Question on the Ocracoke

[Knot Reel]

Graham or anybody else in the know, I bought the CD of pictures for the Ocracoke.

One thing I can't see in any photo is a drain hole for the hull or either scuppers.

Is it that camoflaged or am I missing something?

Is it a self draining cockpit?

Another question I had was , was that boat foamed?

I figured it probally was and that there was just a gap in the picture taking.

[Designer]

The Ocracoke 20 certainly has a self draining cockpit. The scuppers are lost in the dark blue stripe in the pictures.

Platypus has no poured foam. Many a good boat has been ruined by foam. On my Marissa I am attaching cut sheet foam to the underside of the cockpit sole leaving an air space to the bottom and sides. All compartments have limber holes so that if water ever gets into those compartments they can drain into the bilge and out the transom drains.

[Knot Reel]

I'll certainly agree foam has ruined a many a boat but in every case I've dealt with it could be attributed to the type of foam itself and or the installation. I've dug that green flower arrangement foam out of hulls that was installed at the factory. The foam as kids we used to push our finger into.

I'm 100% certain that there isn't a boat manufacturer on the globe I would want foaming a hull. I'm that down on manufacturers.

One has to realize that VERY few manufacturers seal a sole. You got water intrusion in numerous places. Building a boat is much different. You have the best quality contol in the world on the job.

I will argue that a sealed compartment is a sealed compartment. Whether it's holding air or holding foam, moisture or water shouldn't be a concern until you've breached the hull.

One must consider how alot of people buy and store boats.

You can ride up and down the highways all day long and see boats sitting in backyards out in the weather. I've come to the conclusion that even the air in these hulls will rot with such care. I've had to restore enough of these boats. Seen alot of crap in hulls that quite frankly people should be shot over. Factories and owners.

I had a Ranger bass boat once that I bought used. It was 14 years old. It had always been garage kept and when trailered , trailered with a high quality fitted cover.

Don't matter where you took that boat it drew a crowd. People were under the impression it was a newly released model. People with new ones were gawking at this one.

Had it spent just a year out in the backyard it would have been just another boat in the parking lot and the foam in it would probally be holding 250 pounds of water.

I build to a high quality when I build. Even so it's only going to last as well as it's cared for. I'm not a "traditionalist" when it comes to building boats. I build boats to serve a purpose. A function.

I'll foam a hull in a heartbeat knowing how I care for a boat and having been in some of the situations I have been in.

Build the garage before the boat.

I wouldn't leave my tractors sitting out in the weather. Sure aint going to leave a boat out in the weather.