260 OUTRAGE Fish Box

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
BohicketOutrage260
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Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:06 am

260 OUTRAGE Fish Box

Postby BohicketOutrage260 » Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:02 am

I have a 2002 260 Outrage with port and starboard fish boxes with drain pumps and a macerator pump out.

Q1: why are there plugs to let raw water into the fish boxes [of a 2002 260 OUTRAGE]?

Q2: is [the purpose of the plugs letting in raw water] for cleaning of [the fish] boxes?

Q3: or [is the purpose of the plugs to let in raw water for] storage of fish?

[The water which would come in via the raw water inlet to the fish box would] not [be] aerated. I don't understand how [non-aerated water] would work [in a fish box].

Some water appears in the starboard side box more than the port box, and in order to drain both boxes I then have to add water to a level above the drain to the port box to prime the pump"to drain both boxes simultaneously.

Q4: Is [needing to add water to the port fish box in order to prime the pump]normal?

Q5: or, I need to [look for another cause for the pump not being able to drain the port fish box on a 2002 260 OUTRAGE without adding water]?

Q6: what [is] adding ice to the boxes for fish storage about?

Thank you

NLA01
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Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:25 pm

Re: basic fish box questions

Postby NLA01 » Fri Jun 28, 2019 5:17 pm

Those boxes are made for ice and fish.

When on the water I always have the plugs in. When the boat is pulled from the water onto a trailer, I pull the plugs to help clean and drain to fish locker.

If you need to empty the fish box while on the water and the ice is melted, you can drain with the pump out.

I have never pulled the [drain] plugs [to the fish boxes] while on the water. I guess you could do that on both sides, put the plugs back in, and pump out to clean them out.


While out on the boat both boxes should be dry and not have any water in them, unless you are not putting plugs in.

I really think mine drains one side even if the other is empty.

My 1995 24' Outrage might be different.

For fishing I instead use one of the bow storage for ice and fish because I do not go offshore and catch very large fish.

I use my fish boxes for storage.
Archie

jimh
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Re: 260 OUTRAGE Fish Box

Postby jimh » Fri Jun 28, 2019 8:13 pm

BohicketOutrage260 wrote:Q1: why are there plugs to let raw water into the fish boxes [of a 2002 260 OUTRAGE]?

As a rule, on a Boston Whaler boat that has a below-deck-level compartment in which water will drain from the deck and collect in the compartment or sump, there will be a through-hull opening to the sea. The through-hull to the sea will usually be plugged to prevent inflow of water to the compartment from the sea. But while the boat is underway the drain plug can be removed, and by Venturi effect water will drain out to the sea.

The compartment can also be drained when the boat is on a trailer or hoist by letting gravity drain water out the through-hull drain.

The compartment can also be flooded with seawater if the drain plug is removed and the boat is not underway.

These are the purposes of the through hull drains and their plugs. The owner’s manual should explain this in detail.

jimh
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Re: 260 OUTRAGE Fish Box

Postby jimh » Fri Jun 28, 2019 8:23 pm

BohicketOutrage260 wrote:Q6: what [is] adding ice to the boxes for fish storage about?


I am not an angler, but I think the purpose of adding ice to the fish boxes is to chill the water to prolong the fish in good condition.

BohicketOutrage260
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Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:06 am

Re: 260 OUTRAGE Fish Box

Postby BohicketOutrage260 » Mon Jul 01, 2019 6:24 am

The fish boxes [on this 260 OUTRAGE] are not totally dry, I will need to check for the drain plugs being tight.

I will look again in the deck drain holes for debris blocking rain water overflow coming into fish boxes—I hope not back-flowing from the pump out drains.

The scupper flaps did look good when [the 260 OUTRAGE] was just out of the water.

To have additional dry storage would be great.

Using the bow compartment for ice is a good idea. I will be doing that the next time I head out fishing.

I wish I had a owner’s manual, but I haven't figured out how to get one for that year and model

Q: why you would want to flood two fish box compartments with seawater other than to clean them out?

The stern end of the boxes are simply sealed with silicone and failure would flood the below deck compartment quite quickly.

Thanks for the responses.

jimh
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Re: 260 OUTRAGE Fish Box

Postby jimh » Tue Jul 02, 2019 7:52 am

BohicketOutrage260 wrote:The fish boxes [on this 260 OUTRAGE] are not totally dry...


Generally on Boston Whaler boats the hatch covers for deck openings into below deck compartments (such as the compartment you call a fish box) are not designed to be completely sealed against water on the deck being able to drain into the compartment. Only on certain models of certain (more recent) years will you find the deck hatches have been designed to have gaskets, draining lips or channels, and locks for the porpose of making the hatch a complete seal against water intrusion.

If you boat does not have hatch covers designed to be completely resistant to water getting into the compartment below, an expectation that the compartment below the hatch will remain completely dry at all time won’t be met.