[Geekie1]

I had a leaky 60 gallon fuel tank in my V20 cuddy. The layout in the floor was the 60 gallon tank was just forward of the engine well and the live well was just ahead of the 60 gallon fuel tank with a bulkhead separating them. I installed a 24 gallon permanent tank in the live well so I could finish out the season before pulling the 60 gallon tank and installing a new replacement tank.

I only used the Wellcraft built in live well several times and thought that it was pretty much useless. The main problem was if you were out fishing in any kind of snotty conditions, water would slop out of the live well and the floor was always wet. The only way I could make work at all was to have the water level so low the bait was walking instead of swimming. In any case, I stopped using it and it became storage for things like a small Danforth anchor, fenders, etc. It was never dry, and I couldn't store lines in it because they would get moldy with all of the dampness. The anchor rode on my small anchor was pretty much black instead of white nylon.

Having 84 gallon capacity of fuel onboard seems a bit much unless you are planning to run to the canyons, which are about 65nm at sea each way from Cape May NJ. I have no intentions of doing that unless I get a boat that has that range designed into it. (about a 30 footer) Last season, before replacing the 60 gallon tank, I used the 24 gallon tank exclusively. The range of my V was severely reduced, however, I made many trips to the middle of the Delaware Bay which was about 10 nm each way and still arrived home with about 1/3 of a tank.

I am now thinking of getting rid of the extra 24 gallon tank and installing a semi portable live well in the live well cavity that will extend sufficiently above the floor so the water slopping problem will be solved. Also, I think if it is deep enough, I can put enough water in it to keep the bait alive without the floor being constantly wet. I think plumbing the new live well will be alot easier as well.

Geek