22' helm bulk head modification

[trpsurf]

Given the winter months are upon us, I am thinking about my list of projects for the next two months and I stumbled upon a discussion of a opening the helm bulkhead on a 25' Cruiser.

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=16023&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15&sid=ff7f2f15aa1fbb36545736496a976674

On the top of our wish list is a forward facing passenger seat. My wife does not like to sit backwards while we are underway and would prefer to sit next to me facing forward. I was thinking about rebuilding the entire port side cabinet to include a sliding seat, but last week I thought of the idea of cutting the helm bulkhead.

One idea that I have is to cut the bulkhead and then make it so that the piece that I have cut out is removable (or even hinged) so that it can be reinserted to close the opening. This would allow the passenger to flip the foam pad around and sit with their back against the table and their legs in the berth area. It will probably not be as comfortable as a proper forward facing seat, since your legs would be forward and not down at a right angle, but would enable us to open up the berth area for increased airflow and would allow us to face forward.

Has anyone done this modification on a 22'? I would love to see some pictures or get some input.

Also on winter project list is:
- upgrading the transducer on my fishfinder/ chartplotter to a 1KW transom mounted transducer
- cleaning/ waxing the exterior
-and possibly moving the radar from the current pedestal, up to the top of the radar arch.

Thanks in advance for the input/ ideas.
-Tim

[ssobol]

My CD22 has the reversible seat, but so far we have never put it to the forward facing position. If my wife wants to sit in the cabin while we are cruising she sits in the aft seat of the dinette.

I have seen the mod to cut out the helm bulkhead, but so far I prefer to have the bulkhead intact so as to have a more separate compartment for sleeping and/or storing stuff. Although my wife does refer to the v-berth as "the crypt".

Having the bulkhead cut out will also require some sort of mod to the seat in order to support the seat back when the seat is used in the aft facing position (the bulkhead is the seat back).

[thataway]

In all of our C Dorys my wife has also elected to use the aft seat. The ride is better there, and she puts a book on the table, and some pillows behind her back. If she wants or needs to help with the navigation, she sits "side saddle. Even in the Tom Cat and C Dory 25, where there is the flip flop back, this is her choice.

I can understand that some do want to sit forward, and get the better view. We have considered cutting out the port side bulkhead--but not the bulkhead on the helm side. The helm bulkhead has the wiring, and needs the support for the steering mechanism. The port or navigators side of this bulkhead does float, and can be easily removed. There are edge trims available. It also makes for easier getting into the berth. I use the forward side of this to support my head with a pillow when reading, but if I removed it , I would use pillows.

As for comfort with the legs forward--not so sure. It would not allow the usual bracing mechanism, and might be harder on the back. You can give it a try, and then consider. I would want more than just an "insert" of the old forward bulkhead--but there are many ways to brace it and show your innovation.

I would look at the various modifications in the albums--and formulate which will work best for you and your wife. Get your wife involved in the actual work. We work together in our family--and Marie learned a lot about boats and structure doing this.

Good luck and we all look forward to seeing what you come up with!

[jerry97230]

I modified the seat in our boat to slide so one could face forward.
Very happy with mod.
Not very difficult to do.
I did not cut out the bulkhead, I like the extra privacy in the bunk.
Cutting it out would probably make entry and exit a lot easier though.

Jerry C Nile

[Sunbeam]

Here is one example of utilizing a cutout to make a forward-facing seat. It looks like support was provided for the seat back cushion when facing aft by making it a "stiff" cushion, like the dinette seat bottom cushions already are -- say with plywood under the Sunbrella.

The Marinaut 21 is set up so that the v-berth is open (no bulkhead) when the co-pilot is facing forward, and I found it really handy to have the v-berth cushion right there for charts/books/binocs/etc. when underway. Although it does have a small section of dedicated footwell, that was a bit low for my comfort so I just put my feet on the after edge of the v-berth flat, similar to how you might on the 22 as set up below.

Bixby's Cub:





Here is Gypsy, with the cutout and a swivel seat (looks comfortable if you don't plan to use the dinette as a berth):





I can't think of the boat name right now, but I have also seen a v-berth bulkhead cut-out mod wherein a Sport-a-Seat type seat was used in lieu of a "built in" seat back (hint is it was a boat near the Gulf coast that had replaced the galley and table tops with varnished plywood).

Lastly, and if I am seeing it correctly, on Carpy for a forward facing seat they leave the dinette in "berth" position and then use a Sport-a-Seat to make a forward facing seat without a cut out (although I will warn you that Carpy's album is particularly dangerous to visit, as the mods are so good )

[Montana Kev]

We did modify the seat to forward facing and Laura prefers that position much better than riding in the aft position. It was very much worth the effort and she can make the conversion in 60 seconds without any assistance. We have never felt a big need to cut out the bulk head but if we did I like the idea of being able to place the cut-out back into the bulkhead and have thought about ways to do this. Because we are both tall, our issue is more one of head room than width and have never felt that opening up the bulkhead would help us with entry/exit. We too like the privacy.

Here is a video link to our forward facing seat and pics link below. Good luck with the project.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuwnPZJMj6Y

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album1399&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

Kevin