what are these holes in the bottom of this OL

http://sharkeyimages.zenfolio.com/ma...9de7#h3ab317b5

They vent the step, the Extreme SV has the same step sytem

That is when OL tried the Extreme and Phantom way of getting air to the bottom.

This goes back a good ten years. Rex Jardine at Campion Boats of Kelowna BC was experimenting with this venting in their 30' Chase model. Never found out if it did any good for speed since their hull had steps already. Any info of success on the Phantom?

Now put a tank in the boat, fill it with a surfactant with nozzles in those holes. Just don't try and turn it.....

Sorry Spectras but it goes back long before that. About 45 years before the folks you mentioned. My 1959 Biesemeyer 4pt hydro drag boat had vent holes in the front sponsons for the same reason (as the steps) but we closed them up after having to replace all the wood in the boat because they let water in the hull when sitting still. We now use the boat for more than just dropping it in, doing a drag race and yanking it back out so they had to go.





PS, just keep in mind that every new invention in the boating world someone has done before.
As another example Brownie made K-plane/trim tabs out of an aluminum "L" angle, a sheet of 1/4 aluminum and a Cessna airplane flap actuator in 1966.

double post

I'm aware of that steps, holes were added to hulls in the past going back before WWII. Not sure if the Phantom used compressed air forced through the holes like Jardine tried. Just some interesting info on sterndrives supposed to be invented by Mercruiser or Volvo, it also was built before but not patented by Johnson.




That must be a cool boat with the Cessna actuators. What is it?

It's Brownies old 1967 Nova24 race boat.
I've also herd about someone taking a deep V and drilling a bunch of little holes in the bottom and pumping compressed air through them so the boat would ride in tiny bubbles but it didn't work for some reason. They also did it in an airplane (tiny holes pumping out compressed air in the wings) I think trying to break the sound barrier.
Speaking of WWII tech. The Nova 24 has 2 motors going to one V drive to a single prop. They did the same thing in a Higgins Boat but with 3 motors.

We were sworn to secrecy from the factory. We took an oath. They will kill us if we talk about it. Shhhh