Furniture at sea!

[FF]

"Our stove has a fiddle rail, but there's no way my wife will be cooking on it during serious seas"

The danger comes when dockside or anchored and a 4 ft wake rolls thru.

And its a SURPRISE!!!

Athwart ship ranges will have the pots go to port or stbd.

The hull facing units leave a 50/50 chance of a scalding .

 

[catalinajack]

"Our stove has a fiddle rail, but there's no way my wife will be cooking on it during serious seas"

The danger comes when dockside or anchored and a 4 ft wake rolls thru.

And its a SURPRISE!!!

Athwart ship ranges will have the pots go to port or stbd.

The hull facing units leave a 50/50 chance of a scalding .

Yes, certainly a possibility dockside. But, wouldn't a wave capable of causing a full pot to slide also cause that pot to spill it's contents when it slams against the fiddle? I don't see anything more than a marginally and insignificant benefit to fiddles at dockside and most anchorages. Now, perhaps a gimballed unit with fiddles may be a more viable solution.

 

[Gordon J]

What he said about stabilizers

Free standing furniture is far more comfortable to use. The PO told me to always lie the salon table down before leaving the dock. I did that until I fitted stabilisers. Things hardly ever move around now.

A lot of built-in stuff is even less comfortable than an airport departure lounge and is best avoided. Of course done well it can be acceptable along one side of the salon. To enjoy being on the boat the salon should be as comfortable as your lounge at home.

 

[seasalt007]

Anything is better than built in settees and dinettes. Unless it is a very large boat there will no room for an easy chair to sit in while docked. Have you ever tried to get comfortable sitting in a built in settee?

Feeling this way, when I ordered a brand new 48' Motor Yacht from Taiwan several years ago I expressly told them leave the salon empty of any built in furniture. When it arrived it had a screwed to the teak and holly sole a settee,a hi-lo table and a dinette. Pissed, I called the factory in Kaohsiung and asked why? The answer was that they couldn't imagine using a boat with non built ins so they didn't charge me for them.

At that time it was illegal to own a private boat in Taiwan so they had no concept of the ways a boat is used for pleasure. Their idea was that you would either be cruising or eating so you needed the built ins. Absolutely no concept that a larger amount of time is spent relaxing or watching TV as the dock.

 

[koliver]

Anything is better than built in settees and dinettes. Unless it is a very large boat there will no room for an easy chair to sit in while docked. Have you ever tried to get comfortable sitting in a built in settee?"

Ours isn't so big, though with galley down there is plenty of room for twin Ekornes chairs on the port side.
In a seaway the eyes on the wall and stout bungees hold them in place.
Those chairs were our first experience with that brand. We now have a pair at home, to make our lounging at home as comfortable as on the boat.
The stb settee has backs angled for comfort.

 

[FF]

"Now, perhaps a gimballed unit with fiddles may be a more viable solution."

You must have been looking in our ports,,

 

[dhays]

Our stove is gimballed with fiddles. However, it is set athwart ships so the gimbal really isn’t that useful.

 

[Comodave]

We have a pair of Ekorne recliners. Had them in a previous boat, moved them to our RV and have now moved them into our current boat. Love them, very comfortable and not quite as large as our Lazy Boys that we have at home.

 

[tnltracy]

I would think judicious placement of screw in eyelets and rope or strong bungeees could make a big difference here.

We have recliners and this works very well for us. Have not had any issues, and much more comfortable (IMHO) than built ins. We are costal/ Bay cruising only, so generally can avoid waves of significance with planning and watching weather

 

[boathealer]

Re-did our salon last year to remove built-in dinette.

In the last photo below, the (tiny) red arrow points to a flush pull-ring screwed into fiberglass underneath the sole. We used a short lanyard clipped in from under the chair base when underway.

 

[geoleo]

stuff on the floor

I had planned on putting a couple of pad eyes against the wall behind our couch but haven't gotten to it yet. Our salon table is heavily weighted at the bottom. Nothing has ever moved even during hours of serious seas. The only thing I regularly do when on a passage is lay down the bar stools. Oh and if we forget to fully latch the cabinet with the pots and pans in it... well, they end up on the floor.

All the furniture on the floor hardly makes it useful............

 

[angus99]

All the furniture on the floor hardly makes it useful............

Somebody leave the door open ?

 

[Larry M]

For our high-low table in the salon, we use a bungie with an eye at the satee. For the chairs and table, nothing. They may move a little but not enough that they need to be secured plus they don’t weigh much. We have furniture felt pads on the feet but that’s more to protect the floors. If we didn’t have paravanes we would have to rethink it probably.

 

[seasalt007]

We have a Benchmaster that folds out the leg rest when you need it. Saves some space when you don't need a foot stool. Comes in various fabrics and colors.

 

[rdh4190]

Can I ask where you found the Benchmaster recliner? Thanks!

 

[angus99]

Can I ask where you found the Benchmaster recliner? Thanks!

And how it’s holding up . . .?

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Our salon has an L shape sofa that is heavy. We have found out that we have to strap the sundeck furniture down when we are in open ocean water. We just use ratchet straps and bungee cords.

 

[BandB]

Fell over in a dining-room chair on a nearly 1000-foot-long ship due to ocean waves. What's the odds in a toy trawler?

So you proved you can fall over in a chair anywhere. You do know people do that on land as well.

 

[BandB]

We minimize light weight loose furniture and it all has nearby secure storage. Deck lounge chairs can be placed in holders in a couple of minutes.

 

[stubones99]

I like our catnapper dual recliner loveseat with drink holders in between. It is electric and will stop at any position. Instead of wood frames, they have steel frames for durability.
Jackson Catnapper

 

[seasalt007]

Can I ask where you found the Benchmaster recliner? Thanks!

The Furniture Warehouse and it is doing great.

Benchmaster Swivel Reclining Chair in Java Breathable Fabric

You can save the space of a separate foot rest by getting one where it flips up from under the seat.

 

[rdh4190]

Benchmaster

Thank you for the info. Is Java a brown or black?

 

[seasalt007]

Thank you for the info. Is Java a brown or black?

Brown

 

[Airstream345]

We just added this couch to our salon. I’m thinking about old school rubber cups to protect the floor and to help keep it in place. We’ll see.

 

[BandB]

We just added this couch to our salon. I’m thinking about old school rubber cups to protect the floor and to help keep it in place. We’ll see.View attachment 73229View attachment 73230

We have them under a couple of recliners at home as well as on the boat. Sold in Home Depot and Lowes and a wide variety. Can't be seen but sure reduce movement.

 

[Airstream345]

We have them under a couple of recliners at home as well as on the boat. Sold in Home Depot and Lowes and a wide variety. Can't be seen but sure reduce movement.

Yes, exactly what I was thinking. Thanks.

 

[sunchaser]

Our salon has an L shape sofa that is heavy. We have found out that we have to strap the sundeck furniture down when we are in open ocean water. We just use ratchet straps and bungee cords.

Yes, for boats our size and when traveling in open water, making sea ready with tie downs etc is necessary. I can never find time to use something like a nice recliner when the boat is moving, to much to do and boat things to watch.

Sitting on the enclosed fly bridge in a hard PNW rain reading a book or strategizing for the next day's run is pretty nice though. Especially if I can escape doing the dishes.

 

[FF]

"but generally a whole bunch of other loose stuff is more at risk than our furniture."

The most common "loose stuff" is the folks on board,

with no inside hand grips on many boats it can be a wall to wall bounce from a stray wake,or sea conditions.

There should not be a location inside that can not be accessed while hanging on to something substantial.

 

[OldDan1943]

Re-did our salon last year to remove built-in dinette.

In the last photo below, the (tiny) red arrow points to a flush pull-ring screwed into fiberglass underneath the sole. We used a short lanyard clipped in from under the chair base when underway.

Looks like you rebuilt the port side of your AT34, just the way you want it.

Where do the guests sleep? LOL
Never make the guest too comfortable or they will never leave.

If I had a comfortable recliner on board, there would be no reason for me to use the fwd berth. At home, more than a few times I have awakened in my "evil recliner", with the sunlight pouring in through the window. Sit in it for "just a few minutes" and it sucks the 'awake' out of me.

 

[geoleo]

For our high-low table in the salon, we use a bungie with an eye at the satee. For the chairs and table, nothing. They may move a little but not enough that they need to be secured plus they don’t weigh much. We have furniture felt pads on the feet but that’s more to protect the floors. If we didn’t have paravanes we would have to rethink it probably.

What are those cool chairs?