Hello everyone. I realize that to many, this will seem like a stupid question but I will ask anyway. I’m looking into getting our first boat. It’s a late model bay boat. It has a live well/bait well at the transom and one at the front of the console. Pretty typical setup. They both have aerorators (spelling?). The literature on the web doesn’t specifically say they are recirculating. My question is, does fresh water get circulated into the live wells? I assume you flip a switch to fill them up, so do they have a drain in them to keep from overfilling if you forget to turn the switch off? Could that feature be used to periodically pump fresh water into the live well? Thanks for any insights.
I don’t know if all of them work the same way but, mine has a pump that pumps fresh (salt) water into the well. It also has an overflow tube so that when the well fills up, excess water drains out. I turn mine on periodically to get fresher more oxygenated water into the well. Keeps MM, etc… alive nearly all day. I will throw a frozen bottle of water in the well in the Summer to keep the temp down.
That is what I was hoping. Thanks.
Newer livewells also have a recirculation pump that recirculates the water in the livewell and introduces oxygen/air as it runs. Those are particularly important for sensitive baits or fish that you want to keep alive. They are most common on bass boats.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Mine auto feeds while underway bringing in fresh water as long as the inlet valve is open. I didn’t have to use the aerator pump much unless I was in one spot for a period of time. Overflow drain located near the top kept it from overflowing. Just have to make sure the valve for the drain was also open.
If you ain’t hooked, you ain’t doing it right.
14’ Duracraft w/twin 25 Johnsons
http://www.myspace.com/myduesouth
would you say that every fresh water pump needs to be fitted with a shut off valve? due to the fact that if the inside pump was knocked off its base there would be essentially a hole in the bottom of your boat???
“I fish therefore I lie”
2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha
I would say that. My first boat “auto feeds” as DueSouth says, but it was out of hand. I’d look back at my transom and there’d be water everywhere. The lid would be floating/sloshing and bait would be all over the floor. It was a mess. I eventually replumbed to leaning post bait tank that I could control better. If my pump broke, I’d be in a bad spot w/o a valve. Even the way the valve was sticking up straight off the bottom of the boat scared me.
BG
From personal experience with that, I always carry a few extra drain plugs. Had one break in my old boat, but luckily I was in the congaree river and not a long way from shore. I just pulled the broken pieces out of the bottom of the transom and put a plug in it until I was able to get back and fix it.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
quote:
Originally posted by Skrimpdaddywould you say that every fresh water pump needs to be fitted with a shut off valve? due to the fact that if the inside pump was knocked off its base there would be essentially a hole in the bottom of your boat???
“I fish therefore I lie”
2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha
I had that happen on a small 17’ Hydra Sport. It was a self bailing deck. Funny thing is that I didn’t even notice until I tried to get up on plane. Even then my first thought was I was having motor issues.
After checking it and not finding anything, I checked the bilge access and found water was just below the deck. All the flotation in the hull kept it from taking on any more water.
If you ain’t hooked, you ain’t doing it right.
14’ Duracraft w/twin 25 Johnsons
http://www.myspace.com/myduesouth
quote:
would you say that every fresh water pump needs to be fitted with a shut off valve?
YES!! Every hole below the waterline should have a shut off valve!
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Small craft surveying and repair
Thanks, I realized what I had when I had to replace the pump but adding a valve at the time was more than I could do at the time so I did carry three plugs and I checked to see if they would stop water. I still like the idea of a valve.
“I fish therefore I lie”
2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha
While the plugs ( i assume we are talking the wooden ones) are fine, I prefer nerf footballs and pool noodles. You don’t have to carry different sizes and they hold up better under pressure and vibration than the wood ones. Pool noodles will fill most cracks and stay in place the same way. Squish em up, stick them in the hole and they expand to fill the hole.
Every class I teach or have taught, I always have the class put together a damage control bag on the board. Then I tell them this is what you should carry.
What kinda D/C do y’all carry?
Mike Crouch
Sea Tow Charleston
843-881-8949
Great idea on the nerf noodles and footballs:sunglasses: I’m still carrying tapered wood plugs, and sea cocks.
Mike, did you happen to teach some Sea School classes in Savannah in the early 1980s?
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Small craft surveying and repair
Nope, early 80s I was in the Med. taught in Savannah from 2002-08
Mike Crouch
Sea Tow Charleston
843-881-8949