Aft well filling when running

[BendLure]

I have a 1998 seacraft 23’ with twin merc 150 EFIs. The live well in the deck behind the leaning post is always filling up with water. The live well fills up when it rains, and also when I am running the boat. Does anyone else have this problem? I understand the rain filling the well. Maybe I can seal the lid better. When running it almost seems like water is coming back through the drain pump and into the well. Is that possible?

Thanks for any suggestions you guys might have.

[SteveH]

I currently have a 2000 23 footer and have the same problem with water ending up in my "below-deck" baitwell due to rain despite the fact that I have a boat cover. It is a p.i.t.a. It is essentially one of the lowest points in the boat so it is gonna happen. I dont think there is a solution except storing your boat indoors. I am kinda in the market for a temporary building which cost about 3K or so and then I am gonna burn my boat cover until nothing is left. My old 78 20 ft seacraft master angler had a bait well on the gunnel and the newer seacrafts basically took this idea I guess. I tend to use these gunnel bait wells on my boat more than the below deck one even though they are smaller. Regarding the below deck bait well, there should be a "pick up" so that when you are running it is designed to push water into the well. This is a good thing if you want to keep a lot of bait alive. You should be able to close the seacock valve when you are not using this well. The gunnel bait well(s) (I have two in my 2000) dont work this way and you have to pump in the water so there is no issue there. I hope I made sense.

[BendLure]

Thanks! I will look a little harder for the cock to shut the flow off. Also, do you know of a good place to get the pumps for the two baitwells in the transom? Mine don’t work.

[rcseacraft]

I have had the pleasure of owning a 1997 Seacraft SF23 since new. There are 4 ways for water to enter the rear floor baitwell: (1) through the raw water fill pump, (2)the raw water flow through 1.5" intake with seacock (optional not installed in all boats), (3)the baitwell 1.5" overflow with seacock mounted in the transom and (4)the baitwell cover which is not sealed and leaks. The overflow will fill the well if the seacock is open when backing down hard. My boat is equipped with a single 250 Suzuki, yours may be more pronounced with the twins. Seacraft did modify my baitwell cover recess area with drains but this was not the answer. Newer 23's have seals on the cover. My boat was built towards the end of 97, so is probably very close in design to your boat.This problem and the fact that the gellcoat faded prematurely are my only real grips with the boat.

[jwclbi]

classic seacrafts?

[BendLure]

Rcseacraft – Thanks for the info. Very helpful. I store my 23 with dark green hull on a trailer in the shade when not in use, so no fading yet.

Jwclbi – Sorry to taint your website with discussions of non-classics. I have found a lot of helpful info here and appreciate all input received.

[jwclbi]

Bendlure, you're not tainting the site, I was just having some fun. this is a great place for information. Good luck with getting you're boat right.

[Ikan Besar]

Regardless of year ("classic" or not), this is a problem that is really annoying and one that I faced on my '76 SeaCraft. I ended up selling that boat before a perfect solution was achieved but I remember every time I washed the boat or it rained how that in-floor compartment behind the leaning post would fill so full that the hatch cover would "float" on the water under it!

I can well appreciate where the above posters are coming from, it's really a nuisance. And the primary reason why I completely did away with in-floor compartments on my current SeaCraft.

[rcseacraft]

Another problem on 30" transom Seacraft SF23's is the deck cap to the top of the bait well tank seal. Some of the boats I have observed including my own were lacking the seal material in this critical area.

The scenario goes as follows: bait well overflow seacock left open, heavy rain storm overwhelms the floor drains, dropping the overflow down to the point where it overfills the baitwell past where the seal should have been, filling the bilge. Bilge pump kills the battery. Well you know the rest.

If the seal is present, the worse case is a full baitwell.

[BendLure]

My main concern is that if the drain pump for the well dies or shorts out then the well will always be full. If you are far from port this could be a problem. With twin 150s, a full in deck live well, and a couple guys in the back of the boat the scuppers take on water. That’s no good. With the well empty it is not as much of a problem. It is unfortunate that the system does not “fail to safe”. I do carry a manual pump that I could use in case of pump failure, but I don’t want to have to. Has anyone found a way to plug the intakes and seal the lid?

Thanks again to all. Can’t wait for spring!