100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

[SteuryLover]

I am looking into possibly using my boat for some commercial fishing here in SoCal. Basically it will be used to catch fish with hook and line, then keeping them alive in a tank long enough to get back to port and meet up with a receiver. There are many oxygen systems available to do this in small spaces with very little water. My boat is close to 20' LOA with real length being 18.5'. I cannot read the coast guard plate because it is worn real good. It is rated for a 150 outboard and 7 people, I can get that much info. I have a 99 150 Mercury XR6 weighing in just under 400lbs. I also have a SS T top, 32 gallon live bait well, 36 gallons if fuel, 2xgroup 27 batteries, and about 40 lbs in extra gear. I have had 800 lbs of people, gear and fish on the front of the boat and could still easily achieve plane and handles chop well. The boat will be fished alone with minimal gear. I have the space to build a custom 100 gallon fiberglass bait well. Assuming it actually holds more like 85-90 gallons with 100lbs fish in it it should come in near 1000 lbs. I included a bad mock up picture with dimensions. I also included a shot of the boat to show overall balance placement. I am trying to find out if this will work out with my boat or if I am pushing the limits here. Please let me know if I am missing any info to help figure this out.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

Lay a couple 50gal plastic drums and fill em up with water and see, seems like an awful lot of weight and the fish would probably belly up anyhow.

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

....I don't know......the salt water is gonna weigh around 855 lbs., and the weight will just increase as fish are added and water displaced (amount dependent upon species). Combine that weight, that far forward and, I assume by the sketch, ABOVE deck and you are fast approching a stability problem: not even considering the dynamic moment arm of a sloshing tank.
Me thinks you need a re-think or the services of a marine engineer.
FWIW...Ed in 'ol Virginny

 

[SteuryLover]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

By the way, the boats dry weight is 1200 pounds. I agree, it is on the heavy side. With the oxygen system the fish will stay alive with very little water. I will do the 2x50 gallon drum test before I move forward with anything.

 

[Boss Hawg]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

I think too much weight for that sized boat -
BUT i'm no boat expert

 

[walt-oxie1]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

I would go with coolers and ice rather than try a live hold. Depending on the type of fish, you can pack about 70lbs in a 70 qt cooler. I commercial fish and can put almost 1 basket (usually holds @ 80 lbs) of spots in a 70qt cooler with 3 layers of ice. It will be lighter, movable, and not to mention, less work. If you have any fish die in a live well they will spoil quick. What type of fish are you going after? That would definitely help in fish storage until you get back to dock.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

Forward livewells beat the crap out anything in them, even at no wake they get beat up, at least in my bros 18' Sylvan they do, your boat looks quite adequate though gotta say.

 

[SteuryLover]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

Thanks everyone for all the good opinions, keep em coming. The front side depth in the front is 27" high and 25" in the rear. The fuel tanks are saddle tanks in the sides. The deck is dropped a little lower then most boats it size since there is no fuel cell under the deck. The fish are rockfish species that are very hardy fish. The key is keeping them alive, they are worth 5 times the amount live. A daily take would be good at 100 lbs for one person. So really the goal is to be able to keep 100 lbs of fish alive for approx 8-12 hours. These local rockfish are so hardy they are often alive 2-3 hours after I catch them when put in my fish locker on ice. Unlike bass and many other game fish, these fish only need oxygen gently flowing around their gills, they do not need to be moving at all. nothing like a bass/tuna. These are similar fish you will see swimming in tanks at markets and restaurants. Avg weight is approx 3 lbs. Here is another shot of the front of the boats hull. Just for more reference. I am a fair weather fisherman and would really only be fishing in small seas no more then 25 miles/1 hour from harbor.

 

[walt-oxie1]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

If the boat were mine, I would move the console towards the front and put the fish hold in the belly of the boat. It would be more stable that way. I would also baffle the hold tank. Just a friendly reminder, the weather forecast is not always right. I have went through rough water many times (when it was supposed to be calm winds) and the 1 hour trip to the dock took 4 hours. That was also in a river not open water. The boat is plenty big enough to support the weight. I use a boat that is a little smaller than yours and have had 1200 lbs of mullet on deck, not to mention 2 people and 600 yards of net.

 

[SteuryLover]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

I agree, that would be the best if I put it in the belly of the boat. The plan is to try and get half a season out of this boat so I can justify the cost of a larger commercial boat in the 22'-26' range. So if I can get half a season or so without cutting my boat would be ideal. I may be able to keep 100 lbs of fish alive with less water, that will also be a science project in itself. Any more opinions are appreciated, thanks for everyone's time so far. Included is a shot of the existing large front fish hold. I will keep it where it is.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

First of all I would not add even 1/2 that weight nor think about venturing 25 miles out...... I can not see that as safe for the passengers.

I highly doubt there is anyone qualified (or is willing to claim they are) here on iboats and risk your safety or the safety of people.

I would recommend you read the USCG boat building manual and see how weight capacities are reached. You will see they are not random guessing and they are never based on "a guy on iboats said it would be safe and carry that weight"

Check with the USCG on commercial fishing rules too and carrying passengers..... you might be in a whole new ballpark.

Take a line from Jaws "I think we're gonna need a bigger boat"

 

[walt-oxie1]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

What about using large coolers with bilge pumps for aerators? The aerators can be made cheap.You can distribute the weight better and not make any permanent modifications to your boat.

 

[SteuryLover]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

First of all I would not add even 1/2 that weight nor think about venturing 25 miles out...... I can not see that as safe for the passengers.

I highly doubt there is anyone qualified (or is willing to claim they are) here on iboats and risk your safety or the safety of people.

I would recommend you read the USCG boat building manual and see how weight capacities are reached. You will see they are not random guessing and they are never based on "a guy on iboats said it would be safe and carry that weight"

Check with the USCG on commercial fishing rules too and carrying passengers..... you might be in a whole new ballpark.

Take a line from Jaws "I think we're gonna need a bigger boat"

I understand the importance of safety and have read the USCG back yard builders guide to boat building safety. There is only 1 person working the boat, me. This boat has been more then 25 miles from port on dozens of occasions, that's what good service and proper planning/equipment is for. We fish the Channel Islands which start 11 miles from port. We are never at anytime more then 6 miles from land and typically are working within 1 mile from the shoreline of the islands. I agree I need a bigger boat, I just need to justify it first financially. The boat handles weight very well and was used in the past for commercial fishing. The boat will do over 50MPH with the newer Mercury running a 21p prop. I will obviously need to change the prop as well but I do have the power on the transom. Thanks VT for looking out for me and my passenger's safety, that is always appreciated. I may just need a bigger boat.

 

[SteuryLover]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

What about using large coolers with bilge pumps for aerators? The aerators can be made cheap.You can distribute the weight better and not make any permanent modifications to your boat.

That sounds like a good safe way to start and figure out a few things. I may need to justify it financially on a small scale so I can buy a bigger boat.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

If not a bigger boat, how about another boat--another hull design. A big Carolina spoon bow, or a scow like a Carolina Skiff or whaler. With all that weight, your bow will pig under even a 3 foot wave and might not have the recovery (rise or float when under). I doubt you will duplicate the condition you might face with test tanks.
But with all the advice you seem determined to try it. Don't go out alone. A mile from shore may as well be 100 in winter waters if you go under.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

I'm no engineer, but I think this is a common sense situation - a thousand pounds of concentrated weight on your deck and stringers? Doesn't sound like a good plan to me.

Furthermore, consider the actual force when you hit a sea and that thousand pounds is multiplied by whatever g-forces are involved.

IMO, get a bigger boat or plan on a smaller tank!



???

 

[SteuryLover]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

Thanks for all the advice guys. I am not determined to do it with this boat, but I am determined to do it on a boat. I do agree it is a lot of weight on the bow, no question. It seems I need to start looking for a larger boat like a Radon, Davis or Wilson.

 

[SteuryLover]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

What do you fishing guys think about these fish holds?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300372874230&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNARL:US:1123

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

This is just a thought now...
I've had a half full 5gal sitting on the back porch for about 3 weeks now that the weather has turned cold, there must be 5 doz minnows there all lively without even an aerater, so why couldn't a live well be refrigerated? Chilled water rather than volume of water? Just wondering maybe it would shock the fish dead, I know cold to warm will kill them quick, but chilling them down, I think not? Oh wait don't know about ocean fish.

 

[Boss Hawg]

Re: 100 Gallon Live Fish Well Is The Weight Safe?

If the boat were mine, I would move the console towards the front and put the fish hold in the belly of the boat. It would be more stable that way. I would also baffle the hold tank. Just a friendly reminder, the weather forecast is not always right. I have went through rough water many times (when it was supposed to be calm winds) and the 1 hour trip to the dock took 4 hours. That was also in a river not open water. The boat is plenty big enough to support the weight.

I use a boat that is a little smaller than yours and have had 1200 lbs of mullet on deck, not to mention 2 people and 600 yards of net

.

So in other words you are comportable with having a additional 6 grown men that adverage 200# each + a what--200# of net on less than a 18' boat along with yourself & normal gas, gear, batteries watnot
I sure go with Bob on wat he said