fishboxes again...sort of

[plugger]

Today i again had water in the fish boxes and went to pump them as dry as possible and hit the switch and ....nothing
 I see the batery gauge react to the curent draw but ...nada
My understanding is its a mascerater pump  possibly needs replacement, Man oh man access to this suck's
Is there a better after market pump ? do i need a mascerater type realy since i dont use the boxes and they only collect water and  a little sand
205 osprey  
2002

[flounderpounder225]

plugger
Here is what I did, drilled a hole in the aft area of the bottom of the box, installed a brass sleeve for a garboard drain plug using silicone.  When the boat is sitting on the trailer at the house, I just leave the plug out and rainwater drains out into the bilge and out the hull's garboard drain.  As far as accessing the pump, if you remove the frame of the access cover on the starboard side where your washdown, batteries etc.. are, it will give you a bigger hole to jamb yourself into.  BTW, mine is just a rule small bilge pump.  Not easy... but doable.
Regrds
Marc

[plugger]

I too thought that removal of the batteries would help accesss. looks like i will live with bailing the box until season's end Drilling the box is not an option as the boat is sliped for the season

thx for the reply

[cdoyal]

I'm kind of in the same boat (so to speak). I don't use my fish box and everytime it rains, water runs into the box, then out the hole in the bottom into the bilge. My float switch in the aft bilge isn't working and I can't get down in there to replace it. I'm half tempted to run a bead of silicone around the box lid and seal it up semi-permanately.

[miky2884]

i got the same problem, my macerator pump stopped working that pumps out the 2 fish boxes in the deck. My pump is located in the bilge and the only way to access it is through the circular deck hatch that's only 8 in wide, which means to replace the pump all work has to be done one handed since i cant get both arms into the hole at once. very frustrating right now im self bailing the two bait wells.

[seabob4]

Chris,
One thing you may want to try is some Trim-Lok gasket material around the top of the drain gutter dam like this stuff...

What happens when it rains a lot is the gutter fills up faster than it can drain off through the channels molded in the deck, and then it just spills over into the fishbox.  Take some pieces of modeling clay and form them into small balls about 1/2" high.  Set them on top of the damn, then close the lids.  Open them back up, and measure the thickness of the clay.  That's the thickness of the material you want to get.  Good weather stripping would probably work as well.

Miky,
Have you ever thought of cutting a bigger hole in the deck and installing a real hatch that you can work through?  I'm sure there's room between the stringers for, like, and 11 X 14 or so...

[miky2884]

bob i have thought of that but wondered what it would do to the strength of the deck

here is a pic that kinda shows the hole that i have to work through  

[miky2884]

And the pump is located way back even with the middle of right hatch if your looking at the stern of the boat so its not like the pump is right straight down from the hole.

[seabob4]

Miky,
You ought to try it thru a 6" pie!

Your deck will be fine with a hatch.  BTW, I thought you were selling your little girl...

[seabob4]

Might add, she looks GREAT!!!  

[miky2884]

thanks for the advice Bob, i think i will make that a winter project.

Thanks for the compliment, i try to keep her as pretty as possible, i would like to sell her and go a little bigger, i was looking at a steiger, but i am in no way looking to just give her away, spent way to much time and effort to make her nice, plus the boat really fits what i use it for perfectly, but keep your ears open for me it is still for sale  :) but what isnt for sale right????????

[cdoyal]

Chris,
One thing you may want to try is some Trim-Lok gasket material around the top of the drain gutter dam like this stuff...

What happens when it rains a lot is the gutter fills up faster than it can drain off through the channels molded in the deck, and then it just spills over into the fishbox.  Take some pieces of modeling clay and form them into small balls about 1/2" high.  Set them on top of the damn, then close the lids.  Open them back up, and measure the thickness of the clay.  That's the thickness of the material you want to get.  Good weather stripping would probably work as well.

Just to be clear, I'd put the gasket material all along the BOTTOM of the dam and the lid would rest on top of it?

[seabob4]

Chris, take a look at this pic...

There is a raised area adjacent to the gutter drain, we call that the "gutter dam".  The gasket goes on top of that dam, and seals to the underside of the lid.

[cdoyal]

Chris, take a look at this pic...

There is a raised area adjacent to the gutter drain, we call that the "gutter dam".  The gasket goes on top of that dam, and seals to the underside of the lid.

Got it.
Put another pint on my tab!  

[seabob4]

Whatever...

BTW, this concept works pretty damn good...