfort of passengers while a cruise ship is underway, it is logical that noise and vibration be kept to a minimum in the cabin areas.

Sometimes the noise levels on boats do not violate noise level requirements set forth in the U.S. Coast Guard's, Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular No. 12-82, Recommendations on Control of Excessive Noise"; but, when boats that serve as a work place, crew could benefit from noise controls to avoid fatigue on the job which could result in safety advantages. J&A made recommendations to a tug company making for a quieter work environment both on deck and below deck.

Quieting a boat may be of strategic importance for communicating information vital to the successful navigation through hostel waters or to escape detection by hostel vessels.

Creating the most comfortable vessel, in terms of sound and vibration mitigation, is not the only parameter when balancing the sound proofing equation. Another major factor in determining the proper solution is weight requirements. A requirement of the fast ferry is to deliver the passenger from Point A to Point B the quickest way. So, in addition to comfort and safety, the boat owner is seeking solutions that are light weight with minimal impact on forward progress in the water.

For the owner of a commercial vessel one further factor in this equation is profitability. A noisy, shaky ride will motivate passengers to seek transportation elsewhere. A noise and vibration solution giving maximum comfort to the passenger but costing more than the market will bear is no solution. Getting from Point A to Point B the fastest, most comfortable way for the lowest fare is the best solution for both the passenger and, therefore, the owner. The boat has to accomplish its business purpose, which will include noise and vibration mitigation as stated in all the examples given above, with as little impact on its profit margin as possible.

Fire safety is also part of the package when applying sound proofing onboard any boat, and J&A can achieve both fire safety and noise control with the same material application. Joe Smullin, president of J&A Enterprises, has attested to the fact that, "J&A has designed innovative, fire rated insulation systems, meeting the latest MCA requirements calling for "steel equivalent" or greater protection of structural elements. Our ground breaking design has been executed while, at the same time, maintaining the high degree of excellence of noise and vibration requirements for which we are noted".