richg99 said:
I guess I cannot see why any Limber Holes have to be added???
There's no way for water collected in the center of the boat - fore to aft - to drain to the stern (like when at rest or while getting up on plane) so that a bilge pump can get it out. Or so that it could drain out via the drain plug when removed. Absence of a 'limber hole' feature was probably a
bean counter conceived cost savings idea, but to me it's an extremely poor design! I can envision water being trapped in there and freezing, putting additional stress on the rivets. Plus I HATE a wet bilge!
Do they need to be added? Good question! Maybe not ... if not used in a boat with a deck, or in freezing climates or where the owner doesn't care about standing water or manages to get it out with a sponge. So while not mandatory, if it were my boat
for my use (saltwater environment & freezing ccccccccold Winters), then I sure would do something about it. Imagine if you had a fuel spill under the deck and there was no way to get it all out, when it was trapped in-between the ribs and the boat was decked over ... :shock: ?
Then again, my bros and I once lost an eel in the 'enclosed' bilge of an old wooden boat ... didn't find it (oops
)... but my Father sure did! A week later (Summer, 90 degrees temperature) ... when rowing out to the boat and he said could SMELL it a mile away! ... and he knew instantly which son did it! You know, the one named
"Not me!"