Portable Live Well

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Nov 9th, '11, 10:35

Hey guys thanks in advance for your comments.

I think one of my projects over the winter will be to add a live well to the boat. The boat doesn't currently have a saltwater wash down. I do have a current thru hull for my manual head. Can I tap into that existing fitting or should I have a dedicated thru hull? If so is location of the thru hull critical and is an internal or external strainer preferred?

So the next questions are, should I also run power from the batteries to the cockpit for a recirculating system? And is it ok to just run an overflow/drain into the scupper, over the side or some other more permanent fitting. Of course any comments on the different aftermarket portable live wells is welcome.

Face · Post by **Face** » Nov 9th, '11, 10:48

In the Chesapeake we use a 30/35? gallon barrel. Install a through hull about 5" from the top to a 2" hose. Make the hose about 4' long and hang it over the side. Add either a quick connect for a wash-down hose near the bottom or simply tie a sinker to a hose and throw it in the bottom of the barrel. I can keep 300 spot alive in one barrel for commercial striper fishing. To improve it, add a pvc pipe running vertically for the fill. Drill holes to one side of the pvc to create circular water movement. Waste floats to the top and out the through-hull.

As for a dedicated seacock...It would be preferable for higher flow on hot days. Don't recirculate. You will need significant battery power if you plan on running while motors/alternators are off.

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Nov 9th, '11, 11:23

peter
stop over this weekend before i pull the boat, or call me ill pm the #

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Nov 9th, '11, 11:51

Peter. There is no need for a dedicated thru-hull. Both Rule and Attwood make small pumps that are designed to tee into an existing system right at the valve and the volume is small enough to make no difference. If you buy, Kodiak makes some good units. I always just ran the water out thru the scupper, but the 28 has higher gunnels, over the side would be better, and you might find models where the exhaust is high enough to go over on a 31.

JeremyD · Post by **JeremyD** » Nov 9th, '11, 12:16

I have one that fits pretty well.

It's on the swim platform - have the fill going to my raw water washdown. Recirculating pump in the livewell.

Even in Florida summers - If I change the water once every 12 hours - it will keep bait alive over the weekend.

Face · Post by **Face** » Nov 9th, '11, 12:32

Spot would never stay alive in recirculated water. What bait are you guys referring to in the ocean?

JeremyD · Post by **JeremyD** » Nov 9th, '11, 12:45

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Nov 9th, '11, 14:28

I've built a few in the past using two plastic fittings and a heavy plastic pail/barrel. Being that you can buy a molded one for a few hundred bucks, I don't think I'll do that again.

Any experience with the keep Alive 30 gallon round tank? I can use up my cabelas points and get it for little to no cost. Would just need to wait until my spring haul to run a thru hull. What's the best pump to use for a wash down/bait well?

Pete

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Nov 9th, '11, 14:46

peter
put a tru hull in to the rear back by the transon, use a quarter turn valve, install a in line filter before pump i use the shure flow pro series appox $200 bring that up to a wye conn on the side panel at the rear of the boat. conn your live well to one side and wash down on the other side run the overflow out the scupper,

Bruce Sweet · Post by **Bruce Sweet** » Nov 9th, '11, 15:14

if you use the existing thru-hull from the head you will not be able to keep the pump primed while up on plane. as stated in the above post a thru-hull in the stern is the way to go. i have my live well on my swim platform and it just discharges into the big old sea behind me. p.s., i used to live on lighthouse rd. around the corner from the village dock. i spent a long time making money off the great south bay.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Nov 9th, '11, 15:42

I tee'ed mine off of the starboard engine intake.

Capt.Frank · Post by **Capt.Frank** » Nov 9th, '11, 19:05

My boat has 2-1" thru hulls in the rear near transom, one for washdown and one for live well. One is all you need but use atleast 1" in case later you want to increase you water flow for the live well.

Pete Fallon · Post by **Pete Fallon** » Nov 10th, '11, 11:11

Peter,
I know you wanted a portable system for your live well but here is another alternative.
I have 2- 40 gallon oval live wells one behind each engine box(with cushions it is the same height as the engine boxes), with oval cushions for additional seating.
Both live wells are supplied by a 1-1/4'' slotted thru hull to 1-1/4'' ball valve near the Port transom bottom about a foot off the keel, no inline strainer.
The 3000 Rule pump supplies the wells and a salt water wash down near the Starboard live well. The discharge hoses are 1-1/4" that run under the decks and exit above the waterline at the transom. I used the old 1-1/4" cooling water by-pass fittings at the transom.
The wells are controlled by stainless supply spigots on the side panels. I also have a macerator pump plumbed into a separate 3/4" discharge lines to get rid of the scales and excess water at the end of the day. I have had 3 dozen google eyes in one tank and 100 greenies in the other, the pump is hard wired into it's own 15 amp breaker and keeps baits all day long. The supply pump also acts as an emergency bilge pump by closing the thru-hull and removing the hose from the thru hull fitting.
I might be over kill for most boats, but when fishing tourments and the google eyes running $10.00 each, you need a good supply of different baits and a good flow of water to the baits. I have used the old 35 gallon barrell system years ago, it was a pain to store and remove when not in use, with the system I have now everything stays in place and adds extra seating in the cockpit. I'll try an post a picture later.
Pete Fallon

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Nov 10th, '11, 12:09

Pete,

Thanks for the info. To be clear that one pump is suppling both live wells and the wash down? The normal overflow discharge that runs Under the deck and out the transom is just gravity fed? And the macerators are totally independent?

Are the wells permanently mounted to the deck? If so how do you gain engine compartment access?

I'm instantly grabbing onto the idea of thru hull close to the transom and 1 foot from the keel. Also like the idea of a permanent discharge rather then hanging a hose off the side.

......

With a pretty nice teak deck I'd prefer to not mount anything to the deck, that's why a low profile round unit with more stability is the direction I'm thinking of going in.

I'm also considering running both an intake and discharge hose through my pedestal base. And want to pick up a pedestal rocket launcher. Some nice combo units out there but a bit pricey.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Nov 10th, '11, 12:46

Peter" I plumbed my livewell pump to a chromed hose barb in the aft starboard corner. I am going to use a white plastic barrel with the water entering a port at the bottom and being angles so that it creates a swirling flow. A short length of hose with a quick connect on it will attach to the hose bib. The water will exit the to through a nylon thru hull in the side of the barrel and go through a short length of hose over the side. I will cut a square hatch in the top and pop rivet on hinges and a latch. Simple and ugly, but it will work fine.

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Nov 10th, '11, 13:48

Peter- If I am not mistaken, you have a swim platform. If you do, I would suggest you put it there because of your teak deck. Whatever you do, your deck under the livewell will age a different color in one season. Between UV rays and water that doesn't dry as completely as the rest of the deck. If you don't have a swim platform, elevate your livewell with four small non-water retaining legs with rubber pads on the ends and move it after every trip or two.
The legs can only be an inch or so, but the air will get under it and allow a better drying of the teak.

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Nov 10th, '11, 14:33

Walter I don't have swim platform. Sometimes I wish I did with the family and summer beach trips. Who knows I may add one someday. If I do it makes this part of it easy.

Otherwise in the cockpit on the teak deck it will either come home with me or I'll prop it up on the engine box when I'm not on the boat. I leave the deck bare whenever I leave the boat overnight.

Pete Fallon · Post by **Pete Fallon** » Nov 11th, '11, 00:49

Peter P,
The 3000 Rule suppies both live wells and a washdown, it's 1-1/4" sanitation hose(smooth bore inside less friction loss) run along the top of the fiberglass tank, to just aft of the engine boxes then it tee's off to 3/4" clear reinforced hose, I forgot to mention, I put a Rule 1100 inline on the washdown line to give the washdown hose a little more pressure with a straight tip on the hose end. Cleans up blood and scales really good.
The discharge lines are gravity flow 1-1/4" out thru the transom, the hose barb out is 2" from tops of the live wells on each side and the macerator is 3/4" lines are 1/4" off the very bottom off the wells. All the hose fittings on the live wells are on the back inside corner near the bridge wings, so they are not that visible and fitting ends and clamps don't cut your legs when you walk by. They are mounted with a cleat(1x1 starboard 20" long, with the corners rounded over to eleminate sharp edges, and have 2 screws into the composite deck below) they fit up tight against the wells and the wells fit between the hatch hinges on the deck, it's a pressure fit and can be removed by disconnecting the screw on supply line to the spigots, unclamping the hoses for the discharge and macerator lines.
It takes about 5 minutes to disconnect both wells and I just push the hoses into the engine box wings when the wells are not on the boat. If it's real rough I will 1/2 fill the wells to keep them from bouncing around if they don't have any bait in them. Some times all the water is not removed by the macerator pump(a single pump for both wells, teed off and discharges just below my aft bilge pump fitting.), I just put a block of 2''x2'' starboard under the inboard edge to keep it draining into the macerator hose. I had the macerator pump set-up for 3 years and I changed them to a Rule 1500 bait pump, kept burning up macerator pumps when I forgot to shut off the switch, macerators don't like to be run dry, so far the 1500 Rule have been working for 8 years.
When I check the engines I have enough slack in the lines to move the wells aft a couple of feet and the engine boxes lean against the wells.
Walter had a good suggestion about raising the wells off the teak deck to prevent rot and discolorization. The 2 live wells that I have are poly plastic with lids and fitted cushions, the plastic fittings don't last very long in the Florida sun, I've changed them out 3 times in 10 years, I am thinking of going with bronze or Marlon fittings the next time. I have found from prior experience(a 46 Bertram) that a round well around the rocket launcher base takes up a lot of room in the cockpit and it is always getting in the way when not fishing.
Pete

John Brownlee · Post by **John Brownlee** » Nov 11th, '11, 07:47

Peter:

This guy makes great aftermarket wells and pump boxes. I have two on my 37 and they work flawlessly. You can drill your own water supplies and drains so you can make a custom installation that works no matter where you need to place it in the boat.

http://www.offshorebaitsolutions.com/

JB

bertram31.com

Portable Live Well

Portable Live Well

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