Coastguard building - numbers on top of boat ?

[holtt666@gmail.com]

The Coastguard building has a boat attached. On the roof of the boat is a number which (in my case) alternates between 8 and 24. What does this number mean please, and why does it change. Thanks in advance ....

[Mayfield]

Wow. You have good eyes. I've never even noticed the white number on top of my white boat before.

Maybe the other boats are out on patrol, so there is only one in port at a time.

[JayS]

The Coastguard building has a boat attached. On the roof of the boat is a number which (in my case) alternates between 8 and 24. What does this number mean please, and why does it change. Thanks in advance ....

I cannot answer your question but would love an appointment with your optician .
Screenshot_20200410-172436~2.jpg
If the numbers have no significance the designers would/should have used 11 or 00 rather than 24/42 mirrored(which is of course the answer to life, the universe and Everything ).

Edited to add
Mayfield types faster. 23 lifeboats patrolling?? TS meets Sharknado

[Mayfield]

So far this morning, mine alternates between 8 and 24 each time I open the game.

Maybe the other numbers have been retired or live in other cities.

[gggillis]

(which is of course the answer to life, the universe and Everything ).

Yay random book quotes!!!

[_DD_]

As much as I like Jay's explanation with 42, I see 8 and 24 also.
I didn't find anything at the Wiki or in Playrix' Help files.

It doesn't change when I send my ships. But it does change from 8 to 24, when the Captain/Sailor/Guard, who leaves the ship, comes back with - well, what is it that he brings? Life Jackets? - the orange thingies from the back wall and puts them on the ship. Life Jackets would at least fit with the Guard theme.

Why it would be 24 then, and were 8 before - still no explanation for that.