If you hear water swishing around in there after you get home from a day on the water, it would be nice to have access to figure out how it got in there, or at least have a means of letting it out.  ...not to mention natural condensation that will accumulate in there. I'm at about the same stage on my Skerry.

Hooper Williams

Brevard, NC 

I cut mine out and am happy I did. After swamping the boat at the dock I did get water in there (still not sure how) and having the access holes helped me clean it out.

Also, the screws that attach the top gudgeon for the rudder went straight through the boat (not quite sure where they are technically supposed to end), fortunately above the water line (most of the time).  The access holes allowed me to go back in and glue in a block of wood to act as backing for the holes.

BTW, the access ports are exactly the size of the large yogurt containers.  I've cut holes in their bottoms and covered them with screen to make a cap that breathes for when the boat is out of water.

Mihai

   Actually those plates over the holes should be removed when the boat is not in the water.  It provides air circulation, preventing moisture, condensation and ultimately, rot. Removal of the plates also provides pressure equalization so when the temperatures go up and down the sides of your boat don't swell or shrink, causing minute cracks in the epoxy and giving access to the above mentioned rot to begin. 

The sealed volume of air in the Skerry's compartments is large enough that a big temperature swing can cause moisture to condense out of the air.  I'm a big advocate of ventilation, and the inspection plates allow emphatic ventilation.  Also a good place to stash your wallet, keys, and a few spares.

Here's an inspection plate in Skerry #1.  (I know because of the odd extra mast step reinforcement atop the seat.  I think we changed the mast step on the prototype.)

   Do the access ports!  They also are available with nylon "bags" that come out once you take the port cover off.  Very nice for small things like wallet and keys to not slide around inside, then you can just pull the "bag" out and still have access to the entire cavity for larger things.  I couldnt find this style for sale on the CLC website but they are available from Duckworks  "Bags for Sea-Lect Screw Out Deck Plates with Internal Collar"

BTW, here's what I meant in terms of yogurt containers. The hole in the bottom is covered in screen to allow air circulation but keep the boat from becoming the home of the local racoon.

   OK, holes it is!  Gonna go grab my RotoZip tomorrow and have at it.

Good information in the answers. But nobody mentioned that you are going to have to make holes either way, because the manual instructs you to install drain plugs.   

The posts are all from 8 years ago. I don't think that drain plugs were in the manual back then.

Laszlo