1994 Trophy 2002 Livewell questions.

[JimInNY]

I recently acquired a somewhat neglected 1994 Trophy 2002 walkaround. There are two floor compartments astern, one on each side with drain fittings, that look as though they should be livewells. Also the step up to the walkaround on the port side looks like a baitwell. All of the plumbing (hoses) have been messed with and nothing works as it should. I think I have the baitwell figured out, but does anyone know if those compartments are actually live wells and how they should be plumbed? I see an abandoned pump through the access hole in the outboard engine well.

I took out the small round access port and installed a larger rectangular access so I could work a little easier. These are the last issues with this boat and it will be almost as good as new. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[gm280]

I have no idea if they were intended to be bait well or live wells. But being how it is your boat, you can make them whatever you wish. And if you have figured out the bait well already, then the live well will be a snap to plumb and use... :thumb:

 

[JimInNY]

Thanks GM. They apparently are livewells, but poorly conceived. I am going to try and improve them somewhat. I did manage to find a parts diagram for the entire boat which helped. Here's a link to the index of all the diagrams Trophy has online: http://www.trophycustomercare.com/catalogs_index.htm

I am also going to try to attach the one for my particular model for posterity.

 

[dadsaway]

My '96 2002 FF must be very similar to your '94. You're on track with the floor cover hatches being the fishwells and the port hatch on the step is the livewell. That was a good idea to enlarge the inspection cover in the splash because things get awfully tight down there. I doubled up some 1-1/4" foam tape from Home Depot that helped to keep those fishwells a lot drier. Wish you well with your boat, I certainly do with mine on the south shore Long Island, NY.

 

[JimInNY]

Thanks dadsaway. I have a question for you. Do your fishwells have one drain fitting in each, plumbed to a single pump for both to simply drain the wells? That's the way mine seems to have been set up originally. Everything was disconnected at some point.

 

[dadsaway]

Yes, that's exactly how they are plumbed together going into a filter screen before entering the pump. I have read where some owners disconnected the drain lines and let the water drain into the bilge and let the bilge pump take care of the water. They do this to eliminate the buildup of water in the fishwells. I don't like that approach. Funky water in the bilge and putting more unnecessary strain on the bilge pump. I've had success doubling up the Home Depot 1-1/4" foam weather-stripping (kudos to Alaskanmutt).