Under floor storage/kill tanks
G'day Crew,
Chasing opinions on under floor storage/kill tanks as the title suggests.
Having recently purchased a glass boat it has a 130 odd liter compartment. Thinking of using this to actually keep fish in with a ice slurry over the course of the days fishing. Couple of concerns, one is its not actually insulated and secondly, cleaning it out. It is a sealed tank with a bung that drains straight into the hull and I'm not real keen to dump it into the bilge/hull to hopefully wash all the muck out.
So what does every one do with these, bail them and wipe out, just wash them through the hull and out the hull bung or not bother and just run a esky on deck.
Just trying to maximize deck space?
Not too concerned about it not being insulated as fish would only be in there for the days outing.
Appreciate your thoughts on what to do with these.
Cheers.
sea-kem
Posts: 15095
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Hey Boydy, I have kill tanks
Hey Boydy, I have kill tanks in my boat and they empty straight into the hull. Never had a drama just flush with a few buckets of water on the way an bilge it out. Then when in a good hose out. Mine are not insulated and they keep the ice well. It's up to you at the end of the day. But I couldn't do without mine now.
Love the West!
Boydy
Posts: 623
Date Joined: 26/09/12
Cheers Andy, yeah seems like
Cheers Andy, yeah seems like too much of a good space to leave empty and just stick another 120lt box on top of to put fish in.
tiimmbo
Posts: 695
Date Joined: 16/08/09
My kill tank has an outlet
My kill tank has an outlet that enables me to pump out the kill tank, simple inline pump works a treat.
Boydy
Posts: 623
Date Joined: 26/09/12
That would be an easy option
That would be an easy option to fit in actually, I've got plenty of room/access around it to rig something up.
tiimmbo
Posts: 695
Date Joined: 16/08/09
It's a real easy set up,
It's a real easy set up, mine was already done but When I bought the boat the pump wasn't working. Left it for a few months then decided to fix it. Was really simple to replace the pump and made a huge differ nice to deck space not having an esky floating around on deck as well. Perfect spot to fill with crays out of the way.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Hey boydy. I had andy
Hey boydy. I had andy install a kill tank in my plate ali last year and it works a treat. No more esky taking up space. Mine is plumbed to fill and drain through the transom depending on whether i am mobile or stationary. I have an bung in the tank, plus a safety stop cock inside the transom that can be closed if i dont plan on using it. To plumb yours like that is likely to involve cutting and installing hatches to access so may not be worth it, but if not give it some consideration.
Fish! HARD!
Boydy
Posts: 623
Date Joined: 26/09/12
Cheers Randall, The Whittley
Cheers Randall,
The Whittley SL21 actually has a fully plumbed live bait tank as well. Pickup is through a hull skin via pump and drain is tee'd into an overflow and out through a transom skin. The whole tank is hinged and pivots forward allowing full access to the transom, batteries, bilge pump, live bait tank pump and plumbing/stop cocks plus the rear of the under floor kill tank. Standard fit out by Whittley.
So access is no dramas, I recon I could utilise all the existing fill and drain points with some additional connections and hoses and fully plumb the thing in about 30min.
Thinking I should take advantage of this...
Stevo81
Posts: 1278
Date Joined: 16/04/12
Can your install a skin
Can your install a skin fitting to the existing drain & plug so it will drain directly overboard? I use my live tank to bleed fish before they go in the ice slurry and it's great to get rid of that shit straight overboard. I don't think I'd want blood, scales etc draining into my bilge..
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Boydy
Posts: 623
Date Joined: 26/09/12
Exactly what I'm thinking
Exactly what I'm thinking Steve, see the post above, you just beat me to it!
Cheers
sea-kem
Posts: 15095
Date Joined: 30/11/09
I can see issues with your
I can see issues with your fibreglass bilges, I guess mine is different being ali. Easier to clean etc, like I said I've never had an issue with smell, scales etc. It's the carpet that cops the stink, especially up north where after a few days we pour disinfecant over the carpet diluted to make it a bit more pleasant.
Love the West!
Boydy
Posts: 623
Date Joined: 26/09/12
In all honesty Andy if all
In all honesty Andy if all the existing hardware wasn't already there I probably wouldn't bother, like I said I actually have pretty good access. So if I have to I can get in there to get any nasty bits out. Although could be another story if any crap went forward, now thinking about it...
Anyways can't be a bad thing to be able to get it straight out of the tank and hull without it going into the bilge first.
Cheers.
sea-kem
Posts: 15095
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Totally agree Boydy,
Totally agree Boydy, Anything to make life easier has to be a good thing. I've just fabbed up a deck wash pump system that I just chuck overboard, works like a beauty so on the way in wash out most the crap from the day. If we catch fish that is
Love the West!
Cruise Control
Posts: 973
Date Joined: 03/11/10
Hey Andy, know what you mean
Hey Andy, know what you mean about the smell, especially with messy deckies ! I carry a big bottle of detergent (mint is preferred although lemon does at a pinch) and we use that to scrub down the boat on the way in. Usually put a couple of squirts (it doesn't foam up too much with the salt water) on the carpet and blast that in with the deckwash. It lifts most of the blood and slime from the carpet and straight out through the bilge pump
sea-kem
Posts: 15095
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Cheers Bruce , will give it
Cheers Bruce , will give it a try.
Love the West!
Boydy
Posts: 623
Date Joined: 26/09/12
Yep good call on the
Yep good call on the disinfectant/cleaner with the fish crap on the carpet.
My carpets aren't actually cut to allow access to the floor hatches.
But they are kept in place (nicely) with those push studs.
So may just remove them all together for the fishing sessions to avoid the issue all together.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
You need a deck wash andy!
You need a deck wash andy!
Fish! HARD!
sea-kem
Posts: 15095
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Done Randall, I'll post a
Done Randall, I'll post a pic when I get a chance. Very basic but it works well.
Love the West!
Drillzy87
Posts: 55
Date Joined: 16/10/12
Get a poly one fabbed up?
why not get a poly one fabbed up?? last for ever and nice and light and easy to remove?
AMH plastic fabrications ;) have a look on facebook!
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Peko
Posts: 185
Date Joined: 01/10/14
Kill Tank
I have a kill tank that drains either to the sump or directly to the flooded section of the hull. The problem is it will not hold ice for any period of time at all. As recently as yesterday with the temps being pretty cool I dropped in two bags of "good" ice and within a few hours had nothing but water. Im wondering if a poly infill might be the solution. It would be nice to keep the deck clean and not have the esky.