Got a hole in me keel

[Bill Roosa]

Scraping the bottom to day and found two holes just above the keel bulb on the fin about 4" from the back edge. One hole on each side. They where both plugged with polysulfate compound and drain the fin aft section. The fin aft section was full of water which clearly had been in there a while.
Any idea if this connects to the bilges?
It looks like this is a factory installed weep hole. My concern is leaving an air pocket will increase my buoyancy (not much but she is tender enough as it is) or connect somehow to the interior of the boat and leak to the bilges.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

It's a factory design to allow that portion of the hollow stub to drain and should be left open. Not connected to the bilge.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Thanks
That is what I thought. So it fills with water once you launch the boat or at least partially. I can only imagine critters that would set up shop inside.

 

[Don12364]

There is a fairing piece attached to the aft end of the keel because it was difficult to mould the shape which tapers down to the thinnest part at the back; so they ended the keel short and tacked on this fairing.
Of course it eventually became filled with water and the guys who haul out for the winter in places where they get a big freeze discovered their fairings were breaking off. So Hunters decided to drill weep holes.
It was the H376s who first discovered this (mine!)