28TE Projects: Livewell, Hatch Lifter and Cooler Mount

[Jaredh]

I finally got the boat home a week or so ago, and had some projects on the checklist for this fall before hauling the boat down to Florida for the winter. The stock livewell hasn't been up to the task of keeping bait we catch at night alive all day, so that needed an upgrade. The hatch lifters failed shortly after we bought the boat and have been on the to do list. Finally I wanted to get the cooler onto the swim platform to open up the transom of the boat. Its been a little dicey standing on the cooler to dart fish pinwheeling up behind the boat.

Livewell

Tom Cunningham was able to put me in touch with the new owner of his boat, Dave, to get some measurements of the Pacific Edge 43 gallon tank he had installed on his old boat. This livewell is a perfect fit for the Flush Deck boats as it occupies the space between the large bilge access hatch and the stern hatch. Pacific Edge was able to squeeze the base a bit as these are built to order to insure clearance. The end result ended up awesome.

[Jaredh]

Hatch Lifters

The hydraulic hatch lifters for the large fish box on our flush deck failed shortly after we bought the boat. It was a bear to lift manually, and eventually the starboard side mounting block failed. I glassed in a new wooden wedge the same dimensions as the original and installed new bennett hatch lifters along with all new hose and fittings back to the pump. It works great and will make future maintenance in this area a simple 1 man job vs a nerve wracking 2 man job.

[Jaredh]

I still need to paint the newly glassed in starboard mount, but it is secure and functional.

[Jaredh]

Cooler on Swim Platform

We had been keeping out Yeti 160 in the center of the transom with the fish bag behind it.



This worked ok but made working around the back of the boat tough. This cooler typically only contains ice that is used to ice down fish in a fish bag so immediate access isn't critical. I used Kennedy cooler mounts so if this doesn't work out there is nothing permanent to stub your toe on on the platform. It is a snug fit but I think should work out ok. I will report back after some time on the water with this setup.

[Jaredh]

I thought some of this might be useful for someone considering similar projects. Feel free to respond or message me if you have any questions or are considering something similar.

[Ben423]

My hatch opens only about 45 degrees and I really like that yours opens to roughly 90 degrees. What is the part number for the Bennett lifters?

Thanks!

[Jaredh]

My hatch opens only about 45 degrees and I really like that yours opens to roughly 90 degrees. What is the part number for the Bennett lifters?

Thanks!

The lifters are Bennett HL24C. They will go all the way to 90 degrees.

[Ben423]

Thanks. This'll be a great winter project.

[JackK]

Nice job on those hatch lifters Jared. They were a pain in the @ss. They were opening so slow that it became painful. to deal with. I always rigged a two by four to provide an emergency prop rod in case they failed while I was in the bilge.

I miss boating and more importantly fishing but I surely do not miss getting in the bilge of the 28. At 6'2" and 210 lbs, I could barely move down there.

Happy Holidays to Everyone!
Jack

[DougSea]

Happy Holidays to Everyone!
Jack

Same to you Jack! Nice to see you're still hanging around here! Hope all's well!

[Tom Cunningham]

Great job on the bait tank! A super addition to any of the flush decks! I got to do it all over again when the Compton arrived. Tom.

[Jaredh]

Thanks for the kind words. And thank you for taking care of her like you did Jack! We made the 100 mile run from Islamorada to Bimini today in 3-5s and she didn’t miss a beat. Merry Christmas from the Maine Albin in the Bahamas!

[Nancy]

Way to go, Jared! The orange life ring almost looks like a Christmas decoration.

[Pitou]

That's the way to extend your Florida adventures. Nice job!
Catching any fish in Bimini?

[JackK]

Happy Holidays to Everyone!
Jack

Same to you Jack! Nice to see you're still hanging around here! Hope all's well!

I have to keep an eye on my baby and make sure Jared is keeping her up to my standards. Besides Jared and Kayla are taking her on some cool adventures.
You never know when to boat bug might bite again.

Happy Holidays!
Jack