Making a Built-in Livewell. How to.

[wakerider017]

Hey guys!

I am buying a 16' Carolina Skiff and will need to rig up a built in livewell with pumps, hoses and fittings. I think the livewell is 10-13gallons and is fiberglass.

I will need the following:

• Water being pumped in (to fill the tank and aerate the water)
• An overflow
• Water drain (Would I need a pump for this? Would it be possible to empty the well while still on the water?)
• Recirculation Pump (for when I am motoring around)

Can the drain share the same hose as the overflow and exit off the side of the boat with a thru-hull fitting?

I am not sure if I should be using aeration or bilge pumps for what I am trying to do...

If you guys could explain to me in detail the best way to do what I am trying to do that would be GREAT!

Maybe even a quick diagram whipped up in paint would help a ton!

Just trying to figure out where all the pumps and hoses should be. Thanks!!!!

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Making a Built-in Livewell. How to.

Check this out. It might be a simpler solution for you:

http://www.baitben.com/releasewells.html

 

[109jb]

Re: Making a Built-in Livewell. How to.

Hey guys!

I am buying a 16' Carolina Skiff and will need to rig up a built in livewell with pumps, hoses and fittings. I think the livewell is 10-13gallons and is fiberglass.

I will need the following:

• Water being pumped in (to fill the tank and aerate the water)
• An overflow
• Water drain (Would I need a pump for this? Would it be possible to empty the well while still on the water?)
• Recirculation Pump (for when I am motoring around)

Can the drain share the same hose as the overflow and exit off the side of the boat with a thru-hull fitting?

I am not sure if I should be using aeration or bilge pumps for what I am trying to do...

If you guys could explain to me in detail the best way to do what I am trying to do that would be GREAT!

Maybe even a quick diagram whipped up in paint would help a ton!

Just trying to figure out where all the pumps and hoses should be. Thanks!!!!

First of all, you need to use an aeration pump. These take water from the lake/river/whatever and pump it through the aerator nozzle in the livewell. They mount through a hole in the transom and won't pull water while under way. The overflow just takes the excess through the hull. That is all you really need. A separate drain is nice, but I have had boats without livewell drains and just used a fuel primer bulb to make a siphon for draining. I haven't ever had recirculating pumps in my livewells and never had a problem. If you are motoring for a long time you can just stop occasionally and run the livewell. You don't need to run the livewell all the time anyway. Just enough to keep the fishies alive. As far as being able to drain while on the water, it depends on the livwell location. My last boat had a drain and the well in the back corner of the boat and its bottom was above the waterline. I could drain it on the water to that point, but no lower. Out of the water I could get all but a few drops out of it. That particular boat used the same fitting as the drain/overflow. the fitting was in the bottom of the well and there was a PVC pipe that you inserted into it when in use . With the tube in, it was an overflow. With the tube out it was a drain. Was just a snug fit that you could remove by hand.

Hope this helps.