- Joined
- Aug 16, 2019
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Ever notice your ice getting nuked really fast? I did several times, so I cut additional 3/4 inch rubber and lined the box. I drilled the drain plug so melt water would just barely drain and not slosh around. Ice lasts for days. Fixed it, or so I thought.
Welp, went fishing last week, and when we got to the fishing grounds, a 45 minute run, the ice was sloshing. Come to find out, while running the baitwell pressurized, it was overflowing as designed, but a lot of the 76 degree seawater was making it sideways to the lip of the fish box and in. I love running the baitwell this way and we use it to bleed various fish. Cut and drop them in, remove and ice when water clears back up.
So the next trip, I constantly throttled the inflow/outflow and watched it better, but that was just exhausting, as it changes so much depending on boat speed.
The project/fix was to make a mostly gasketed (on the bottom) starboard storage tray / cutting board combo that diverts any water that comes out toward the fishbox, rearward and back into the drink. Downside, I had to bolt it through the top of the livewell. But now I can run it wide open, pressurized, AND my ice lasts forever again since the seawater stays out. Having a bordered cutting board and temp storage for a few sinkers and bucktails on the transom is just icing on the cake. Keeps a beverage and phone from getting away too, obviously. This was rev. one or two, but it will be the last one. A table saw would make a nicer product for sure. 3/4" starboard, 12"x24" was 60 bucks, so I am in for about $80 total. The piece cut out for the "notch" was ripped into 1" strips for the out border. Barely any waste.
I loathe making permanent holes. It was worth it in this case. Pic tonight.
Welp, went fishing last week, and when we got to the fishing grounds, a 45 minute run, the ice was sloshing. Come to find out, while running the baitwell pressurized, it was overflowing as designed, but a lot of the 76 degree seawater was making it sideways to the lip of the fish box and in. I love running the baitwell this way and we use it to bleed various fish. Cut and drop them in, remove and ice when water clears back up.
So the next trip, I constantly throttled the inflow/outflow and watched it better, but that was just exhausting, as it changes so much depending on boat speed.
The project/fix was to make a mostly gasketed (on the bottom) starboard storage tray / cutting board combo that diverts any water that comes out toward the fishbox, rearward and back into the drink. Downside, I had to bolt it through the top of the livewell. But now I can run it wide open, pressurized, AND my ice lasts forever again since the seawater stays out. Having a bordered cutting board and temp storage for a few sinkers and bucktails on the transom is just icing on the cake. Keeps a beverage and phone from getting away too, obviously. This was rev. one or two, but it will be the last one. A table saw would make a nicer product for sure. 3/4" starboard, 12"x24" was 60 bucks, so I am in for about $80 total. The piece cut out for the "notch" was ripped into 1" strips for the out border. Barely any waste.
I loathe making permanent holes. It was worth it in this case. Pic tonight.
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