To Vent or not to vent. That is the question.

[KenB]

Why is the definitive answer? Yes, I know there are many threads on this topic, and many many posts arguing for filling in the vents versus leaving them be.

Here is how I read the FINAL break-down:

REMOVE THE VENTS
- when backing down on a fish, the vents at the transom can take on water, and the boat can sink. For Safety reasons, they should be filled in.
- they were originally put on i/o and inboard seacrafts to vent the engine space. If you have an outboard/bracket, you don't need them.
- When docking, they can get smashed or beat up. Especially if you get the plastic ones, you are going to buying new vent covers every year.
- Not too many other boats have vents, so you don't need to air out your bilge.
- The key to the seacraft shape is the bow flare, variable dead-rise, and pointy bow. There is nothing "classic seacraft" about some vents on the side.
- The hull looks better with a smooth profile.

KEEP THE VENTS
- They were originally put on i/o and inboard seacrafts to vent the engine space, but soon all seacrafts had them. They are part of what makes a classic seacraft classy looking.
- You need to air out your bilge.
- If you are worried about sinking, double check your bilge pumps.
- The original vent covers were made out of much tougher materials, see if you can find those, and they should last longer.
- Strick originally removed them from his 23, but then put them back later.
- The hull looks better with some nice stainless vent covers.
- Why do more work?

Other notes
- Some argument about orientation. Usually, the front vents (up by the bow flare) point forwards. The ones in the rear face backwards. This is so that when underway, air goes through the bilge.

Ok. I set up a poll.

[TunaMeltdown]

Why is the definitive answer? Yes, I know there are many threads on this topic, and many many posts arguing for filling in the vents versus leaving them be.

Here is how I read the FINAL break-down:

REMOVE THE VENTS
- when backing down on a fish, the vents at the transom can take on water, and the boat can sink. For Safety reasons, they should be filled in. You shouldn't need to back down on a fish in a Center Console. Put the angler in bow and drive the boat as it is meant to be, with the pointy end (bow) forward.
- they were originally put on i/o and inboard seacrafts to vent the engine space. If you have an outboard/bracket, you don't need them. The factory put them there so that would be enough reasoning for me to leave them.
- When docking, they can get smashed or beat up. Especially if you get the plastic ones, you are going to buying new vent covers every year. Practice Docking
- Not too many other boats have vents, so you don't need to air out your bilge. If it is an i/o or inboard they still have blowers.

- The key to the seacraft shape is the bow flare, variable dead-rise, and pointy bow. There is nothing "classic seacraft" about some vents on the side. Again the factory installed them and if you fill them in there is no visible way to tell the boat from a classic or a newer model.
- The hull looks better with a smooth profile. I got nothing on this one.

KEEP THE VENTS
- They were originally put on i/o and inboard seacrafts to vent the engine space, but soon all seacrafts had them. They are part of what makes a classic seacraft classy looking.
- You need to air out your bilge.
- If you are worried about sinking, double check your bilge pumps. There is no way in hell the vents could ever be the main cause of the boat sinking. They are so high above the waterline, I just can't see that happening.
- The original vent covers were made out of much tougher materials, see if you can find those, and they should last longer.
- Strick originally removed them from his 23, but then put them back later.
- The hull looks better with some nice stainless vent covers.
- Why do more work?

Other notes
- Some argument about orientation. Usually, the front vents (up by the bow flare) point forwards. The ones in the rear face backwards. This is so that when underway, air goes through the bilge.

Ok. I set up a poll.

[77SceptreOB]

Keep the vents. Orient them properly (Front facing forward, Rear facing the back).

Old SeaCrafts are like women, better to let them vent! LOL!

[Lenny]

It was easy for me as they were on the top of the engine housing which I cut off and trashed. But I do like the look of a nice set of shiney louvers on the sides of the hull

[Wildman]

The more I look at, help repair and work around the more I appreciate the design of these boats. I see some boats that are 30-40 years old, that still have the original decks in them, maybe with a soft spot or 2. The majority of these older boats in my area (which has big temp changes and a TON of moisture in the air) need complete deck jobs. I think the hull vents have alot to do with this. After discussing it with a pro boat builder who has seen hull vents first hand help to save decks, it pretty much made up my mind for me.

[riptide]

I think facing the front vents forward is a bad idea.
They could act like water scoops if you hit rough seas.
All my vents face aft and the bilge still gets plenty of ventilation.

[Capt Chuck]

I think facing the front vents forward is a bad idea.
They could act like water scoops if you hit rough seas.
All my vents face aft and the bilge still gets plenty of ventilation.

The chines deflect the waves aft of the forward vent. Those vents are just below the rub rail and if by chance your(you should not be) in seas that are so rough that your burying the nose of your boat so far into the sea that they are scooping in water your are in deep Doo-Doo regardless of which way they are facing

[BigLew]

No one has mentioned that regardless of the engine configuration, virtually all of our boats have FUEL tanks mounted below deck! What happens should a small leak occur and the automatic bilge pump or electrical discharge, i.e.- spark, occurs?

The vents are as important at rest as they are underway. A moored boat almost always has a significant wind direction component in it's orientation on the mooring. Thus the bow into the wind takes air into forward mounted vents and exits the stern aft pointing vents, thus continuosly preventing large volumes of water accumulating from condensation, etc. Dryer bilges tranlates to less rotting of compromised coring, etc.

I voted for keeping them. I have seen dramatic results of improperly vented bilges. Up to and including death.

[Bushwacker]

Big Lew is absolutely right - All Moesly/Potter vintage SeaCrafts ventilate the bilge BECAUSE OF THE FUEL TANKS! One of the early Potter brochures said it cost them more to do that, but was required because they didn't foam in the fuel tanks, as was done on cheaper boats! (All knowledgeable surveyors agree that foaming in the fuel tank is a BAD idea, as the foam can hold moisture against the aluminum, greatly increasing corrosion rate!) Moesly had it right. Ventilating the bilge will prolong the life of everything in there - tanks, wiring, decks, etc.

[76Red18]

Big Lew is absolutely right - All Moesly/Potter vintage SeaCrafts ventilate the bilge BECAUSE OF THE FUEL TANKS! One of the early Potter brochures said it cost them more to do that, but was required because they didn't foam in the fuel tanks, as was done on cheaper boats! (All knowledgeable surveyors agree that foaming in the fuel tank is a BAD idea, as the foam can hold moisture against the aluminum, greatly increasing corrosion rate!) Moesly had it right. Ventilating the bilge will prolong the life of everything in there - tanks, wiring, decks, etc.

Not the 18's Denny. Their tanks are in an unvented box below deck. Seems kind of strange to not vent a sealed compartment containing a fuel tank. When I installed a 60 gallon tank, I cut out the front wall of the compartment to accept the longer tank. Should I vent my hull? The bilge does have a wet, musty smell to it.