Boat hull with channel forming member and method of manufacture

1. A boat hull including:

a bow portion;

a stern portion with a transom;

a pair of sidewall portions;

a bottom portion having a step portion adjacent the stern portion, said bow portion, stern portion, sidewall portions, and bottom portion defining an upwardly opening cavity; and

a channel forming member integrally molded into the hull as a single piece with the hull, the channel forming member being integral with the transom and the bottom portion and forming a flow path therebetween for providing fluid communication between the step portion and the atmosphere, said channel forming member being an integrally molded part of the bottom portion and transom and being positioned at least partially in the cavity, said channel forming member having a first side at the bottom portion and a second side at the transom, at least one of the first side and second side being open along at least a substantial portion of its length,

wherein both of the first and second sides are open along at least a substantial portion of their respective lengths.

2. The boat hull as set forth in claim 1 wherein the channel forming member having an interior channel defined at least partially by a pair of spaced sidewalls, said sidewalls each extending between a respective side edge of each of the first and second open sides, said channel being oriented and shaped to receive a male mold plug therein during molding of the boat hull.

3. A boat hull including:

a bow portion;

a stern portion with a transom;

a pair of sidewall portions;

a bottom portion having a step portion adjacent the stern portion, said bow portion, stern portion, sidewall portions, and bottom portion defining an upwardly opening cavity; and

a channel forming member integrally molded into the hull as a single piece with the hull, the channel forming member being integral with the transom and the bottom portion and forming a flow path therebetween for providing fluid communication between the step portion and the atmosphere, said channel forming member being an integrally molded part of the bottom portion and transom and being positioned at least partially in the cavity, said channel forming member having a first side at the bottom portion and a second side at the transom, at least one of the first side and second side being open along at least a substantial portion of its length

wherein the channel forming member extending between the transom and a wall member portion of the step portion, and

wherein the wall member is generally horizontal.

4. The boat hull as set forth in claim 3 wherein the channel forming member defining a channel opening on the transom exterior and the wall member exterior along first and second sides of the channel forming member respectively.

5. The boat hull as set forth in claim 4 wherein the channel opening on the transom along at least substantially the entire length of the first side.

6. The boat hull as set forth in claim 5 wherein the channel opening on the wall member along at least substantially the entire length of the second side.

7. The boat hull as set forth in claim 6 wherein the channel forming member including a pair of spaced apart second sidewalls extending between the transom and the wall member in the cavity.

8. The boat hull as set forth in claim 7 wherein the channel forming member including a bight member extending between and integral with the second sidewalls.

9. The boat hull as set forth in claim 8 wherein the channel being sealed from the cavity.

10. The boat hull as set forth in claim 1 wherein the channel being sealed from the cavity.

11. The boat hull of claim 1 , wherein the transom comprises an outboard motor mount.

12. The boat hull of claim 11 , in combination with an outboard motor mounted to the outboard motor mount of the transom.

13. The boat hull of claim 1 ,

wherein the transom comprising an outboard motor mount; and

the step portion extends transversely across a majority of a width of the hull.

14. The hull of claim 13 , wherein the first open end extends continuously into the second open end so as to define a common opening along an underside of the hull that extends from the step portion to the transom.

15. The hull of claim 14 , wherein

said bow portion, stern portion, sidewall portions, and bottom portion define an upwardly opening cavity;

the hull further comprises a channel forming member that defines the channel and is positioned at least partially in the cavity, said channel forming member having a first side at the bottom portion and a second side at the transom, the channel forming member reinforcing a connection between the transom and the step portion.

16. The boat hull of claim 13 , wherein the channel is integrally molded with the hull as a single piece with the hull.

17. The boat hull of claim 13 , in combination with an outboard motor mounted to the outboard motor mount of the transom.

18. The boat hull of claim 16 , wherein the step portion comprises:

a first generally horizontal wall member; and

a second wall member that extends between and vertically offsets the first generally horizontal wall member and a remainder of the bottom portion.

19. The hull of claim 13 , wherein the first open end extends continuously into the second open end so as to define a common opening along an underside of the hull, the common opening causing the channel to be bottomless and continuously exteriorly open from the step portion to the transom.

20. The hull of claim 13 , wherein the channel defines an exteriorly open, bottomless slot in the hull, the slot having a continuously open opening that opens into both the exterior of the step portion and the exterior of the transom.