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Old 01-05-2011, 12:38 PM   #5
Marin
Scraping Paint
 
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
RE: thinking about cutting some stuff out of my salon?

This is a common problem with boats like Grand Banks. The problem is not so much the depth of the cushions but the ergonomics--- or lack of it--- of their shape. A very effective fix on a GB is to have new cushions made that better match the way a person sits. So the outer edges of the seat cushions are higher than the rear edges for more support of the knees and thighs. The backs, too, are shaped to provide more lumbar support.

Here are a couple of photos I pulled off the GB owners site after a very quick search. I think the individual seat is for a built-in helm seat not unlike the configuration on your boat.

Depending on the boat, removing the fixed settee, helm seat, etc. could open up the cabin nicely and make for more flexible seating options. In our boat this would not be beneficial as there is some extremely user-friendly storage space, an icebox, stereo cabinet, etc. under the L-settee which we would lose if we removed the entire structure.

Of course if you go to free-standing furniture you'll need to figure out a way to secure it so it won't slide all over in rough water. The GB36 we chartered had a free-standing chair next to the cabin door on the port side and in rough water in an anchorage we had a hell of a time trying to keep it from sliding around on the floor and marring the wood, which from scratches and gouges that were already there had been a problem for other charter customers as well.

If the day comes that we decide to do something about our stock cushions we'll have new ones custom shaped and fabricated.

Most GBs did not come with fixed (or folding) seats at the lower helm. If you only drive from the flying bridge it's no big deal. But a lot of people, including us, drive only from the lower helm. Some people bolt a nice pedestal helm seat to the floor, but in a boat the size and configuration of ours this would be a major obstacle to entering and moving about the cabin particularly at the galley. So many of us use a free-standing helm seat--- a stool, a modified draftsman's chair, etc. that can be moved out of the way.

This works fine in decent water but when it gets rough it has to be stowed or secured and the helmsman drives standing up. So there are advantages to having a fixed helmsman's seat like your boat. If our boat was configured to have one, I would be very reluctant to get rid of it and would instead look into making it more comfortable.
Attached Thumbnails
seat.jpg   setee.jpg  
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