Livewell issues .....

Johnny_S

So, I'm seeing that the livewells on some of the Hurricanes fill up and overflow.   Tonight ... mine in our 2013 Fundeck joined the club.   So here are my questions.

1.  Is this a problem with this style of livewell .... we have only used it once and the boat has 15 hours on it total!   You can imagine my dismay.

2.  The livewell wasn't even turned on but we had water pouring out of it onto the deck at speed ..... is there a valve (or valves) somewhere that needs to be closed ??    There must be an intake that's open .... and we don't want it open unless we are fishing.  

3.  Now the livewell won't drain ... and all things considered its doesn't seem quite right to use a margarine container to take the water out of a $36,000 boat .... so ... your thoughts and solutions on how to make the proper drain functional again and why the plug/backup would have occurred after only one use.   That portends bad things to come.

Please help to calm my mind if you would by offering solution possibilities.

John

 

 

Thanks ....

 

 

servmgr64

The outlet where the water comes into the live well has an end on it that you can turn to let different amount's of water in or turn it off completely. The tube that is standing up in the port? rear corner unscrews to come out & that will let the water out. There may be a ball valve in the outlet line near the stern that is turned off also that would need to be open. Sounds like your dealer could have given some more instruction on the features of the boat & how they work.

Servmgr64

2013 Hurricane FD226
Mercury 150 4 stroke
2014 Shorelander trailer

 

Johnny_S

Yes, that portion of the dealer discussion was a little too brief in retrospect as I recall but I did have it today ... and was pleased with the conversation.   I'm comfortable that it will be resolved BUT a little unhappy with myself that I didn't ask more questions on delivery.   I suspect it was one of those areas of the review that I just felt .... "I know that!" ... and forgot the key pieces of the message.    

But .... at the moment the livewell failure to drain issue isn't solved yet and that seems to be the main issue. We left it overnight up in the hoist with the stand tube removed and checked the screen for debris ... finding none.  We assumed it would drain out overnight but didn't ... in fact it appeared that NONE of the water left in it over night drained .... so it must be a drain problem.  And the "overfill" situation was the result of the "front end" or intake working properly and the "back-end" ... the drain ... not working properly. 

We did use a standard bath plunger to try and "plunge" the drain open with no success.   The dealer did suggest that compressed air might be necessary to resolve.   But since the drain screen (still in place) at the bottom of the drain tube was NOT filled with any debris ... I can't imagine what might have plugged the drain line that would have gotten through the screen.   

Can the drain get plugged up from the "outside" drain port at the stern?

I did learn about the aeration valve and how it's intended to work as you describe ... thank you.   Full clockwise apparently shuts it off entirely .... that's how it was explained today .... I have not tested that yet but assume it to be correct.   It was explained also that some folks choose to use the livewell as dry storage and can shut the valve completely and can even plug the drain itself to prevent any backwash up into the area.   Sounds a little iffy to me but apparently it works as long as everyone using the boat knows that the livewell isn't a real livewell in that configuration. 

I'm not sure that I have the same setup that you are describing regarding removing the "rear corner unscrews to come out & let the water out" .... can you clarify a bit more?   My drain tube seems to be fiberglassed in with no screws at all apparent.

And ... apparently there is not a ball valve in the line on this boat .... at least none that the dealer was aware of .... but I'm going to look again to confirm.   I didn't see any on first examination anyway. 

Appreciate the followup.

Johnny_S

2013 Hurricane 196F

Mercury 150 4 Stroke

2013 Shorelander Trailer

Capt_Steve

@Johnny_S ... there is a shutoff valve at the back of the boat in the motor well access hatch. May need to run the boat back to your dealer to have a look if that doesn't solve the problem.

Johnny_S

Thanks Capt_Steve ... will do .... have a tentative appointment and will work-a-round in the mean-time.  Still need to locate the valve but I suspect the angle I can get to in the hoist keeps me from seeing it at the moment.   Need another angle to get to it I guess.

The goal is getting it fixed and learning what caused the issue in the first place and then hopefully avoid it again.   It was a real surprise to have a wave of water rushing down the deck at me while we're running across the lake at about 28 mph or so.   Thoughts of the "Titanic" crossed my mind.

I do suggest some additional information from Hurricane on live-well operations and potential issues be made more available to owners.   However, from internet review I suspect it may be an issue of all live-well operations ... not specifically a Hurricane issue  .... but if its specifically the design of the Hurricane system some engineering review is in order.

Johnny_S

 

kylepaul

I have a completely different problem.  My livewell will not fill when then boat is just sitting in the water.  The livewell only fills when I reach 3000 rpm and 22 mpg as I'm coming up on plane.  It is pretty obvious to me that the water is not reaching the pump when the boat is just sitting in the water. I think that the pump is installed slightly above the water line so the water never reaches the pump when fishing!  Very frustrating as I've had it to the dealership 3 times already to be 'fixed'.  I recently moved and contacted Nautic Global Group directly and I am pleased to say that Nautic got back to me immediately and contacted the local dealer to investigate.  I'm hopeful that they can fix the issue. Like you I hate paying big $$$ and not having all the options working.

Johnny_S

The reported interim solution was to close the intake valve .... but I find that I'm unable to close it.   The intake doesn't have any provision available to close it ..... hmmmm.   You cannot rotate the intake in either direction.   See the attached photo from the 2013 Hurricane 196F the subject of my portion of 

this discussion.   What am I missing .... there must be something in the "DUH" category going on here that I've missed. 

  

Johnny_S

SOLVED ...... see previous photo of live well.   This one did fall into the catergory of .... "DUH ...how'd that happen" as I had mentioned in my earlier posting. 

Note in the photo the object in the black base at the bottom of the tank designed to seat the riser.   THAT piece, the one that looks like a small filter or screen down in the drain hole, is in fact the adjustable nozzle that should be installed on the upper inlet tube.   Apparently it was loose enough that it eventually vibrated off and almost went down and thru the drain hole.   And ... it plugged the drain hole sufficiently well to allow the live-well to NOT drain properly and overfill such that it flooded the deck.   The piece was removed with a small piece of wire used as a hook and properly replaced on the inlet pipe

So Capt_Steve .... you can mark this one ANSWERED. 

It might be one of those ..... "This could happen to you" sections that goes into a users guide to live-well operations !!!

nquirk

@Johnny_S.... That's pretty crazy that it happens and as you've stated it is one of these "Could Happen to You' situations. 

Glad to see you've solved the problem

Russ

Thank you, my livewell has been plugged up for a year. I always thought that piece belonged in the drain, it looks like it belongs there.  I took a drill and drilled right through it.  The Livewell now drains.