Fly Bridge Table replacements

Due to soft core, My 2004 Mainship 400 Fly Bridge is being replaced as I write this post. I am looking for ideas and designs for replacing the table which was removed several owners prior to me. I am open to ideas, even considering mounting something alongside or on top of a Yeti Cooler. My yard techs tell me I could reboot a replacement table with proper sealing, however, I am thinking a portable table might be the way to go.

Any thoughts and design ideas and pics would be great.

Many thanks in advance!

T MacDonnell
Bay Retriever!

I’d first talk to other 400 owners and ask what they like or dislike about the current table style. Ease of access to the FB helm and seating has a lot to do with the shape and size of a good table. Should it be a single or twin pedestal? Ease of removal may be a plus depending on how one uses the space. Would it be plush teak, glass, plastic or a composite? Expandable leaves? Cup holders?

At least around here, all sorts of those options are readily available on Craigslist or marine salvage places.

We have a portable table on our 36. I hate it !
A) It is never where we want it, either down below or has stuff piled on it.
B) It folds up for storage but it too big to store anywhere and too small to use for a meal.
C) It is VERY tippy ! The only way to keep it in one place is to wedge it between the seats making it impossible to get around.
D) I built it out of white oak with stainless steel legs. I could put lip or ridge around it but at present it is very slippery.

I would definitely go with a permanent, built in table of corian or formica with a lip on it and maybe drink holder holes.

Of course there is a built in one in the salon which we use every day and night.

pete

We put a table on our flybridge last year that we love. It is a Lagun Table mount https://www.rv-table-mount.com We didn't want to mount into the flybridge floor and also wanted something that wasn't totally fixed. This thing pivots at two different points and we mounted the table off center so it's even more flexible. It spins and articulates into several different positions in our seating but then can be locked in solid. It's all aluminum and is very sturdy. We added a second side mounting bracket to our seating in the rear so we could move it back there if we wish. You can put whatever type of top on this that you want and the one we chose was a teak table we found on a Black Friday sale last year.

We have a round plastic folding table on our flybridge. I love it because it stores against the rail out of the way when not in use, which is 98% of the time.
It takes seconds to set up, and will seat 4 for dinner or cocktails/snacks.
Not the best shot, but here it is with a couple of cheeseburgers in paradise on the grill.

We had no table on our bridge but more seating than we really needed so I removed the 2nd helm chair, lengthened the pedestal, and mounted a table accessible to everyone. Love it

If you decide to keep a fixed location, use the pedestal from a helm seat.


Very robust , raises and lowers ,rotates , frequently with a slide .

Honestly, I'm pretty happy with the stock table on our 400. It's the right size and shape for the space and you can fold either side up or down independently. I have a zero tolerance policy for exterior wood on the boat and it meets that obligation. It rattles when folded when the boat is running, but that is easily solved by a bungee cord.


I know Stella Blue changed out his table, but I question his logic on that one.

I also have a Mainship 400 and am in the process of redesigning my Fly Bridge table. On the good side, the factory design stainless steel mount provides a center of the boat hand rail for stability on rougher days. The way it folds, and where the hinges are mounted gives it a pretty low profile when folded down so it doesn't clobber the space. When up, it is actually a pretty large surface that holds quite a bit, and as a previous writer mentioned, it isn't made of wood.
On the down side, when extended the leaves droop because the supporting arms just are sufficiently substantial. I use the bungee technique to quiet the table underway, and replace those periodically when they get stretched out. Then the supporting arms swing and bang and require tape at "just the right place" to keep them quiet but still functional with the support tubes under the table. And although maintenance free, the table top is, well, plastic.
I am considering replacing the the plastic parts with Epe - strong, weather resistant, and with the current line of wipe on poly's, fairly low maintenance. Oh, a little wood won't kill you. I might have to put in an additional stainless fore and aft support for more substantial extension apparatus - something that folds and doesn't swing.
Bottom line is that I think the original design and function can be improved, but it's actually a pretty good idea.