# Hole in my Hells Bay



## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

Just picked a 01 Guide. And the PO was a total jackass. I have found a lot of cheap and stupid things he did. But I found a perfectly round 1/4 hole in the front spray chime. It's tucked up in the curve of the chime. You can't see it unless you get under it. But it's about 10-12"s from the front. Any idea of why this is here? Is it to vent something? Seems lime a dumb place for a hole. It would only be in the water on a hard dive into a wave. But still I don't like the idea of a hole in my hull.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Sounds like a trip to Glasser's shop/mini vacation is in order


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

Swampfox,

Hells Bay put them there as a drain for the "boxed in area" at the nose of the boat.  I think they did this where a flush cleat or pop up light would be installed.  I talked to Paul Payne @ Hells Bay and he added that the USCG requires a drain on every compartment, so they still put them there, regardless if a cleat is installed or not. 

I have the same thing on mine and thought about filling it with a small amount of marine caulk, but will leave it alone after talking to Paul.

When will you post some pictures of your new skiff?


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## [email protected] (Aug 15, 2010)

My buddy just bought a brand new 18 waterman and it has the same thing. At first he thought someone at hells bay f***ed up big time but he called and they told him that all their boats have it and that its to vent moisture from the front compartment. I guess this helps with the rust of the tank and other components inside that hatch and maybe prevention of mold. 

I think its a bad spot to put it but apparently water doesn't get in. Im sure Hells Bay knows what theyre doing after 15 years of making some of the best skiffs around.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

Cool I was hoping that was the case.


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

Snookintime,

It is actually not in the front compartment, but in the very front enclosed bulkhead at the nose of the skiff.

In the picture below, the weep hole would be at the far left, back corner of the compartment where the tape measure is sitting.. I hope this picture helps..


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## [email protected] (Aug 15, 2010)

Snookdaddy,

yea that picture helps a lot. Now I can see that if water comes in it will only get into that small bulkhead area at the nose of the skiff. I didn't know there was a bulkhead that far to the nose so I thought if water came in it would get into the compartment where the fuel tank is. Makes sense now,


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

Yep makes sense now.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

Yep makes sense now. Except wouldn't be best to air tight for flotation?


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I filed mine in when I first got my boat, I thought the previous owner messed up and forgot to fix it. 
So if water goes in the front compartment where does it go? Does it just sit in there? To my knowledge I dont have anything draining into that hole. Seems like you would want it covered so water doesn't get in.


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## [email protected] (Aug 15, 2010)

> I filed mine in when I first got my boat, I thought the previous owner messed up and forgot to fix it.
> So if water goes in the front compartment where does it go? Does it just sit in there? To my knowledge I dont have anything draining into that hole. Seems like you would want it covered so water doesn't get in.


From the pic it appears if water comes in it will just drain right out. If water comes in through that hole it appears that the area in front of the bulkhead would be higher than the hole so it should fall back out the hole.


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## gfish (Jan 14, 2009)

My 2002 Pro has it as well.
When I took possession, the front compartment had a couple of gallons of water up there that would not come out. I drilled a hole in the front compartment and drained it into the front hatch and then wet vacuumed it out.
I resealed the hole and then 5200 the outside 1/4 hole. I haven't had any more issues.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

I don't have a HB but I do know if that space is airtight then condensation will form and water will be trapped and it will cause issues down the road. To me that is another example why HB is at the top of the industry.


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## gfish (Jan 14, 2009)

> I don't have a HB but I do know if that space is airtight then condensation will form and water will be trapped and it will cause issues down the road.  To me that is another example why HB is at the top of the industry.


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## flatsmaster22 (Feb 24, 2007)

I have a pop up cleat on the bow and was told that hole is to drain water that gets in through the cleat


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

> Just picked a 01 Guide. And the PO was a total jackass. I have found a lot of cheap and stupid things he did. But I found a perfectly round 1/4 hole in the front spray chime. It's tucked up in the curve of the chime. You can't see it unless you get under it. But it's about 10-12"s from the front. Any idea of why this is here? Is it to vent something? Seems lime a dumb place for a hole. It would only be in the water on a hard dive into a wave. But still I don't like the idea of a hole in my hull.


That's the drain for the pop-up cleat water proofing cup.

My Dolphin had a tube that goes from the cup all the way back to the hatch drains.

http://shop.acconmarine.com/products/21-waterproofing-cup-for-pop-up-cleats.aspx


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

Yet 1 more Hells Bay conspiracy!


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

> > I don't have a HB but I do know if that space is airtight then condensation will form and water will be trapped and it will cause issues down the road.  To me that is another example why HB is at the top of the industry.
> 
> 
> Backbone- you definitely have me confused with someone else. I know what trapped condensation does to a boat and the fact that HB engineered a vent into the design tells me that they too know of the issues, have experienced the issues and care enough to prevent the issue.
> ...


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## TC (Feb 15, 2011)

Ha, sounds familiar. I, too, kinda freaked when I first saw that hole in my '07 Waterman. I contacted Tom Gordon about it; like Snookdaddy and Marrietta Mike said, it's a drain for the pop-up cleat.


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## firefish (Jan 16, 2014)

WOW !!!2 pages for a weep hole!!! If it wasn't a "TECHNICAL POLING SKIFF" There would be an anchor locker there and this woulda never happened!


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

> WOW !!!2 pages for a weep hole!!! If it wasn't a "TECHNICAL POLING SKIFF" There would be an anchor locker there and this woulda never happened!


Actually it does have a anchor locker


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## Chasintail22 (Jun 22, 2009)

As noted already, yes it is a weep hole for the area at the very tip of the bow that is completely closed off by a bulkhead. The hole is there to allow any moisture build up to escape, which could be water that leaked in there through a front cleat or any other device mounted on the deck at that tip of the bow. No reason or need to fill this hole in. It was designed for a reason and doesn't have any negative effect whatsoever on the skiff.

Seeing it for the first time and not knowing what it is can definitely make your heart drop for a quick minute! ;D


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

Well I be damned..all those times polishing the old girl and I never noticed.

Here it is…………2001 Whipray 17.8


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## fishtrapper (Jun 6, 2009)

I might have missed it but where does HB have their flotation foam at if it is not up in that bulk head area? 

Also I will say a hole that lets water out will also let water in....just saying


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## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

Fish trapper,

It appears the hole is drilled at an angle. So not much if any spray will get in it. And if the water line reaches that high they surely have other issues to deal with. 

Andy


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## larryg (Dec 11, 2013)

oh man, i have heard some BAD BAD stories about these seemingly small holes...

ill take her off your hands!


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## Nick_Nickolson (Feb 5, 2010)

My Scout has one of those for the anchor locker.


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

I have no locker up front just a giant front hatch...so no hole for me. Not cool enough :'(


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## 'Nano-Skiff' (Aug 27, 2012)

Makes me wanna drill a hole in my boat.


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## --AL-- (Nov 28, 2012)

That's the hole they use to hang the boat and spray it. That's how light HB's are. :

But yeah, why would you not put foam in there? There's gotta be a technical reason for the void.


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## --AL-- (Nov 28, 2012)

> That's the hole they use to hang the boat and spray it. That's how light HB's are. :
> 
> But yeah, why would you not put foam in there? There's gotta be a technical reason for the void.


It's a drain for the pop-up cleat...

Sry guys I missed that line, had me baffled  ...And any water that gets in drains out. Got it


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## Blatattack (Aug 23, 2012)

> Snookintime,
> 
> It is actually not in the front compartment, but in the very front enclosed bulkhead at the nose of the skiff.
> 
> In the picture below, the weep hole would be at the far left, back corner of the compartment where the tape measure is sitting..  I hope this picture helps..


Can someone see if they can get the picture back up? I am not able to see it.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

> I might have missed it but where does HB have their flotation foam at if it is not up in that hatch


since we are resurrecting this thread. I don't think this ever got addressed. But as fas I know the foam core counts as floatation.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

> > Snookintime,
> >
> > It is actually not in the front compartment, but in the very front enclosed bulkhead at the nose of the skiff.
> >
> ...


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## Xcapnjoe (Jun 5, 2013)

I called Hal in '01 with the same question. He suggested that the fish might want me assassinated. 

It's funny how we obsess about the little things.
I was convinced my neighbor had tried to sabotage my skiffy. He was Baker acted in my front yard after a coke binge. I called the police...


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