Well, I've been wanting to ask about these, especially the first one for months and every time I go out by the boat I forget my camera, or it's been covered up and too hard to get to.


The first picture shows the tiny little hole on the rim of the bow, there is one on each side. Does anyone know what that is?



This next picture is something, I have no idea what, I was guessing maybe an old antenna attachment???? it's about midship just below the end of the windshield. Any ideas?

Second picture is a drain - maybe from a sink or built in cooler.

Not sure about the 1st picture

Are you sure that second pic is a drain? It doesn't look like any of the other drains on the boat. they all look like this:



That metal thing protrudes out from the side and has a hole going through 'it' not into the boat.

Second one is typical of a vent, either for the gas, waste or holding tank.

Not sure at all about the first one.

My vent for my gas tank looks just like the second picture. Not saying yours is for a gas tank, but it is some kind of tank.

The other look like some kind of drains. Close up pictures could help us identify those.

I'm sure they're both drains. Is there an AC or refrigerator unit someplace near the fitting in the first pic? If so, I'm betting it has a drain from the condenser that goes there. The second pic almost looks like the vent for a fuel tank that was on a Larson my family owned for a while in the mid-90s.

Ah, but on a re-read, I see you say the hole goes through the fitting and not the hull...

Any chance there is - or would have been - some accessory that fastened down via pin? If that hole is 1/4" diameter or more, I'd put my money on this. Whip antenna, some special mooring apparatus, or maybe even a tie-down for some canvas or other cover?

I agree. I have one for my gas tank and one for the pump out head.

Hum, I only see one of those metal things, so maybe it does double duty gas and head? LOL Those little metal holes at the bow are pretty far forward of everything unless it is just 'general' ventilation (pretty insignificant) for the cabin if it is all closed up???? Maybe????????/

Or on second thought, maybe the white actually looks like a vent thing at the very side of the second picture is the vent for the head, and the little round metal thing is the gas tank vent then?

The vent in the second picture goes with whatever fill/empty cap is next to it. Waste, gasoline and water tanks will all use the same type of vent. As for the one in the first picture, is there an anchor locker nearby?

Yes, it is close to the anchor locker, but I think that the drain I posted further down is the drain for that. Maybe that was something else though. Although I don't know what that lower big drain is for if not the anchor locker then, because there is nothing else in that area.

First photo looks like a great big spider dropping.

Second photo looks just like the vent I have for the fuel tank. Mine has a fine mesh screen in the hole to keep bugs and dirt out. The vent for my tank is mounted far forward.

In the second photo, that is a vent for sure. I see a deck fitting below the vent. Its my guess that the vent is associated with the deck fitting.



These kind of vents are typically found for gas tanks and holding tanks, and sometimes fresh water tanks. I had several of them on my Four Winns Vista 268.

One tip; the screens on those vents can get clogged with wax; sometimes spiders build a nest in there too. If the vent is clogged, especially if it is to the holding tank; no air can get to the tank and it will end up stinking up the cabin of the boat to high heaven.

Also, if the fuel tank vent is clogged, fuel can spit back at you when you attempt to fill the tank.

So make it an annual inspection item for your spring launch to clean the screens in the vents.

By the way, I'd be surprised to see the same vent used for the gas tank and head. But some gas tank fillers have an integrated vent, so you your fuel tank vent might be inside the fuel filler neck.

The photo below is a popular fuel tank vent. I had them on my Rinker and Four Winns boats, and if yours looks like it, the vent for the gas tank is for sure inside the filler neck. Notice the two hose barbs; the big one is for the filler hose to the tank, and the smaller one is for the fuel tank vent.



Here is another type integrated filler vent that you sometimes see on Bayliners:



But if you can only find one vent on your boat, it is surely for the holding tank, because as I indicated, if the holding tank is not vented, it will stink the boat up.

If you are brave enough, sniff the vent after a couple of months of use, in the middle of the summer. You will then know for sure what it is used for. Better yet, get your husband to sniff it.

I cannot make out enough detail in the first photo to tell what they are.

Your second picture looks exactly like my screened pump-out head tank vent (upper/left of my daughters microfiber cloth).

Need a zoomed in shot of your first picture to determine what that might be...

Second pic is either the holding or fresh water tank vent. Very easy way to tell. As your filling your fresh water tank, you'll feel a rush of air come out that vent as it fills up with water and expels are.

First pic, I have no idea. Maybe a pic from another angle?

Like FR says, the second picture is a vent. If the shiny thing just below and tot he right of it is the fuel cap, it's the fuel vent.

As for the first, can you stick a wire or small Knitting needle through and see if it come out on the inside of the cabin?

Thanks, guys, I looked again with an eye toward that second one being a vent and it's right directly above the pump out so........... LOL. It's on the opposite side of the boat from the fuel opening.

I'll try to get a different picture of the little holes on the bow rim when I can, the weather was pretty icky today, and its supposed to rain all week I think. I can deal with that though... it's warming up, and that's what's really important now.

Tami - Our boats are essentially the same and mine does not have the cut out in your first pic.

Where the hole is drilled is too far forward of the galley sink and besides the drain holes for the sink are well below in the lower hull section.

My guess is the prior owner had something electronic installed. perhaps it was an access point where cable tv was installed or some other antenna like satellite radio.

You should be able to feel through the headliner whether there is a cable or some other fitting. I doubt very much it is a drain or a vent since there is nothing that would be that high up in the upper hull.

This makes PERFECT sense... it's on both sides though. However, down in the cabin in the, I guess it's called the bulkhead, that cabinet that opens up right at the point of the bow, is a square area and there is an old coaxal cable type cord. The kind cable tv uses, that type of thing, and we had no idea where it ran to. But I didn't think those could be to that because 1-there's one on each side of the boat, wouldn't it just be one side? and 2- it looks like, if it were that, something you'd stick a pin into (not like safety pin, but the pin of the cable) but there's no screw on for the coaxal to attach to, anyway, I just never say anything like that that would just kind of 'plug' in with a long thin insert no screw, no nothing??????????????? Is that something that exists?

Is it possible to explain what you are looking at to the previous owner? He/she may know what they did with it and just forgot to tell you...

If it is on both sides, and the cable you say you found, would it be for a satellite dish that possibly was mounted on a rail depending on which side got better reception at anchor?