Livewell hookup and hoses

[reelfishin]

On my 14' V hull, I have a rear, below the water line bilge fill, which appears to be capped with a section of heater hose and a brass slug. The livewell is aluminum and is also the left side of the split middle bench seat. The metal well has a hole in it, about 3/4" in diameter and the deck below has never been drilled and the live well never plumbed. I formerly owned the same boat years ago, which had it's live well plumbed directly down through the hull via a welded nipple on both the underside of the well and one on the hull. This boat, several years newer, has a white plastic through hull fitting through the lower transom, opposite the drain plug. The live well box has a plain drilled hole with a slight reinforcement bead rolled around it. The live well is only about 8 gallons, so it's nothing more than a bait well.
I have two questions, first, what type of tubing can I use, (it only needs to run about 8' in all), and what type of fitting would I need to go to the bottom of the live well? I can drill access in the deck, and would have to run the tubing after attaching it to the live well.

Also for the time being, what's a good way to temporarily plug the live well fill fitting at the transom? My one boat came with clear vinyl tubing on the live well fittings.
The through hull is currently plugged with what looks like automotive heater hose. It must have worked since it lasted over 25 years. It is pretty rotted looking now though. It's buried below the tank and battery panels so I really need the cap of plug to be pretty secure. I will also install a new pvc through hull fitting, unless there's something better I can use?
I was thinking bronze but since it's an aluminum hull, I was concerned about the dissimilar metal problem.

The system on these boats consists of a single below the water line fill/drain tube, no overflow and an in tank pump and aerator.

Also the tops of the live well and various storage compartments are made of 5/8" plywood that appears to have a paper like coating. What ever it is, It's lasted well, but it's time for new, what is out there that I can use that will be permanent and strong? The live well lid also mounts a seat on a swivel, as does the opposed storage bin or half bench.
I was thinking of plain outdoor plywood sealed in epoxy, but it wouldn't do much for appearance. The original wood panels sort of had the appearance of Masonite.
Something I was thinking about was maybe using sign board, the panels they use to make billboards, its weather proof, perfectly smooth and easy to work with.

Someone mentioned to me that the wood surfaces and lids look like something called Super Harboard? Maybe MDO?

 

[buckeyboy]

Re: Livewell hookup and hoses

On my 14' V hull, I have a rear, below the water line bilge fill, which appears to be capped with a section of heater hose and a brass slug. The livewell is aluminum and is also the left side of the split middle bench seat. The metal well has a hole in it, about 3/4" in diameter and the deck below has never been drilled and the live well never plumbed. I formerly owned the same boat years ago, which had it's live well plumbed directly down through the hull via a welded nipple on both the underside of the well and one on the hull. This boat, several years newer, has a white plastic through hull fitting through the lower transom, opposite the drain plug. The live well box has a plain drilled hole with a slight reinforcement bead rolled around it. The live well is only about 8 gallons, so it's nothing more than a bait well.
I have two questions, first, what type of tubing can I use, (it only needs to run about 8' in all), and what type of fitting would I need to go to the bottom of the live well? I can drill access in the deck, and would have to run the tubing after attaching it to the live well.

Also for the time being, what's a good way to temporarily plug the live well fill fitting at the transom? My one boat came with clear vinyl tubing on the live well fittings.
The through hull is currently plugged with what looks like automotive heater hose. It must have worked since it lasted over 25 years. It is pretty rotted looking now though. It's buried below the tank and battery panels so I really need the cap of plug to be pretty secure. I will also install a new pvc through hull fitting, unless there's something better I can use?
I was thinking bronze but since it's an aluminum hull, I was concerned about the dissimilar metal problem.

The system on these boats consists of a single below the water line fill/drain tube, no overflow and an in tank pump and aerator.

Also the tops of the live well and various storage compartments are made of 5/8" plywood that appears to have a paper like coating. What ever it is, It's lasted well, but it's time for new, what is out there that I can use that will be permanent and strong? The live well lid also mounts a seat on a swivel, as does the opposed storage bin or half bench.
I was thinking of plain outdoor plywood sealed in epoxy, but it wouldn't do much for appearance. The original wood panels sort of had the appearance of Masonite.
Something I was thinking about was maybe using sign board, the panels they use to make billboards, its weather proof, perfectly smooth and easy to work with.

Someone mentioned to me that the wood surfaces and lids look like something called Super Harboard? Maybe MDO?

Tygon hose will work well. for the fittings you get a pvc bulkhead fitting.


pull up mc master carr and search bulkhead fitting
here is a photo of a bulkhead fitting.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Livewell hookup and hoses

I like the idea of the bulk head fitting but the prices as Mcmaster Carr are way out range. I'd got that route if I could for one, find the thing for a reasonable amount, $32 or more is nuts for a piece of PVC, and if I can find one to fit the existing hull opening once I remove the marine style through hull fitting. I may also try to tap a marine fitting to accept a pipe plug. I'll have to measure wall thickness first.

 

[buckeyboy]

Re: Livewell hookup and hoses

I like the idea of the bulk head fitting but the prices as Mcmaster Carr are way out range. I'd got that route if I could for one, find the thing for a reasonable amount, $32 or more is nuts for a piece of PVC, and if I can find one to fit the existing hull opening once I remove the marine style through hull fitting. I may also try to tap a marine fitting to accept a pipe plug. I'll have to measure wall thickness first.

any swimming pool store will also have them peobabley A LOT CHEAPER.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Livewell hookup and hoses

I'll give that a try, I think there's one just down the road.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Livewell hookup and hoses

Well, I spent most of all Thursday afternoon looking for such a fitting, I tried 10 pool stores, and 5 farm supply stores with no luck, the smallest bulkhead fitting I can find fits in a 1.5" hole, the hole I have in the boat is only 1" I don't want to make the hole any bigger if at all possible, and it's too close to the bottom to do so without simply filing the hole out.
Any suggestions as to sources?
The pool places didn't have anything under 2" in diameter, farm and fertilizer places had 1.5", all of them had the same black polycarbonate fitting with a 3/4" internal pipe thread, all were reverse threaded as well.

I'd really like to find something to fit in the original 1 inch hole. I hate to make the hold bigger and have to deal with it later. Also, many of the bulk head fittings were threaded to take non-pipe thread inner fittings.

(Even the smallest fitting from McMaster Carr requires a 1 3/8" hole).