in deck baitwell on 20 footer

[fishhuntNC]

I want it gone. So I was wondering if yall knew if the bottom of the well was attached to the hull.I want to cut it out and make a place for a thruhull bait/washdown pump.

[WillyC]

My boat is a 1975 sf. I just removed all the old foam under the floor in front of the bait well. It looks as if the center stringer (glassed over 2x4) has been cut down an inch or so and the bait well is sitting in a bed of thickened resin along that center stringer. So the answer to your question is yes the bottom of the well is glued to that center stringer.

[gofastsandman]

You`ll love it. Holds lots of prisoners.

[eggsuckindog]

I think mine sat in a bed of something - just put the thru hull in the bottom

[WillyC]

After closer examination today, the lowest or deepest side of the bait well (starboard on my boat) is also bonded to the hull bottom. This deep side sits in a bed of thickened resin.

The transom cap I got from wtenglish still had teh baitwell attached. The bait well was not attached to the hull that I can see - it appeared to be sitting on some type of foam. You can see it on his blog under Repairs/Mods. His is the "1978 SF Restoration - my first one".

[eggsuckindog]

just drill the thru hull in there and mount the pump, no need to take it out, then you still have some wet storage to use

[wtenglish]

The transom cap I got from wtenglish still had teh baitwell attached. The bait well was not attached to the hull that I can see - it appeared to be sitting on some type of foam. You can see it on his blog under Repairs/Mods. His is the "1978 SF Restoration - my first one".

I can't find any pics of that specific area when it was removed but I believe it was just sitting in a bed of "Potter's Putty" that attached to an indentation in the hull that was about the size of a 50 cent piece and about 3/8" deep. I wasn't sure and maybe somebody else could chime in if the indentation I'm referring to was cast into the hull in the mold or if it was the remnants of an old thru hull.

[fishhuntNC]

Ok I'm pretty sure it sits in a bed of something so I think i'll just drill as instructed by eggsuckin dog.However I also wanted to be able to get to the bilge pump and I wanted to get rid of the current top/lid to the baitwell.I'm just gonna cut a hatch in the aft part of the livewell(to get to the bilge) and glass some ply over the top of the well with a "watertight" hatch in it.So now I'll have a livewell pump, wet but hopefully drier storage,and bilgepump acess with a new better lookin hatch.Oh yeah and I'll leave the truhull In the back (you know the one thru the stern) so it can still be drained while trailered or running.

[fishhuntNC]

Hey gfs how do you like that bait well set up? I'm thinking of doing somthin real similar this winter. I couldnt make up my mind about how to get it done at first but looking at how u did it has got me goin now.