Kill tank uses

[Smakka2301]

Hi,

I reckon they aren't single purpose things ... what do you use your kill tank for and would you want it to be designed differently ?? For one, I have heard of people insulating them but I don't see many boat builders installing insulated kill tanks ...

Would you not have one in a new boat build for some reason ?

Cheers,

[NAGG]

Mt Barcrusher has one & while I always thought that a killtank would be good on a boat ........ it's actually pretty useless .
Being Aluninium & in contact with the seawater ...... you really cant keep fish in there for very long - yes bleed them out & put them on ice 10 -15 mins later .
The only way to get the water out is to remove the rear bung & pump it out through the bilge …….. do you really want blood & scales going through the bilge pump ….. nah.
Mostly it gets used for wet storage …… snorkelling gear . Eventually I'll get a fuel bladder for it ……. Approx 60 lt which would come in handy on those big trips. .
Unless a kill tank is insulated , big enough (deep & long) plus can easily have water added & removed …… I'd rather not have one & a bigger fuel tank instead .


Chris

[Ducksnutz]

My kill tank on my 1900 Tournament Bluewater centre console is 120 litres and sits. under the front casting deck and is used for its intended purpose. Unfortunately it’s only issue is I can’t fill it often enough!😂😂😂
I think having them works well on a glass boat but I never used mine on the barcrusher 560 as the ice melts so quick without it being insulated and I don’t know why, something about fresh fish and metal didn’t sit well with me from a hygiene point of view. Probably nothing wrong with it just wasn’t for me.
I used to store my Plano waterproof tackle boxes and other bits and pieces in it.

[stevej]

seen people use kill bags full of ice in them
as nag said worst place to keep your fish as they just heat up

[Dirtyfuzz]

[QUOTE=stevej;1661393]seen people use kill bags full of ice in them
as nag said worst place to keep your fish as they just heat up[/
I’ve got 200l seatpod eskys and that’s how I do it, i have a couple of the large mackeral bags filled with ice slurry, also easier to clean the bag!


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[scottar]

Not for me. If i ever were to have one it would have to have plumbing for drainage that exited directly to the outside world. I wouldn't wash the content's of my esky to my bilge at end of day - no difference with a tank. The closest thing I have to a "kill tank" is used for heavy equipment storage.

[Ashtom]

I have one on my Surtees, probably similar to the ones on barcrushers. I don't use it for fish. Maybe just to bleed larger ones but not often.

I mainly use the kill tank as extra storage of wet items as the position of it is prone to getting wet. Things like spare anchor for rear anchoring at beaches, fenders, snorkeling gear etc. It's very handy for these.

I am also looking at getting a bladder for extra fuel too but haven't needed to yet.

I'm undecided whether I'd rather have the kill tank as storage or would want it as fuel tank. Prose and cons both ways.

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[catshark]

not for me i cringe see when i see those videos of fish being flung into a kill tank with no ice, in alloy boats, just a rubber stamped idea from glass boats but just doesnt deliver, best for storage. Unless one was to make block ice it might last a fishing session .

[Jason Green]

We have a healthy population of Noah’s that are very boat savvy up here so nothing goes over board
Throw them in the kill tank for 5 minutes then into the esky
The bc has 2 bungs one to the bilge the other into the ballast
Bung of the bilge and flood the kill tank from the ballast get on the plane and most of it gets out


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[NAGG]

We have a healthy population of Noah’s that are very boat savvy up here so nothing goes over board
Throw them in the kill tank for 5 minutes then into the esky
The bc has 2 bungs one to the bilge the other into the ballast
Bung of the bilge and flood the kill tank from the ballast get on the plane and most of it gets out


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Nearly sunk the boat at South West Rocks a couple of weeks back …… left the drain bung out ,

I backed the boat in ….. drove it off & my young bloke held onto the boat while I parked the car - when I got to the boat ….. the young bloke says sheepishly "Dad is there supposed to be that much water in the back? " I knew exactly what the problem was …… hit the bilge pump & lifted the lid ….. luckily the bung was still in place. …… best part of 3" of water up to the console had to be pumped out.

Chris

[Jason Green]

Nearly sunk the boat at South West Rocks a couple of weeks back …… left the drain bung out ,

I backed the boat in ….. drove it off & my young bloke held onto the boat while I parked the car - when I got to the boat ….. the young bloke says sheepishly "Dad is there supposed to be that much water in the back? " I knew exactly what the problem was …… hit the bilge pump & lifted the lid ….. luckily the bung was still in place. …… best part of 3" of water up to the console had to be pumped out.

Chris

Yep it’s always my greatest worry forgetting that one so I put them all in the night before was thinking of doing up a proper checklist for at the ramp mainly because at 3 or 4 in the morning the brain is not always functioning properly


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[Smakka2301]

Cheers all,
You are all of the same mind pretty much. At least in an alloy boat they are a waste of time. I did see some photos of a guy who had an extra alloy fuel tank made to suit his kill tank - a funny triangular shaped thing it was ...
Cheers,

[NAGG]

Yep it’s always my greatest worry forgetting that one so I put them all in the night before was thinking of doing up a proper checklist for at the ramp mainly because at 3 or 4 in the morning the brain is not always functioning properly


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up to that moment … Id been really good at checking it

Now I deliberately leave the cover off the kill tank when I wash the boat out .

Having a WR ….. I have to wash it in the driveway & then reverse the boat into the carport after folding down the T Top …… the thing is it's not until I have the boat on the jockey wheel that I can drain the boat out ( bilge & kill tank) ……. last trip I forgot & launched the boat.
At least now - it's obvious when I prep the boat for a trip .

In 25+ years of boat ownership …. I'd only ever left the bungs out once ….. but I guess this now counts as twice

Chris

[disorderly]

The killtank on the new China supervee boat states on the sales blurb its 60l....upon inspection it looked substantially bigger than that... measuring and calculating its actually 185l......you could quite easily fit a person in it..!..you have to practically get inside to get at the bung..lol….

Like some others mentioned I also don't like the thought of blood and guts travelling down into the bilge area so for now it will be used as storage for fenders, spare anchor, dive gear (can fit my 4 scuba tanks in there) and whatever else and down the track maybe fuel and freshwater tank..it can also fit 4 x 20l Jerrycans inside..

and yeah this new bung situation will take some getting used to......with 7 in the rear of the boat and at least 2 internally I'm sure we will have some drama at some stage...….

[banshee]

Not for me. If i ever were to have one it would have to have plumbing for drainage that exited directly to the outside world. I wouldn't wash the content's of my esky to my bilge at end of day - no difference with a tank. The closest thing I have to a "kill tank" is used for heavy equipment storage.

Pretty much my thoughts,If mine is a kill tank It's been used for nearly everything but that.