LIVEWELL on a 23' CC

[FELLOW-SHIP]

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.
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[James Tackle]

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

[Dan]

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]

[James Tackle]

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

[FELLOW-SHIP]

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.
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[James Tackle]

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.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

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.
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