Adding a captain's chair to lower helm - ideas?

Hi Everyone,
I'd like to add a pedestal chair (captain's chair) in the salon of my new Marine Trader. As you can see from the picture - there is no seat there, and standing for hours would not be fun.

http://s529.photobucket.com/albums/... Trader 43/?action=view&current=03-Salon1.jpg

Ideally - I'd have a pedestal base in the cabin sole, which would allow me to remove the pedestal when necessary.
I'd like a leather, very comfortable type chair - along the style of what is found in the the nicer, newer trawlers (ie, Krogen or Nordhaven), but I'm sure these seats are BIG money...
Any ideas?
(I also dont want anything TOO large, as it may block the companionway door)

We also wanted a comfy captains chair for our upper helm, but the spendy Noordhaven types were way more than what we wanted to spend.* The solution for us was a regular leather executive chair mounted on a Garelick pedestal.* It's comfortable, can be raised up for steering or lowered and swiveled 360 to become part of the social area.* Best of all....the pedestal cost about $90 and the chair was free .* Not really offshore/big sea ready, but we coastal cruise, so it's not a big deal.

That's perfect!
Do you recall what model or size pedestal you have? What is the max/min length of the pedestal when compressed or extended?
How did you manage to mount the office chair to the pedestal? Just drilled new holes and bolted on, or...?

7tiger7 wrote:
Hi Everyone,
I'd like to add a pedestal chair (captain's chair) in the salon of my new Marine Trader. As you can see from the picture - there is no seat there, and standing for hours would not be fun.

http://s529.photobucket.com/albums/... Trader 43/?action=view&current=03-Salon1.jpg

Ideally - I'd have a pedestal base in the cabin sole, which would allow me to remove the pedestal when necessary.
I'd like a leather, very comfortable type chair - along the style of what is found in the the nicer, newer trawlers (ie, Krogen or Nordhaven), but I'm sure these seats are BIG money...
Any ideas?
(I also dont want anything TOO large, as it may block the companionway door)

Click to expand...

You will get a much better seat if you opt for a bucket seat from an auto wrecking yard. The quality CAN be right up there with Recarro and Stidd. Get your base and your seat together with a steel fabricator/machinist, and you will have the high end seat at the lowest price.

*

That's also a great idea... and I could find something which looks more upscale... nice.

I bought a drafting chair and replace the wheels with pads. In rough seas, I stand up. I like the chair because I can also use in while stationary to do my computer stuff.

Ours came with a fixed pedestal thru-bolted through the sole and a todd chair with arms and cushions. Very comfortable.

This pretty much looks identical to the chair we have at our lower helm and then just a standard base which I think run around $50-75:
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|7504|63440|730250&id=134743

The chair is surprisingly comfortable despite the low cost. *The time spent trying to put together a custom set up may not save that much money than getting a basic chair like the one that was put in our boat by the PO. *

Here is a pic of our set up:



-- Edited by Woodsong on Sunday 23rd of January 2011 12:53:51 PM

Take a look at Garelick. http://www.garelick.com/product.php?pnumber=43130

The first year with our trawler we only had a lowly wooden stool for the captain. *Last year we upgraded with two inexpensive bar-height directors chairs (although you can only see one of them in the picture). *They fold away easily when we need more room, and when open, are surprisingly comfortable and stable.

-- Edited by Delia Rosa on Sunday 23rd of January 2011 03:02:15 PM

-- Edited by Delia Rosa on Sunday 23rd of January 2011 03:05:55 PM

I liked Arctic travellers idea about getting the captains seats from van conversion companies. If you look on Ebay, their is a good selection of chairs very reasonably priced. Two days ago (it may have expired already) somebody was selling 2 nice captains chairs(with pedestals) from an ocean alexander 54. The bid was only around $130 or so-for the pair. The listings on there seemed to be really reasonable or very pricey. Do a key word search Of "seats" in the boat interior parts. I also search "leather seats" in automotive interior section.

Doc wrote:

I bought a drafting chair and replace the wheels with pads. In rough seas, I stand up. I like the chair because I can also use in while stationary to do my computer stuff.

Click to expand...

I did the same. Works very well.

*

Like Tony I put in a Todd helm chair,*the kind often used on the flying bridge of trawlers. I tried to*use a nice office desk chair but it was just too big to fit where I wanted it. For now*the pedestal*is lagg bolted to the floor I can't get to the underside of the floor without cutting up the engine room insulation.* I'll keep an eye on it if it looks like it is getting even a bit loose I'll bite the bullett, cut the insulation and through bolt it. I made a removeable extension piece for the standard pedestal to raise it high enough for good visibility when driving from below, which I very*seldom do. The extension is easy to remove and then I can lower the chair, swivel it around for sitting* feet on floor with company in the saloon.
I did add a very sturdy hand hold and foot rest*which will help keep whoever is driving steady in rough water.
** Not long ago I saw a post (maybe here) of someone who's chair had come loose and he fell over in some weather, be carefull, especially if it is not through bolted.
Steve W

Delia Rosa -
I LOVE the wheel you have there - any idea where I can find one like that?

7tiger7 wrote:

Delia Rosa -
I LOVE the wheel you have there - any idea where I can find one like that?

Click to expand...

I am not going to limit myself to just the wheel on Delia Rosa. * I think I've concluded I totally love ALL of that boat. *I am a sucker for a raised pilothouse with nice lines!! *

charles wrote:

From many years of experience in coastal cruising, you want the chair lag bolted or bolted to the sole.
I did many decades ago and would have it no other way, long hours of trying to hold on in a rocking and pitching boat is NOT fun. We avoided such conditions but one does get caught now and then.

Like others I pur an office chair that would fit, one with arms and good pading, removed the legs, added a slide for back and forth adjustment and a fixed height pedistal lagscrewed to the sole.
Never a problem with it and very comfortable.
CCC

Click to expand...

I agree wholeheartedly about bolting it down. If you use a car seat, you get the slide mechanism, lumbar support and possibly more adjustments all thrown in.

*

Carey wrote:

*
charles wrote:

From many years of experience in coastal cruising, you want the chair lag bolted or bolted to the sole.
I did many decades ago and would have it no other way, long hours of trying to hold on in a rocking and pitching boat is NOT fun. We avoided such conditions but one does get caught now and then.

Like others I pur an office chair that would fit, one with arms and good pading, removed the legs, added a slide for back and forth adjustment and a fixed height pedistal lagscrewed to the sole.
Never a problem with it and very comfortable.
CCC

Click to expand...

I agree wholeheartedly about bolting it down. If you use a car seat, you get the slide mechanism, lumbar support and possibly more adjustments all thrown in.

*

*


Definitely bolt it down securely - we've got the pedestal base lag-bolted into a deck beam and through-bolted with big washers where it doesn't fall on a deck beam.* It's very solid in all conditions.*

There is a slide mechanism that Garelick sells that turns the fixed mount into a slider.* We didn't do that - just made our own adapter mount (plywood) to allow for the bolt pattern on the base of the chair.*

Looked at the RV captains chairs, and decided to go with the executive chair style just because of the overall size.* A little more compact and better looking IMHO.* Best thing is - there's no real need to spend the $4K+ on a STIDD



*

Killick wrote:


"Best thing is - there's no real need to spend the $4K+ on a STIDD"

***********************************************************
Not having a clue what a STIDD was, I Googled... wow. Those are awesome chairs.

I guess somebody has to make chairs for mega-yachts. Putting one of those on my boat would be like putting Chanel#5 on a cow patty.

While definitely not a pedestal chair, this lower helm seat looks pretty comfy.*
Might be a perfect fit for your trawler.









JUST KIDDING












-- Edited by KJ on Sunday 23rd of January 2011 08:17:25 PM

-- Edited by KJ on Sunday 23rd of January 2011 10:01:38 PM

I bought a marine chair from Harbor Marine in Everett Wa. Wasn't cheap but it sure wasn't expensive. It does slide back and forth about 4". As one can see from my pic I didn't make it high enough. I've got to send away and get a new 3" tube that's higher and I plan to make 2 struts (at 90 degrees) to hold the tube about 12" above the floor. The forces on the floor flange must be really high.

-- Edited by nomadwilly on Sunday 23rd of January 2011 09:57:38 PM

Good photo, Eric!

I have a chair just like Eric's up on my flybridge. It stands on a 3" pipe that has a 4 bolt base only about 6" square that is lag screwed to the floor. despite the extra forces on it, being thrown around one level higher up, it has held on like that for all of the 16 seasons I have owned this boat.

Eric here is a pic of the extension*tube I had welded upto raise the seat, the ID fits snug on the existing tube, the top smaller piece OD is the same as the original so the seat slips right on and swivels or locks fine. Set screws hold the extension tight*I don't see what you are using now in your photo but maybe something this can work for you?
In my case I wanted the tube removeable to have two levels of seating I rarely drive from below.
Steve W

-- Edited by Steve on Monday 24th of January 2011 07:46:02 AM

Steve,
Clever and well done. We have a welder (I'm not) here but he's not cheap and I think I can get a longer tube from Harbor Marine or Fisheries Supply in the mail that will work for me. The 2x4s look kinda hokey but work fine. Got other projects higher on the to do list as well. Did you know I was looking quite seriously at a Monk 36? Had big blister problems. On second thought you must have caught the conversation about* removing the FB. Cheers

Has anyone here used Flexsteel's products? They seem to have some decent priced marine helm seats.

7tiger7 wrote:

Has anyone here used Flexsteel's products? They seem to have some decent priced marine helm seats.

Click to expand...

No, but they look great, and their prices sure beat Stidd and Recaro.

*

A friend of mine has a 36 Bayliner.

The helm seat has 4 legs with a chain and clip hanging from the base.

*The chain and clip keeps it in place when moving with the ability to unclip and move it when needed.

SD

OK, I'd like your opinions -

Which of these three seats do you think look the best (ignore the color, I'll get a custom color picked out later):

1. http://www.glastop.com/marine-furniture-detail.asp?id=18

2 . http://www.glastop.com/marine-furniture-detail.asp?id=13

3. http://www.glastop.com/marine-furniture-detail.asp?id=19

Thanks

I was going to install this chair, but I didn't like the color.*** KJ

The Stidd is not to give your feet a rest, Its to keep your spine intact at non Trawler speeds..

In addition to installing van seats, I also have experience using office chairs.* They are very inexpensive, and can be quite comfortable.* The base you use, will to some extent will depend on how much money you want to invest.* I have gotten good, solid bases at used boat stores very inexpensively and they usually have a large selection to choose from, Second Wave in Seattle comes to mind as one that has a large stock.* Sure, you can spend a lot of money on a marine rated seat, but will you be any more comfortable?* Some of the office chairs I've used were very good looking too (all for under $200.00)......Arctic Traveller**