Brad

Sorry to hear about your friend’s boat! I sold a 29 Fountain a few years ago and saw the owner out once on a rough day. He had two “large ladies” sitting on the sun pad and the vents were only a few inches from taking on water. His bilge pups were pumping like crazy.

Advantage_Rob

I've been on the boat a ton of times, and even if a few people are standing on the swim platform, those vents are so low to the water, they can just funnel it right in the bilge, and once there's enough water weight in there...Bye Bye!! I've seen him stuff cans in the hoes before, in the bay, but you would never expect something like this to happen. He's definitely not a happy guy right now. He's going thru insurance paperwork as we speak, they did cover the salvage bill, and the boats sitting on the trailer again, and it's totally wasted looking. He put people on the bow and tried to run it towards shore, but to no avail, the motors died, and that was all she wrote. 32, Keep an eye on those vent holes, maybee some clear packaging tape over the holes, and this would have never happened. And Summer obsession, you said it all....

Interceptor

Rob,
What year hull does he have ? and where are the vent holes located ? I'm missing something here, my 32' has outflow for bilge water etc but no vent holes or do you mean the engine compartment air intakes on each side ?

Advantage_Rob

It's a 1999 32, the two round holes are about the size of a 12 oz. can, and on the very outboard edges, just above the rub rail a few inches. They are the surface at the forward angle, and connect the side of the boat, to the cutout for the swim platform.

here's a pic of the two round holes:

wysiwyg://0/http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/0/9/1902909.htm

If someone wants to scale it down and post it feel free...

Gary864

I was at the north end on a friends boat for the races. We left after the second heat, the ladies were to hot and *****y. The only one who makes out in a deal like this is the salvage company. Hope your buddy is ok and doesn't get screwed from the insurance.

Cord

Been there man. I don't need to regurgitate my story. Sorry for his loss.

Sydwayz

OMG! Sorry but WHAT THE F&$K WAS REGGIE THINKING?? Those vent holes are the MOST STUPID things I have ever seen on a boat!! Are they leftover torpedo charge releasers from a military mold? Please tell me you other folks with boats like this have these filled!!! Do people like flushing out their bilge with the bilge pumps every time they come off plane or what??

Warlock Dave

I just sold my 32' Fever partly due to this fear.
You definatly don't want to be in the channel half way from Avalon and have waves crashing over the stern.
It would take long to go under.
Is this a common problem ? I say design flaw.
I now have a Top Gun and no worries...

CigDaze

Okay,
I mean no disrespect to anyone, but this has got to be the absolute stupidest thing I have ever seen. What was the designer thinking????????????

Reindl Powerboats

We saw it from the race, bad spin on an otherwise great weekend and race. Hope all goes well with the ins. Let us knomw if there is anything we can do to help.
Chris Reindl