Acoustic radiation from merchant vessels at blade rate frequency and harmonics is caused by direct radiation from cavitation volume fluctuations and from forced vibration of the ship hull caused by unsteady propeller forces. Reciprocal measurements were made on a structural scale model of a 600‐ft tanker (1: 100 scale) to determine the relationship between forced ship hull vibration and radiated power. Unsteady propeller forces have been predicted theoretically in order to estimate the acoustic power radiated by ship hull vibrations. Analytical methods have been used to predict cavitation volume fluctuations and the acoustic power radiated by these fluctuations. For a typical single screw merchant vessel, it is shown that the acoustic power at blade rate and harmonics radiated directly from cavitation volume fluctuations will dominate over the radiation from the hull response to unsteady propeller forces.