CONTINUOUSWAVE

After pulling the deck from my 1985 OUTRAGE 18 I found a small rope (shown below) coming through the fiberglass at the front of the chase [rigging tunnel] where the controls run for engine.





Q1: what is the purpose of the small rope?
Q2: what is the purpose of the rope at that location?

Thanks

Most likely the rope is there to help pulling new wires or steering cables through the rigging tunnel. It's very handy to have.

The Outrage 18 has two messenger lines to aid in rigging the boat.

One runs from console to the aft sump. The second runs from the console forward, in the smaller rigging tunnel, through a plastic round plug, where it terminates in a knot, Which keeps it captive forward of this plug. Inside the anchor locker, you will find another round plastic plug, and, if removed, will expose the messenger line and aft plug. Roughly a 1-inch hole drilled from forward rigging tunnel to anchor locker with two plastic plugs, bedded in sealant, at either end.

This was to aid in electrical installation of things like a bow mounted electric trolling motor or a wash down pump.

Your second picture also nicely depicts the starboard to port rigging tunnel that is your access from the main rigging tunnels (co-located with the forward fuel tank strap), over the fuel tank, then into the port rigging tunnel, which houses the fuel fill hose and tank vent.

Neither Figure 1 or Figure 2 show clearly how the "rope" terminates at the hull. If a better view of that can be seen, the purpose of the "rope" may more easily be confirmed.

Both Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the "rope" from the same point of view, as seen from the stern. Show the view of the "rope" where the other end of the "rope" exits from the hull.

Although a different hull. My 1980 Revenge 22 had a rope in the starboard rigging tunnel similar to yours which looked factory installed. The rope might have been a good idea for rigging. But the way it was installed was a horrible idea.

The rope simply passed through a hole drilled at the end of the rigging tunnel with a square knot tied on the end to keep it from pulling back through. On the bow side there was a larger hole drilled so the knot would pull back into the hull liner with a round plastic cap cover over the hole to hide the knot. There was no sealant used.

Those rigging tunnels are designed to fill with water; so that water will go around the rope through the hole in into the foam core....Unbelievably bad idea!

They should have used a Stainless strap eye fastener with screws and tied the rope to it. I deleted mine and filled the holes because I didn't use the rigging tunnel for rigging.

I recommend you fill that original hole with epoxy and use a stainless strap eye fastener to hold the rope. To mount the fastener, drill the screw holes out over sized and fill them with epoxy, then re-drill the screw holes into the epoxy for added strength and use sealant on the screws.

Vance

Thank you for the insights about this rope. If there was a second one it is long gone. I did find the plug in the anchor storage and I agree that it doesn't seem like a great idea to leave it unsealed.

Thanks again for all of the responses.