For the boaters among our “readership”, you will relate to this question. Every noise on the boat creates awareness….and possibly concern.
If the noise is new, it is a concern.
If the noise is unidentifiable, it is REALLY a concern.
Therefore, on our new boat, with lots of new unidentified noises, we ask “What is THAT noise?” often.
Our prior boats had lots of squeaks and rattles – all of which we had identified and most of which we had tried to eliminate. One of the noises was the slapping of halyards and wiring INSIDE the mast. This noise could not be eliminated without pulling the mast so we learned to “live with it”,but it was always annoying.
On our new boat, some noises related to the new engines are monitored closely by Dave, who has the ability to hear and even diagnose engine noises that Linda doesn’t even notice. So if we have to motor for a long time, Dave is always listening. Linda just hears a subtle “white noise”.
Because of our advancing ages, some noises are heard more easily by one or the other of us. Linda hears the softer high-pitched noises easier than Dave. The soft beep when the electronic barometer buttons are pressed will wake up Linda quickly, while the occasional “alarm” beep when GPS signal is lost takes Dave longer to identify. It is a good thing our collective hearing covers the sound spectrum.
After more than 4 months and over 7000 miles, we are starting (thankfully) to ask the “What is that noise?” question less and less. But as boaters, we are always listening.