The answer, I think, depends on the age of your boat. Those from my era
are built such that the carpet on the sole covers the same "rough,
unlined ... hull" that you mention. The hull surface bends to form the
rudimentary skeg you can see (from the outside) running down the hull
centerline from stern to keel trunk. In turn, a loose-weave piece of
fibreglass mat was used to bridge that gap inside. Many of these boats
had a weak-spot (or hole, take your pick) in this mat about 9" behind the
keel trunk. The interior of the skeg is the "bilge" and the hole is the
access thereto.
The newer boats apparently have a liner which forms the cabin sole?? Of
this I know nothing, but we can logically assume it covers a similar
hollow space in the skeg. Access to that volume is another question.
As I implied, I use a plastic grid to lift people and stuff above the
sole. The water then collects in the skeg and on the floor, under the
grid. The center area of the sole is bordered port and starboard by
molded-in beams, which keeps the bilge water centered in most conditions.
It does tend to slop over the similar beam which borders the sternmost
edge of the V-berth, but those are the only two compartments which would
routinely hold standing water.
I don't know how one would deal with the problem in a newer model with
pan, but the reality is that sailing is a wet game. No matter how well
you seal things or how religiously you close hatches or how
conservatively you sail, you _will_ take on water -- sometimes a lot. The
goal is to contain its spread and eliminate induced discomfort and damage
until you can get around to pumping it out.
Regards,
Bill Combs
WWP 19 #439, "Ursa Minor"
Fort Walton Beach, FL
ttursine@gnt.net