Sail-tie Storage
One of the old brochures I have says that these holes were meant for storage of sail-ties. Unfortunately, they do not work very well for that purpose, or for any storage due to their small size, inconvenient location and open design. It is also not a convenient location to use for ventilation or lighting. In my opinion it was a nice try, but ultimately not very useful.
While the outside is made of fiberglass, the interior of this storage area on my E38 was made out of plywood with a few coats of paint. With time, the paint peeled away, water entered and the wood began to rot. I didn't think much of it when I bought the boat with the rotting wood, as it was not critical if water entered the area. The problem came when the termites arrived and made themselves at home in the rotting wood. After a $1200 fumigation, I removed the "doghouse" and rebuilt the storage area with marine-grade wood, coated with fiberglass. If you are prone to termites in your area, I suggest you inspect these holes for wood rot.
Alan Cheeks
Trojan Conquest
1983 Ericson 38
Redondo Beach, CA