Weight distribution 23cc
 

I've been in the boat market for a little while now, and am toying with the idea of rebuilding a 23, or buying one used. My question is has anyone ever put a large bait well in your sea craft? I'm thinking 60-70 gallons. If so, where did you put it? Thats a lot of weight to have in the boat, so I was thinking maybe right in front of the console would be best. In an outboard powered boat I think that will be too much weight if I put a well of that size where the leaning post would be. I also don't want it to be too bow heavy though if I have a bait well intront of the console and weight in the bow fish box. Ideas?

I have a '75 23SF and I am installing a lightly used Birdsall leaning post/baitwell in mine as we speak. It has a 40 gallon capacity. 30" Etec 300 on the raised transom and batteries under the console and the console and fuel tank pushed forward to the edge of the "dry" storage compartment. I believe the boat will be fine with the weight.

I put a ~ 30 gal in the transom of my 23'. You can tell a difference when it's full or not so I thing twice that is probably too much in that spot.

Couple of issues to think about:

-Unless you have converted to a full transom with a bracket your livewell will be on deck vs under the deck.
- 60- 70 gal under the deck will rid you of fuel by the same amount.
- Who wants to run forward of the console to retrieve bait?
- Plumbing a live well above the deck for intake, discharge and circulation under the seat or in the forward of the console is a nightmare!

Check out others with similar configurations by using the search function or grab a Sears Catalog and head for your man cave :eek:

Try checking with livetosea he has a leaning post baitwell comb he installed recently while it didn't "bolt " in he did it as I remember by removing the existing in deck live well

livewell
 

I simply use a 55 gallon barrel with a lid on it, my overflow tube is tied into my 2'' PVC scupper so water flows right out the back as its getting pumped in to constantly flush the baits. it gets pumped into the barrel through the bottom, i strap it to the front of my doghouse and the system works fine. i use it for tuna fishing here on cape and live lining macs for bass.works great but then again im commercial and don't care to much for prettiness, it works great for me and when im not using it i can take it out of the boat in a minute.

my boats also an inboard and balanced very well

depends on where everything else is and what sort of transom/bracket setup you have (also the weight of engines).

If you rebuild, you can move tanks/console forward a little to help compensate.

Thats a lot of weight to have at the transom though, you would have to move a lot of weight forward to compensate. Under the leaning post makes it easier

Thanks guys. Right now I think I may have found a boat already rigged that I may buy, but have always been toying with the idea of setting one up myself. I fished one day on an I/O that had a 70gallon in front of the console. It was a while ago though and I can't really remember how it affected things. Behind the console is much easier, but like you guys have said, thats a lot of weight back there.

May not be something I do this winter, but one day I would like to get a project sea craft.....