| Burger 144 |  |
Aside from the yacht’s scale and execution, the greatest
success may be the yacht’s sound engineering, accomplished with the assistance
of Sjaak van Cappellen of Silent Line Noise and Vibration Control. Because savvy
owners know it can be harder to quiet an aluminum hull than a steel one, Donovan
noted that specific sound levels were part of Mirgab V’s contract. The
unusual thing for a builder was » that Donovan said
that with a smile. While controlling sound is a balancing act of rubber mounts
and heavy insulation versus contracted draft and running speeds, reducing noise
is a hot-button issue at the yard and has sparked innovations large and
small.
So did Burger meet the target numbers? With characteristic
Midwestern humility, Donovan replied that Mirgab’s readings were 20 to 25
decibels below contracted limits, depending on area and conditions. "With one
generator running and the air conditioning on low, the reading is twenty-eight
decibels in the owner’s cabin," said Donovan. "Under way, readings in the owners
cabin are in the forties."
To achieve these remarkable numbers, Donovan said the yard
"floated everything, including the ceiling, utilized double glass on all
portlights, enclosed the wire chases and added a thrust bearing on each drive
unit." And, yes, the semi-displacement hull still delivers performance—a 16-knot
cruising speed and 18.5 knots wide open.
"Without question, our number one intent was to design and build a product
that would conclusively elevate the Burger brand; to at least get us on par
with the northern European yards in fit, finish and performance," said Ross. "I
think it is safe to say Mirgab has taken Burger to that level."
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