Has anyone made a center seat?

C

CheckRaise

New member
I don't know about the rest of you, but when underway I usually stand with my head centered on the center window. It obviously helps with load balancing and visibility, but it's also tiresome on the old legs. It got me wishing for a stool...and wondering if anyone's actually fashioned a solution.
 
No sir, I have never really thought about that. But I have seen how handy it could be.

Think about this: If you can stand the helm seat being raised an inch or so, you could easily put a sideways slider under it, and fashion a quick and simple to deploy knee brace to hold it up. You would be limited to getting on the thing from one side only, but you could sure get it out of the way in a hurry without any readliy visible signs that your boat has been modified (modified = upgraded if you do it, dorked out if I did it).

Here's another method. Mount the seat on a rotating arm which is attached to the seat in the center with a pivot and to the box beneath the seat at the inboard edge with another pivot point. When the seat is in the standard position, have the unsupported end of the arm rest on a piece of plastic with a detent (or latch if you're the nervous type). That would make the seat plenty solid and look like nothing is different. When you swing the seat out into the aisle, it would end up one full seat width to port (or more/less depending on how long the arm is and how far off center it is attached to the seat). Have a two piece hinged (or telescoping) rod that stores on the side of the rotating arm but can be lowered and extended to make an angle brace from the seat to near the floor. That would hold the seat rigid and in place when moved out.

The simplest would be just what you suggested - a bar stool in the aisle. But you have to get it out of the way sometimes, and also stow it. The aisle isn't much, but it is the route to the PortaPotty. You could make some gizmo and sell it at next year's boat show, no doubt.

Sheesh - I wish you wouldn't post this kind of stuff so close to bedtime. I'll be awake half the night trying to picture how that might work. You are a mighty sharp gentleman and a natural at thinking a little outside the whatever (or so I've heard), so maybe you ought to spend a few hours late at night thinking about this, too.

Man, you're gonna be famous. Could be the next iPod.

Sorry I get so carried away, and if all you really want is something to lean your butt against, then just ignore me.
 
CheckRaise

Tyboo Mike and I, and I am sure others, will ponder on this. Are you looking for just a stool type seat or something with a back. May as well be comfortable. How about a hammock? Something collapsible, foldable, affordable, able to leap tall buildings, in a.... never mind.
Your profile at the left doesn't give any hints to which size boat or where you are. Not that where you are matters. I am assuming you are on a 22. I will go to bed tonight thinking through some possibilities. How about you Mike? Never mind, he's probably already IN bed.

Check and Pass,,
 
Damn Mike you beat me to it. So both of us will be awake tonight. How about just using the Porta Potti as a seat and raising it up on a hydraulic ram. Mmmm , maybe not.


A good nights sleep punctuated by tossing and turning and thinking, will come up with something. Or not.
 
Mike and David----------

You too almost made me choke on my late nite libation!!! Entertinment this good, at this price and at this time of night is hard on an old retired guy!! But from what I've seen in your albums, I'm sure y'all will come up with a solution. David---maybe you could fashion one of them fish whacker-killer-klubs in an oversize version for it to sit on??? Would be pretty! Sleep tight!!

Doug
 
Long distance dog musher’s in Alaska have a similar problem, and have devised an elegant solution. Dog musher’s stand on the runners of the sled, and have to be able to shift their weight for steering and balance. You can imagine how tiring this would be over the course of a multi-day race (like the Iditarod). Many years ago, someone hit upon the idea of mounting a bicycle seat on a pole that can be flipped up out of the way when not needed, but easily flipped back for use. On a C-Dory, I visualize a pole (seat post) of the appropriate length with a bicycle seat on top. It would fit into some sort of socket on the floor, where it could be quickly and easily installed or removed. The pole would angle backwards from the socket. There would be a wire cable attached near the top of the seat post, with the other end attached to an eyebolt on the dash. This would allow you to stand straddling the bicycle seat, leaned slightly backwards with your body weight holding the cable taught and the pole in its socket. You would still have the ability to shift your weight for balance. The whole thing could be quickly and easily removed and stowed when you wanted to move back to the helm seat. Who knows? Maybe it would even work. Someone a lot handier than me would have to actually design and build it, though. Jim
 
How about a bar across the center from the helm cabinet to the forward passenger seat cabinet? It could hook into brackets on each side and have a flat seat or a 'leaning pad' like stand up consol powerboats.

Perhaps put a hinge on one end to let it hang down on one side when not in use.
 
Okay, so we're inventing this thing. Even better. :)

These are interesting ideas. The bar solution is along the lines of what I was thinking someone might have done. And I definitely could stand to raise the helm seat; ironically, the increased visibility would probably make me use it more. Whatever I do, it's obviously got to get out of the way quickly.

I'm not set on any one idea. The "stool" thought was a passing fancy born from physical discomfort, as in "Man. 50 miles of this is not pleasant. I wish I had me a stool or somethin'." To give my legs a break, I find myself resting half an ass on the helm seat so that I can still look out the center window, but this half-assed solution is aptly named. I did 50 miles of intermittant chop like that yesterday, and now I ache in all kinds of places.

David: You don't see the following to the left?
CheckRaise
Joined: 07 Oct 2004
Posts: 26
Location: Hansville, WA
C-Dory Year: 2003
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: CheckRaise
Photos: CheckRaise
Click to expand...
 
Yes, John, I see it now. But this is morning and my head is clear. Am a little bit sleepy however, from constantly being awakened by really wierd dreams of small hammocks, slings hanging from the ceiling, bicycle seats, and other contraptions. I am working on a double use configuration of a sling hanging from the ceiling that can also be used to launch yourself ( or someone else) into the berth.

Do you have the forward facing pasenger seat or the factory rear facing stationary one? I'll go check your album after I send this. Can't get there from here without losing what I have written. Which, now that I look is why I didn't see your location and boat name info. It doesn't show up on the scrolling window under the post a reply window. Just your message.

Where is Hansville?
 
Ken: do you rent her out for both day-trips and weekends?

David: I have the factory everything. Hansville is at the very northernmost tip of the Kitsap peninsula, about seven miles north of Kingston.
 
This is a good topic and one I've been deliberating for some time. As it's +40F today, I just went down to the MOOSE to speculate on some upcoming projects. My inclination is to order two of the Garelick Side Gunwale Utility Seats (WM Model 406793 on p. 795 of the 2004 catalog) for installation on either side of the cockpit. I think another set of mounting brackets could be installed on the face of the "box" under the helm seat and one of the seats could then also serve as a center seat. I think it's worth a try.
Al
 
Al, this is a great idea. Do you have the much-maligned factory ice box?

I do, and I'm wondering about clearance for the brackets. I don't think there's much. And there's no way it could ever lie flat, not with the stupid ice box there. I might yet join the ranks of those who tore that puppy out.
 
Ours is a 2001 that came with a cabinet and shelf under the helm seat. Last winter I removed the shelf and built three drawers to fit in behind the door. I'm sure there is at least two inches of space between the top of the door and the bottom of the seat.
Al
 
I just got at least part of the Garelick side mount utility seat today, the "U" leg support was missing but here's what I think about it's utility as a center seat. The brackets that come with it are 2.5" high and the distance between the bottom of the helm seat and the top of the cabinet door underneath is about 2.75"; so that's good. However, the mounting legs on the seat are too short to bridge the distance between the edge of the helm seat and the face of the cabinet it sits on. So I'd propose purchasing an 18" length of 1/4" aluminum angle, 2.5" on a side. The brackets could be pop-riveted to the face of the angle and then the angle securely screwed to the underside of the protrusion of the helm seat. This would enable a center seat at the same height as the helm seat. Of course it lacks the back rest of the Barber chair, but for shorter runs would allow a companion to face forward and be in direct proximity to the person at the helm.
Al
 
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