23 Self-bailing deck history ?

[Mark]

I suspect that the problem is that the floor sole is just too close to the waterline?

Has this discussion lead to a "best practice" for correcting the "wet floor" problem.

Well, you sort of answered your own question with the notion that the floor is simply too close to water level - it is.

The only thing that I can figure is that either engines were lighter in weight 25 years ago (seems to be the case), or that people were lighter 25 years ago (also seems to be the case).