How to Install a Livewell in a Gheenoe

A Gheenoe is a small, flat-bottom boat that is a favorite among fishing enthusiasts. The boat is lightweight, yet will accept a high horsepower motor for great performance. The Gheenoe is easy for one person to trailer in and out of the water, making it a perfect boat for a day of fishing. For those on long fishing trips, a livewell is essential. Fishermen want to keep their catch fresh as long as possible, and a livewell recirculates and aerates water in a small tank, keeping fish alive until the sportsman returns to shore.

Things You'll Need

  • A water tank, such as a 30- to 40-gallon insulated cooler or plexiglass aquarium with lid
  • DC battery-powered, 12-V aerated recirculation pump with sea-cock inlet
  • 20 feet, 5/8-inch rubber hose, along with radiator hose clamps
  • Silicone caulk
  • Electric or cordless drill, with assorted drill bits and 3/4-inch hole saw.
  • 2 8-foot 2x4s
  • 1 lb. 2 1/2-inch all-purpose coarse thread Phillips head screws
  • 7 1/4-inch builder's saw
  • Measuring tape
  • Pencil
  • 5/8-inch barbed hose insert to 3/4-inch threaded gray polybutylene hose adapter
  • Nylon nuts and washers that fit the hose ends and hose adapters
  • 16-gauge electrical wire, with wire nuts and black electrical tape.
  • Hand tools for electrical work, including screwdrivers, side cutter and wire strippers
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Instructions

  1. Livewell Tank Frame

    • 1

      Measure perimeter of the livewell tank. This cooler will set in the back of the Gheenoe boat and must have a frame around it so it doesn't slide around the boat.

    • 2

      Build a snug frame for the tank out of 2x4s. Construct the frame so it looks like a ladder with two rungs. The livewell will rest into the area between the rungs, and the ladder rails should be long enough to fit snugly between the side walls of the Gneehoe boat.

    • 3

      Place the ladder-shaped frame into the boat and secure it in place with silicone caulk. The caulk is strong enough to hold the frame in place. The seal is flexible enough that you can loosen the caulk with a knife if you want to remove the frame in the future.

    Livewell Plumbing

    • 4

      Drill three 3/4-inch holes in the water tank. Drill two of the holes at roughly the same height, 2 to 3 inches from the top edge of the tank. Drill the third hold at the bottom corner of the tank.

    • 5

      Fasten the hose barb insert adapters into each of the holes, with the threaded ends inserted through the hole into the tank and the barbed insert adapter ends pointing out. Secure the adapters with nylon nuts and washers, then seal the nuts and washers with silicone caulk.

    • 6

      Attach a piece of 5/8-inch rubber hose to one of the upper hose adapters, long enough to reach into the water at the back of the boat. This hose is the tank's overflow discharge hose.

    • 7

      Attach one end of a shorter piece of 5/8-inch rubber hose to the hose barb adapter that is in the lower hole. Attach the other end of this same hose to the inlet side of the recirculation pump. Attach a hose from the outbound side of the recirculation pump to the third hose barb insert adapter in the other upper tank hole. This hose completes the water pathway and forms the recirculation/aeration path for tank water.

    • 8

      Attach a piece of 5/8-inch hose from the sea-cock valve on the recirculation pump that leads to the back of the boat, over the transom and into the water. You can drill a hole through the transom if you want to mount this line permanently, or fasten the line over the transom so it enters the water. This hose supplies water to the tank. When the pump is turned on, it will pull water into the tank. When the tank is full, it will recirculate and aerate the water in the tank.

    Tank Electrical Circuit

    • 9

      Mount the pump switch to a convenient location on the boat's dash or operator control console.

    • 10

      Connect one of the two electrical terminals on the pump to one of the terminals on the pump switch with 16-gauge electrical wire.

    • 11

      Connect the second terminal on the pump to the positive side of the boat's electrical system or to the positive terminal on the boat's battery.

    • 12

      Connect a wire from the negative side of the boat's battery or ground source to the second terminal on the recirculation pump. This wiring schematic connects the switch in series with the pump, and the switch will now turn the recirculation pump on and off.