***Need help on live-well system on my 175 Osprey Striper***

[saltwaterfishingpro]

Hi everybody...I just registered a few days ago & I'm excited to be part of the family. I love my 89 Aquasport 175 Osprey Striper...& I haven't even used it! I bought it on mother's day in Sarasota area. Maybe someone can guide me on setting up the live-well in front of console. It already has live-well (with shower head & pump) ...but has the same water circulating in it (not fresh ocean water coming in & flowing out, to keep bait alive)...like I want it.

The pump is attached to inner lining side wall of livewell with plastic hose going to shower head....***no ocean water coming in from anywhere***...not good. Maybe someone can guide me on changing or installing a "real live-bait system"...

Question: Where on boat do I drill to put livewell pump & where should the overflow hose be going thru? Not sure whether to drill a thru hull or transom mount livewell pump. (And how-to run an overflow hose is another matter)...

Any ideas or advice would help!  8)

Thanks,
Luis 305-815-2629

[louiefl]

My first post here - I need to get some pics of my boat up, coming soon...

I have a 1996 Aquasport 175 Osprey with the factory live well in front of the console with raw water feed. The pickup is mounted on the bottom of the hull, not too far from the center keel and has a brass pickup and on the other side a brass quarter turn shutoff valve - the valve is critical as if you ever lose a hose, you need a way to keep the boat from sinking. It is accessible through a deckplate in the floor - same area where the bilge pump is mounted.

From there, a hose goes to a pump mounted on the inside of the console. Downstream of the pump is a "Y" valve (handle mounted outside the console) that lets me either select a hose bib (raw water washdown), of live well. The hose for the livewell enters the bottom of the well and water rises until it overtops a standpipe with a screen to keep from losing my bait. The standpipe fits with a rubber fitting into the bottom of the well and then is plumbed out through the side of the hull. This hose exits the boat above the water line. The bottom of the well is also above the water line, so it gravity empties overboard.

I need to get some pictures up so you can see how it all ties together.

[RickK]

Great first post  :!:
Welcome aboard, both of you  

[gran398]

Absolutely. Welcome aboard guys.

Ya'll post some pics, let us know what you're dealing with. We'll set you up with a saltwater circulating system.

One thing to initially consider...most baitwells are behind the console for a reason.... better ride, bait stays healthier, no corners, minimized red noses.

Post 'em up...first newbie that posts a pic wins a date with Miss Aquasport 2012...Kate "Cat Daddy" Upton

[louiefl]

Here she is, previous owner removed the hull labels. Boat is in great shape for a 1996, 88 spl runs strong, paid $4,500. I have been through all the wiring to fix some issues (anchor light socket, nav light switch, courtesy light socket, loose ground, dying rectifier, bilge pump and float switch, etc) added humminbird fish finder, replaced fish box pump, fuel water separator cartridge, lower unit grease, plugs - nothing major. I'm glad I can do my own work otherwise I'd be deep in the hole for labor. Getting ready to add a couple stainless steel 30 deg rod holders about midship, just trying to get over the fear of the 2" hole saw deciding to go its own way. Refinished the wheel hubs / replaced races and bearings, new tires and wheels (the date codes were from 1997 and 2000!), added trailer guides, and replaced  bolts securing bunk boards. I've had it for about 8 weeks and have been out about 10 times.

More pics on the live well plumbing to follow.

[louiefl]

A picture is worth a 1000 words, so here are a few thousand about the live well plumbing

[louiefl]

A few more:

[louiefl]

On the starboard side you can see the following (starting at hull numbers and moving aft) high mounted through hull for the fish box pumpout (not livewell), livewell gravity feed through hull (looks like it is right at the waterline, not above), gas tank vent, and it is hard to see, but the bilge pumpout is mounted high near the trailer boat guide post.  

I hope the pictures help!

[Capt. Bob]

A picture is worth a 1000 words, so here are a few thousand about the live well plumbing

I'm not sure what you're saying but the valve is frozen because it hasn't been exercised/lubed regularly and will need replacing. It should be mounted on top up of the thu hull raw water feed you show on the port side.

[gran398]

The raw water "feed" is only that, a feed at rest, or under 1 mph. You need a clamshell pickup, forced water at speed to the pump.

More tomorrow, however tonight...you have qualified

[gran398]

Good pics....it works at rest but will not when you are on plane, is that correct?

[louiefl]

I guess what I should have said was that I haven't spent anytime at all on fixing the valve apart from ten seconds trying to turn the handle.  I would imagine it is threaded directly to the pickup and should be able to wrench it off after removing hoses. The hose clamps look like they are ready for replacement as well. Next on my list...

I have seen the clamshell pickups but for the moment the pump works well when at trolling speeds. I've not lost any bait yet, but also don't want to run the pump dry, so will put that on the list down the road.

Thanks for the welcome and comments!

[Capt. Bob]

I have seen the clamshell pickups but for the moment the pump works well when at trolling speeds. I've not lost any bait yet, but also don't want to run the pump dry, so will put that on the list down the road.

Unless you lift the mushroom out of the water, you will not run the pump dry. The clamshell design increases the pressure of the water while underway. This will allow your well to function without the pump while you're moving at speed. Several (maybe many) members subscribe to running the pump continuously. This removes the thought process (thinking/remembering) of turning the pump off and on throughout the day. Anything that can reduce a person's need to think is often considered good by some and appreciated by others.

If you subscribe to this (continual running) then the mushroom will work fine. One defies the laws of physics to think that water would not be present in the "shroom" while in motion. I changed my shroom out for a clamshell when I changed out the valve. I find it is more efficient at filling the well while underway, which makes sense. Still, the fastest way to fill the well is with a 5 gal. bucket and some unwanted lower back pain.

[gran398]

For sake of input, Jdupree's 222 CCP used the same system with a mushroom....it wouldn't prime consistently. He changed it to a clamshell, end of issue.

[Capt. Bob]

For sake of input, Jdupree's 222 CCP used the same system with a mushroom....it wouldn't prime consistently. He changed it to a clamshell, end of issue.

I didn't realize JD mounted a mushroom under the hull. The CCPs of that era came with a "scoop" of sorts mounted on the transom that flowed water into the transom mounted live well. No shut off valve, just a piece of pipe running into the well. It was a glorified hole really and I never found it to be much good so I removed mine and sealed up the transom. Live well became a trash bin.

I could see how one would have difficulty pulling water through that and sending it to a different location. I'm surprised his under hull mushroom didn't work with the diaphragm pump.