LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

Hi there guys! I have a question that I am sure many here have pondered. I would like to plumb the rear in-deck livewell. I have it recirculating now, but I want to change it to bring in fresh water and drain out. Has anyone accomplished this feat? I have no problem with getting the water to pump in... I am baffled how to get the water out, shy of pumping it out. It appears the top live well is below the water line. Please help!

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

Hey Jim-

Glad to see that you posted this question. I am sure on of the 23 guru's will have an answer for you shortly.

I'll be on the look out for those rods and will let you know how I like them after I get a chance to use them.

Thanks again!

-Ed-

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

It looks like your CC is a 1987 and the live well is located in front of the transom approx 2 feet. If that is correct you can drill a hole in the bottom of your boat close to the transom and set up a scoop plum it on the inside with (brass) cut off valve and a 500 gal live well pump attached then run the hose from the live well pump to approx 2/3 of the way up the live well and drill hole in live well and attach I think ½” is the diameter of a 500 gal pump so you will need a ½ “ fitting that seals on both sides. You will need to drill a large 1 ½” drain line from approx 4 to 6” below the top of the tank in the back of the well and run it out the transom by cutting a hole in the bottom of the transom as low as possible (close to the drain plug height. You should use the thickened hose with brass fittings and two sea clamps on either side, just incase one breaks the other is still there.
This sight might help you http://www.kodiakmarine.com/
FellowShip [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

Hi there Ed! I know that gear should be there for you tomorrow... at the latest on Friday [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
You will love it... quality gear like that makes fishing a pleasure.

Thank you for your reply FellowShip... I greatly apprecaite it. Your exactly right with the setup I have for a livewell... about 2' in front of the transom, dead center. I can do that plumbing just like you said... no problem at all there. I'm worried that after it is done, the water will not drain out the overflow. The tip-top of the tank is right at about water level on the boat. Say I drill the outflow hole 4" below the top of the tank. That would put it 4" below the water line. Since water tends to seek it's own level... even with a down-sloping 1 1/2" hose leading out by the drain plug... won't the water be more tending to flow inward into the tank? I'm a little nervous to cut that 1 1/2 inch hole for the drain out the transom and find the water will actually back up into the tank rather than to flow out. I hope that made sense.
Do I have cause for concern or will it flow out? Any and all help is GREATLY apprecaited. I love this boat and the livewell is honestly my #1 concern to get fixed right. I can work on the cosmetics over the winter (planning to redo the whole boat) but right now I need that livewell up and running 100%.

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

Jim-

If you're concerned about water flowing in, instead of flowing out....you can always install a bronze check valve to the thru-hull on the inside of the transom. It only lets water flow out....not in.

This spring, I replaced all thru-hulls on my Mako....and in doing so....I installed bronze seacocks (ball checks) on the baitwell intake and drain lines (helpful if you ever split a line...just turn them off. I also installed a bronze checkvalve on the overflow line for the bait well. Originally, Mako just had the line mated to a plastic thru hull with an Attwood/Perko type scupper over it. But when I replaced plastic thru hull with a bronze one, I couldnt find a scupper big enough so installed a checkvalve instead. Works like a charm. This is how Mako is currently rigging there 31 center console.

-Ed-

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

Ha James;
I have a older SeaCraft and originally had the live well mounted against the transom. I preferred your setup so when I re did my boat I made a live well and put it where yours is located now. My live well’s top is sealed to the bottom of the deck. I believe your well is to if not you should seal the top of the live well to the bottom of the deck. In that way the deck itself is above the water line and there shouldn’t be any back pressure that could cause over flow. You could also use a 1 ½ “ cut off valve just incase, or a flap type back flush checker like on some scuppers. I will say on my boat I don’t have any problem with water coming up onto the deck from either the scoop putting too much water into the tank or from the 1 ½” discharge line back flowing water into the tank and then into the bilge or above the tank and onto the deck. There are a number of boat manufacturers that put their live wells under the deck and don’t have any problems either even the new SeaCrafts set up boats this way today. You could also put a inverted U shape to the hose and connect it to the bottom of the deck to add additional height before is sloops down to the lower part of the transom to also compensate for that water line concern.
FellowShip [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

Hi there guys!
A big-time thank you to you for replying... I appreciate it. I think a check valve is definitely in order... I'll probably wait til Sept/Oct. to pull the boat and make this project happen.
The livewell is sealed to the deck... if I pull the drain plug say at the dock, it fills the tank right up flush with the lid and if anyone stands in the back, it actually starts to slowly trickle out the lid onto the deck... this is why I am concerned about the overflow going the wrong direction.
I know there must be a lot of guys out there that also have a livewell... any further input is appreciated.
Thank you Ed and Fellowship... have a great weekend and GOD BLESS AMERICA! -Jim

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

I am sure glad to hear there is someone else w/ this same dilemma, James. I have been trying to figure this out for years now. My headache started in '92. My dad bought a '87 23 cc. I had it all figured out. I installed the bronze scoop/sea cock w/ a500gph pump like previously mentioned & ran the line to a 90o elbow for circulation . I then thought it would be trick to run the overflow line from the 1 1/2" fitting near the top of the tank to a "T" connection that I installed in the drain line thus eliminating the need for a second large hole in the transom.
Well it didn't realy work. The pump pumped in water faster than it could drain out the overflow. The tank would fill up and overflow onto the deck. Actually if I remember right water came in the overflow when sitting still too. My soln then b/c I was young and dumb was to hook up a 2nd 500gph pump to pump water out simultaneously. My dad sold the boat when I was away at college(but lets not talk about that [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] !!!!!) before I had a real chance to test the 2 pump setup. Hindesight I don't think it would have worked too well either. I timer switch may have been a better way to go.

I now have a '89 23 cc w/ the same baitwell and I am still stumped. Getting water in is easy but getting it out is the tricky part. Like you said the well fills up to the level outside the boat thus an overflow line that is beneath that level will not drain. A check valve may work but I start to think about the pressure of the water outside the valve vs. the presure of the water in the overflow on the inside of the valve. You know what I mean? I just haven't had the balls to drill the necessary holes to try it. My idea now is that I really don't need an inflow pump. A scoop/seacock alone in the bottom should suffice. The tank will naturally fill up. But I will need an outflow pump w/ a fitting about 4" from the top of the tank and a timer relay switch. Hmmmm.

Right now my temporary fix is a 30 gal poly drum that I have converted into a free flowing livewell. It works great but it sure would be nice to use the one below deck. I know there are guys and manufacturers w/ similar livewells. Please put in your input. I too would like to hear it. James if you make any progress let me know and will do the same.

Dan [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

Hi there Dan!
I knew I wasn't the only one! I like your idea about free flowing water in and pumping it out [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] That has potential! I would still like to hear from more and more people about this. There has GOT to be somepone that has it plumbed and working... or so you would think! Thanks very much for your input Dan... I'm still recircualting right now with an oxygen infuser... but I will let you know if I come up with anything else. Nice to meet you Dan! -Jim

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

Ha James & Croakerlips
Again my 23 CC live well works perfectly I know my deck isn’t any higher then yours and it’s positioned where yours is as well. The only differences are I made my tank and the deck door is one of those 12” x 9” hatch doors you by at a marine store that has a gasket in it. I will say that approx 30% of the time my hatch door is open and no water back flows onto the deck.
FellowShip [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

What for power do you have Fellowship? Just curious if my transom sits lower than yours. I have a pair of 115 johnsons on it.

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

I got one 225 YAMAHA EFI 30" shaft mounted on the transom. Your twins will weigh more than my one. I also moved the oil tank, batteries, 15 Gal. Fresh water wash down tank under the C.C. to help move weight forward. The gas tank starts at the front of the C.C. and goes back to where the leaning post seat is screwed in that should be similar to yours. All of my deck and cap have been re laminated with 1/2 " marine plywood which would add more weight to my boat but that would also distribute it more towards the bow as well. All in all I moved the center balance line of my boat approx 18" towards the bow of the boat by all of my re distributing of weight (remember I also moved the live well from the transom to where yours is now). That could cause my stern to ride just a littler higher in the water, but remember plywood does weigh more that balsa for all the lamination I did I bet I added 200 lbs of weight to my boat.
FellowShip [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

I'm still waiting. Of all the great information you guys have suppluied I still do not see where anyone has succeeded at the task of getting the water OUT. Have I missed something?

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

I have a 23' 89 Sceptre with a livewell in the floor simular to the CC's.
What I did was mount a small bilge pump with a integral float switch right off the end of the top drain hole of the live well, hooked the wires to the livewell light/circuit. When water gets within 2" of the top of the livewell, the pump kicks in and tosses it out. I also put pvc shutoff valve on the fresh water in hole so I can regulate the volume of water coming in. Between this, and the rabud sculpers with the check ball, I now have dry feet with 3 guys standing in the back of the boat. The only problem with the rabuds, is you need to install a stainless strainer in front of them, or crap gets in there and clogs them. I found that the stainless screen filter from a bilge pume (I think it was a rule) for 2.49 cents worked just fine.
If you can't get the picture, let me know, and I will shoot some digitals for reference (but not today, its pouring rain out there).

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

HA STEVE
I thought I made it clear I have the in deck live well and plumbed it with the through hull scoop type intake then cut off valve then live well pump. Attach the hose from the pump approx 2/3 up from bottom of tank. Drain hull in the bottom of tank and a 1 ½ drain hose from the top of tank approx 4 to 6 “ down to bottom of transom and a 1 ½ “ brass pipe to let the water out. I use it every weekend and “I never” get water on the deck unless a dead bait fish gets stuck in the 1 ½ drain hose so I put a bathroom drain top like in shower stalls over the 1 ½ drain to fix that. Re read my comments on this post.
FellowShip [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Re: LIVEWELL on a 23' CC
 

I have a 20' with the in deck live well and as someone else posted, you need a pump out for it to work flawless. say you have a 500 pump in, (at the lowest point practicle,with the attwood adjustable spray valve thing and you should have an open/close petcock adjustable thru hull for your water supply) I simply have 2 large probably 2" diameter nylon adjustable flow shower drain looking things that are at the highest point practicle in the rear of the livewell spaced apart, that each have hoses that "T" into one then reduced obviously, into say another 500 pump out through the deck over the transom right next to the motor. NOW my point is that with all the adjustability of the water flow coming into the livewell, you simply adjust it so that the water out pump constantly is pumping water out even when you're running. the pumps can run dry, suck air whatever, but its always pumping out. the pumps have to have their own toggles also. Works excellent, good Luck hey James tackle, you still want the 23 splashwell folding wood thing?