RISY....
I am guessing the reporter knows very little about boats and paraphrased the actual quote. But then again some people take everything they read as fact regardless of the source!
There are 2 popular modern marine sterndrive exhaust systems used by most boat builders, both systems use water to cool and somewhat muffle the exhaust. The most popular system on runabouts and small cruisers (300HP and under) exit below the waterline through the sterndrive using the slight negative pressure created by the propeller to help evacuate the exhaust. This is far & away the quietest system. The exhaust system does not require any mufflers and is rarely if ever above the water. However it is limited to smaller marine engines.
On larger HP boats, (300 and up) most boat manufacturers offer a thru hull system that allows the exhaust to exit through the transom or side of the boat and into the air. This system usually has the rumble of an older corvette. By NH law, this type of system requires mufflers. The noise level of any motorized vessel must not exceed these limits...
Stationary test limit:
90 decibels for engines manufactured prior to January 1, 1991
88 decibels for engines manufactured on or after January 1, 1991
Moving test limit as measured on the “A” scale and from a distance of 50 feet:
84 decibels for engines manufactured prior to January 1, 1991
82 decibels for engines manufactured on or after January 1, 1991
Coincedentally, the NH law is pretty much in line with the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) standards for noise regulation. So most boats built in the last 20 years or so have conformed to the NMMA standards... even as those standards have tightened up over the years.
http://www.nmma.org/lib/docs/nmma/gr...ssions_NPS.doc
The switchable exhaust system, also called "Captain's Call" or "Quick & Quiet" is the best of both worlds! It allows the boat owner to switch between thru hull or thru the propeller.... thus quieting the boat when idling around the docks, or late night early morning cruises.
The proposed law
REQUIRES THE BOAT TO CONFORM TO THE NOISE REGULATIONS IN THE OPEN (LOUD) OR CLOSED (QUIET) POSITION.... so if a boat legally passes the noise test to begin with, how does the switchable exhaust cause any harm??
If I can be quieter around the docks, or enjoy early morning cruises quietly... I am all for it! I do not understand why anyone would not be!
Woodsy