Helm Chairs - redux

I know there was an old string about helm chairs and perhaps I should have just picked up there, but my question is a little different.

How much time do you really spend "driving" and actually sitting in your lower helm chair?

Im "sampling" chairs on boats under 45 feet, esp. with pilot houses. I'm mostly thinking about Stidd, Pompanette, or similar brands, mounted to the PH sole. (So, not a "bench" such as on a GB Europa)

But so far, in pilot houses...
- they don't even seem particularly well-suited to a comfortable steering position. Hunching forward to reach the wheel, my feet don't really seem to be in the right place, etc.
- it's often hard to squeeze past them even when they're empty. And I'm not a fatty...yet. Often they're back is tight up against the guest bench seat or watch bunk)
- a lot of them seem way over-thick...esp. the back. Why?
- it would seem that short runs don't really require a chair, and longer routes tend to be on AP (with a physical watch present of course). In anchoring and docking situations they frankly seem...in the way.

They do look pretty salty...but that only goes so far. I can see them working on larger yachts with "deeper" pilot house areas. So, give me an honest assessment - how much do you really sit in your lower chair?

Sole helmsman position is in pilothouse. Spend most of the time on a cushioned bench seat adjacent to the starboard door. There is a similar bench to port but is recessed. When starboard bench seat is unneeded, it folds up, increasing access to starboard.

I imagine that with boats we use what we have. I'm on my first power boat so before I was always behind the wheel of a sailboat in the cockpit. If really bad weather I was tucked up under the dodger in my raingear holding the AP remote in my hand.

My boat has a single helm chair in the center driving position. We have a bench seat behind that is pretty comfortable. I spend literally hours sitting in that helm seat. I'm not holding the wheel but am on autopilot most of the time but have everything in reach. My helm chair is very comfortable.

If my boat was bigger, it would have a slightly bigger PH. If the PH was slightly bigger I would like room for two helm chairs side-by-side. In rough weather, the helm chair is the most secure and comfortable place to be.

No flying bridges on either of my boats so I am an inside helm guy. When the boat is underway I am always at the helm both as driver and lookout even if the pilot is on. I drive standing up in close quarters but almost always sitting outside of the breakwaters. Klee Wyck has a decent helm chair and a matched chair next to it in lower picture.
I threw out the helm chair that came with Libra and am putting the chair picture on the left in the station pictured on the right so that I can reach the jog steering and the single engine control lever while sitting back in the chair comfortably. The seat flips up giving me room to steer standing. With Libras manual helm only about 3 1/2 turns lock to lock with a huge rudder it is a bit of a slog underway so I am finding that I almost never use the wheel itself but the jog steering lever or pilot which run off the hydraulic pump on the Mercedes main engine or a 24 volt pump on the engine room bulkhead at the flip of a switch. Normally use engine pump.
A helm chair that is attached is a must for me.

I sit in the helm seat any time we are under way.
It is very comfortable, and provides a great view of the instruments and displays.

In the pilothouse there is also a nice L shaped bench seat, with table.

http://mvlisasway.com/images/4788/helm2.JPG

We spend almost all of our time underway on the flybridge. We added two top of the line pompanette chairs and it was the best money we ever invested in the boat. We went to Ft. Lauderdale and worked with the dealer there. Great people.

A good helm chair definitely gives a feeling of security...esp in a rolling seaway. I too did a lot of long distance sailing so I never had a "chair". They don't really work when you're at a constant 15 degrees of heel.
Also I haven't adjusted the ones I'm looking at on various boats.

Like Drake, we spend most of out time underway seated on the flybridge.

If your budget can stretch, STIDD are the best helm seats IMHO (we have 2 Pompanette chairs on the FB). I am pretty sure STIDDs are also the most expensive!

H.

BrisHamish said:

If your budget can stretch, STIDD are the best helm seats IMHO (we have 2 Pompanette chairs on the FB). I am pretty sure STIDDs are also the most expensive!H.

Click to expand...

We considered Stidd, but they don't have any place to try them out. There was no way we were going to spend that kind of money without sitting in one first. Pompanette has a showroom in Ft. Lauderdale where you can see their line. Mike Murray is great to work with and he gave us a good deal. Now that we have used them for over 1,000 miles, we couldn't be happier with them.

My experience with Pompanette has been in fighting chairs...more wood than padding. Stidd IS pricey...but clearly great quality.
The Admiral has strong opinions about seating - I'm less sensitive. So a tryout is important...

I just could not see replacing my Stidd with anything other than a Stidd.

I have two on the FB and one in the PH. The PH is about to be re upholstered.

My Pilothouse helm chair is freestanding, but has a cable with hook and turnbuckle to enable it to be fixed in place. When I first bought the boat it was nearly always fixed in position. Since fitting Naiad stabilisers it has almost never been fixed in position. It doesn't rock or move now.

I am in that chair most of the time. Yes, to reach throttle or gears I need to lean forward. But I usually adjust heading via the Furuno NavPilot, which is mounted overhead and is easy to reach from the chair. When docking, or leaving the dock, I usually move the chair back to allow plenty of standing room with easy access. Final docking actions are from there, as it is then easy to go out a pilothouse door to tend lines. I mostly single hand.

But initial docking actions, and leaving the dock, are always from the flybridge where I have good all round vision, particularly standing. I spend a reasonable amount of time in the flybridge chair, which is fixed although it has fore/aft movement. Wind chill often keeps me downstairs though.

I have learnt that when its rough it is important to stand. The freestanding helm chair still seems comfortable, but the pitching motion (i never have roll these days) is having an impact even though there is seldom any jarring. Sitting for extended periods in rough conditions aggravates disc issues in my lower spine. I don't ever want to deal with sciatic nerve inflammation again, it was absolute hell for a few months!

No plans to replace the chairs, but if I did I would be looking for the shock-absorbing type that good farm tractors have. I'll have to tell my local John Deere dealer that they are missing out on a sales opportunity!

Used chair, most enjoyed boat upgrade.

I have a nice chair on a mobile base. I really like being able to move it around where I want it. When the weather gets really crazy I tip it over on the pilot house floor so it won't crash over. Someday I will figure out a turnbuckle system like the previous poster mentioned to temporarily hold it down in bad weather. That sounds ideal to me. I really like being able to move it around, and would not want it to be fixed in place. The pilot house also has two more matching chairs along the port side for passengers to sit in. These two are fixed in place.

A good foot rest is also an important feature. It needs to stick out pretty far to be comfortable for hours on end.

CDreamer said:

I know there was an old string about helm chairs and perhaps I should have just picked up there, but my question is a little different.

How much time do you really spend "driving" and actually sitting in your lower helm chair?

Im "sampling" chairs on boats under 45 feet, esp. with pilot houses. I'm mostly thinking about Stidd, Pompanette, or similar brands, mounted to the PH sole. (So, not a "bench" such as on a GB Europa)

But so far, in pilot houses...
- they don't even seem particularly well-suited to a comfortable steering position. Hunching forward to reach the wheel, my feet don't really seem to be in the right place, etc.
- it's often hard to squeeze past them even when they're empty. And I'm not a fatty...yet. Often they're back is tight up against the guest bench seat or watch bunk)
- a lot of them seem way over-thick...esp. the back. Why?
- it would seem that short runs don't really require a chair, and longer routes tend to be on AP (with a physical watch present of course). In anchoring and docking situations they frankly seem...in the way.

They do look pretty salty...but that only goes so far. I can see them working on larger yachts with "deeper" pilot house areas. So, give me an honest assessment - how much do you really sit in your lower chair?

Click to expand...

Most of the "driving" from helm chair will be on autopilot,no need to hunch over. a fore and aft sliding mechanism should be able to keep chair aft enough to be out of the way when maneuvering.

We don't have a fixed lower helm chair- the one that was there does double duty as my office chair.

Most (to the upper 90th percentile) piloting is done from the flybridge. There were 2 ladderback Pompanette chairs there when we purchased our boat- we found 2 excellent Stidd look alike chairs with the "Meridian" logo on them on Craigslist for the princely sum of $75 each.

Fully adjustable, comfy, and cheap- perfect!

Dreamer: I think just about everything that you have said has a lot of importance when trying to make a decision about fixed helm chair installation. We began with a goal to upgrade the helm and electronics first, but realized that a good helm design would likely fall into place after we solidified the position of the pilot. The position of the chair, the height of the chair, the chair movement forward and aft, location and height of the footrest, and the footrest useability in the entire range of travel. Then there is the consequential compromises that comes during installation. What doesn't fit anymore? Is it possible to mount the pedestal where it needs to go. Does the pedestal need a backing plate or is the deck strength and coring sufficient? Finally, when all is said and done, is the new installation all that you hoped it would be? Has it added (instead of subtracted) comfort, convenience, and whatever else you set out to achieve?

Our choice was a Stidd 500 low back model, but at somewhere around $5000 or more depending on which accessories you ordered, we were determined to find a new boat take-out from a high-buck yacht. We kept checking in and around Miami and Fort Lauderdale and found the color chair we wanted but spent the next couple of years finding the pedestal, foot rest, and a dozen other missing parts. Yes, it took a long time, but we did obtain the chair that we wanted for about $1300 for a complete unit in new condition. Preplanning and careful forethought in mounting produced the product we wanted. Now the helm dashboard itself is being remodeled so that all controls, gauges, and screens are positioned according to the pilot's reach and sightline. Good luck with your project!

Personally I wouldn't put anything In but a Stidd. When you spend hours on a chair it needs to be ergonomically designed especially if you are spending 6-8 hours on it. Tried other brands, but none stood up to the comfort. No I am not a Stidd salesman, just a boater who bought 4 news ones for my last 2 boats. Yes they are expensive, but the saying is "you only get what you pay for". They also have great customer support and they stand behind their product no matter how old.
Just one persons point of view.
Happy sitting.

healhustler said:

Our choice was a Stidd 500 low back model, but at somewhere around $5000 or more depending on which accessories you ordered, we were determined to find a new boat take-out from a high-buck yacht. !

Click to expand...

That really is a low back model!

Today I spent over 12 hours in my helm chair. I didn't even know what make the chair was until I got up and went to look. It is a Springfield.

After 12 hours in the chair, after over two weeks of cruising almost every day, I still love the chair. I doubt it is the most expensive. Probably isn't the "best" quality, as it is the standard chair put in a mid-range production boat. However, it is really comfortable.

Would I be more comfortable in a top-tier brand chair? I don't know, maybe? I am comfortable now. I certainly wouldn't drop a few boat bucks to see.

I'm in the market for a new/used helm chair. I have a Lebroc with several of the components wearing out. Perhaps these can be replaced.

dhays said:

Today I spent over 12 hours in my helm chair. I didn't even know what make the chair was until I got up and went to look. It is a Springfield.

After 12 hours in the chair, after over two weeks of cruising almost every day, I still love the chair. I doubt it is the most expensive. Probably isn't the "best" quality, as it is the standard chair put in a mid-range production boat. However, it is really comfortable.

Would I be more comfortable in a top-tier brand chair? I don't know, maybe? I am comfortable now. I certainly wouldn't drop a few boat bucks to see.

Click to expand...

The one that cam stock in my 4788 is very comfortable as well. don't know the brand.

All I know is that after 16 seasons it needs a new cover.
Thats a fall or winter project

KSanders, It is a Pompanette, Had the same one in my 3288. It spent 6 years in my garage. Only used the lower helm on that boat 3 times. On my current boat, I have never used the lower helm. On my work boat, we do not sit while on watch. 8 hours a day 7 days a week for 4 months at a time.

knotheadcharters said:

On my current boat, I have never used the lower helm. On my work boat, we do not sit while on watch. 8 hours a day 7 days a week for 4 months at a time.

Click to expand...

My back would be toast. I can walk. I used to be able to run (until the knees gave out) but standing is a killer. I can't even walk slowly. I don't know how you can do an 8 hour watch at the helm standing the whole time.

My boat came to me with a fixed helm bench (Lower) and a fixed chair (upper). The lower one has three separate footrests. One is exactly the correct height for me to stand on when I need to lean fwd to adjust the AP, Radar or Computer (Charting). One is the right height for me to rest my feet on while being lookout while the AP is driving. Both of those are bars attached to the bulkhead behind the wheel. A third footrest folds down from behind my knees. This allows smaller folks to sit comfortably and safely. My wife likes this one, and it worked well when the wee grandkids were "driving".
Up top, the present chair is one that I bought years ago at Western Marine in Vancouver. No brand name, difinitely not expensive. It sits atop an aluminum support like the one under the dining table, it turns, there is a fore and aft adjustment that I have never adjusted, but of prime importance, it has a footrest that adjusts up or down the pipe. It is not my favorite place when things get rolly, but otherwise, it is where I drive from most when the weather is good, as it gets me above the venturi for great visibility. I do usually stand for docking or other close maneuvering.
The most important feature of any helm seat is the footrest.

koliver said:

The most important feature of any helm seat is the footrest.

Click to expand...

Never thought of that, but it may be true. My Stidd is the kind of chair one can spend all day in, but without the foot rest, definitely not. Leg support and position is critical.

knotheadcharters said:

KSanders, It is a Pompanette, Had the same one in my 3288. It spent 6 years in my garage. Only used the lower helm on that boat 3 times. On my current boat, I have never used the lower helm. On my work boat, we do not sit while on watch. 8 hours a day 7 days a week for 4 months at a time.

Click to expand...

Cool!!! I feel privledged

What I know is it's been a great helm chair...very comfortable!

Now it's going to get a new sewn by me leather cover.

Last winter I learned sewing by making leather pillows for everyone. Now I have a cockpit enclosure, and set of nice drapes under my belt, so it's time to take on a helm chair.

I really enjoy my new hobby!

Our pilot house came with a wonderful Llebroc helm chair bolted to the sole and one of us is always in it. when docking we just flip up the foot rest and are able to stand and move around it easily, love it!

Once we leave harbour we move to the lower helm position. The fly bridge has too much violent movement in a lumpy sea, (as my torn muscles testified).
There is less movement in the lower helm and ready access to hot drinks/meals/ toilet for the skipper when under way.
Our helmsman's seat is an ex truck ISRI suspension with padded adjustable arms and I wouldn't change it for the world.

If you can afford it the Stidd is the way to go, I've had many chairs and Stidds are the best. I like it so much I'm thinking of putting one in my entertainment room at the house but you know who doesn't like that idea.