Ebb - Pretty sure that this is what came from the factory. Don't see any evidence of repairs from the past in this area, and the original non-skid in the area looks (looked) undisturbed. Katie has a few things different from what I've seen in pics of other Ariels posted here - such as no diagonal supports on the backside of the main bulkhead. Maybe they just got forgotten that day, or perhaps the workers were too busy trying to get to hull #440, so they could call it a day and go hit the bottle.

Frank - That is indeed a bottle opener for pop. My favorite flavor is what I refer to as "Barley Soda" (at least when in front of the youngsters).