Like sleeping inside a congo drum

[IslandHopper]

It's like anything, once you are used to it you (most) don't even notice it....

[Symphony]

I had a Tartan 34-2 with terrific slap on the transom from wakes. It was very loud and always let us know when the first boats were leaving the marina or anchorage to go fishing.

Some boats suffer slap on the bow instead of the stern. Any kind of overhang on a light, thin hull has the potential for slap.

People have made “diapers” of foam or several layers of padded tarps, others use foam pool noodles or lifeline noodles on a line. The idea is to break the top of the wavelets before they slap the hull.

And yes, my current boat is heavy cold-mold mahogany for sound insulation. : )

[Shanty1]

Mate my old motor boat “Shanty” did exactly the same thing. For me it was from the front. The boat had Spray Chines that went out probably 5 cm. Where they go under the water is the bit. Very very loud and annoying. Just put the radio on. I did put the pool noodles under but they just come out. Easiest thing to do on really bad nights was to move out onto the hammock on the back deck.
Ya wake up with a nice view at least.
Regards
Mick

[Shanty1]

Mate your not alone. My old wooden motor boat “Shanty” did the same thing. Except from the bow. It had these spray chines that stuck out about 5cm. Slap slap slap all night long. If it got shitty I would just sleep in the hammock on the back deck.
I love sleeping in hammocks and you wake up with a nice view.
Regards,
Mick

[Seymore]

That's the advantage of double enders. They split waves coming from behind and tend to not slap.

[stillbuilding]

Double ended with double berth aft. No slap that I am aware of.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Seymore

That's the advantage of double enders. They split waves coming from behind and tend to not slap.

Originally Posted by stillbuilding

Double ended with double berth aft. No slap that I am aware of.

Yep, no slap on this backside. I love the aft cabin, quietest place on the boat.

[markpierce]

Shouldn't the sound of seas/nature be relaxing?

[Symphony]

Jeff Anderson of Vacuwash in New Hampshire makes a Slap Silencer for bow or stern. like a padded sail cloth diaper. looks well engineered.

[valrichardson]

I've been living aboard on a river for almost a year, and I found the noise of water slapping on the hull very disturbing at first. Now it puts me to sleep.


--Valerie

[AiniA]

If it is going to be a reasonably quiet night (yes, I know) you can anchor from the stern.

[johna]

I also have a Beneteau 37- 2011 with the same issue. I hear the “slap” only when I sleep with my head in the far aft . I now sleep head on the port side with feet to starboard and barely hear anything. Hope it helps.

[Cheechako]

It often happens in marinas. Were you anchored or in a marina? Yes it can be annoying for sure. It's just the wave angle to the hull. I've also had it happen more rarely when wavelets are bending around a point of land hitting the anchored boat at just the wrong angle.

[wiekeith]

The slapping on my boat would sometimes generate a loud 'boom' that was really annoying. I put some self-adhesive butyl sound-deadening pads on the hull section (inboard) under the sugar-scoop bathing step. It totally stopped it.

[Normanskier]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Many boats ,including my Catalina 470 get that slap. It depends on the Anchorage. Mostly it's ok,sometimes its terrible, you adapt and get used to it. No perfect boat.

Force the bow into the waves. There is more to wave direction than wind. I have seen and done a maneuver by putting an anchor out to your beam and kedge the bow into the waves. I can’t recall the name of it but there is one.