Remove built in settee???

[ksanders]

Here is my question of the day

Why do or did boat manufacturers use built in settees?
Why not remove the built in and put in furniture?

My boat has a large settee in the main salon. I am planning to start re-upholster that settee in the next few weeks but was wondering why???

There is nothing structural about the settee, in fact mine just bolts to the floor, and the back rests just hang on brackets screwed to the side of the salon wall.

Why not simply remove the settee, and finish the walls behind in a material of my choosing (like Teak plywood trimmed nicely for example).

Then I just buy a nice loveseat of my choosing and a recliner.

Here is a photo of the space

 

[porman]

Our salon has no fixed seating at all. Just a three person couch from Home Reserve and two folding chairs that we also use on the dock. Plus two stools at the galley countertop. Your boat has room for things like reclining sofas and chairs. That's what I would do if I had more space.

 

[Comodave]

The 4788 IMO is a prime example of builtin seating that doesn’t make sense. The seats aren’t that comfortable but it does allow you to lay down to take a nap. We looked at one but I am a big guy and the engine room was too tight for me to work in so we passed on it. But if we had bought it then I would have gotten rid of the builtin seating and gone with some Stressless Ekornes recliners. Then have additional folding chairs for company that could be stored when it is just the two of us. Lots more room to move around and the utility of more seating when needed. And the recliners are way more comfortable and better for aging backs.

 

[Slowmo]

I don't think there's any fundamental reason not to if you prefer that. Of course the built in won't move in heavy weather and you may have some storage built in. I've seen several Bayliner 45's which had the built in removed.
I've also seen it done on Tollycrafts and others. You may want to have a method of securing it to the boat to manage those unexpected rolls. I'd just make sure you can find furniture that fits properly before you commit.

 

[Comodave]

If the Stressless recliners are on carpet I don’t think they will move. We had our last boat in 6’+ following seas for 6 hours and they didn’t move any at all. If they are on a hardwood floor, ours were, we put an area rug under the recliners with a nonslip pad under the area rug. We also had a portable chest freezer on a nonslip pad and it didn’t move either.

 

[ksanders]

I'm not so worried about the furniture moving, but could secure it if need be.
Right across the salon there is a nice stressless knockoff recliner that never moves, as well as a table that stays put.

For the life of me I cannot figure out why they put a built in, except possibly that they wanted to have al the seating that a sectional provides.

Next step is to measure the doorway and make sure that whatever I might buy can be disassembled to fit.

I am thinking some kind of either couch or love seat and an end/corner table.

Then on the smaller wall perhaps a stressless recliner, or even just move the one I have to that location.

 

[guy with a boat]

The two best reasons for built-in furniture on a boat are: 1. They can be built to exactly fit the available space and maximize the seating (or napping) space within those dimensions and 2. The space under the seats can be used to enclose equipment (our has HVAC air handlers in it) or for storage. Space is always valuable on a boat and built-ins make the most of it.
A bonus reason is, as mentioned, it stays in place under all conditions.

None of those reasons mean you shouldn’t remove them if freestanding furniture would better fit you and your boat.

 

[Comodave]

The Stressless recliners will go through a door when you recline them. They layout fairly flat so you just turn them on their side to slide them inside. We had much more difficult access than a 4788 has and got them in easily.

 

[ksanders]

The Stressless recliners will go through a door when you recline them. They layout fairly flat so you just trun them on their side to slide them inside. We had much more difficult access than a 4788 has and got them in easily.

Thanks!

Stressless also makes a line of matching couches that appear to come apart as well.

 

[Datenight]

We removed the built in L shaped settee in the green boat and sold it at Mystic Marine Consignment in Mystic, CT. The replacement was a futon seen in the not so good photo 1. We opted for the extra thick cushion. It was far better than the upright, thin cushioned settee.

To keep it from moving in a seaway I fabricated the floor mounts seen in the second shot. They seemed to work well as the futon never moved once the mounts were installed.

In our NP45 I installed bosses in the sole (rough edges have been cleaned up) and drilled through the recliner base for a bolt to hold them while traveling. This winter I will replace the bolt with stainless all thread with a T handle to make install and removal easier.

Rob

 

[AlanT]

The two best reasons for built-in furniture on a boat are: 1. They can be built to exactly fit the available space and maximize the seating (or napping) space within those dimensions and 2. The space under the seats can be used to enclose equipment (our has HVAC air handlers in it) or for storage. Space is always valuable on a boat and built-ins make the most of it.
A bonus reason is, as mentioned, it stays in place under all conditions.

None of those reasons mean you shouldn’t remove them if freestanding furniture would better fit you and your boat.

+1
It is possible when selling a new mass-produced boat, that selling one fully furnished makes for an easier sale, and in that case built-in would have been cheaper to manufacture.

As to storage my 4788 (now sold) had limited storage space overall given that we cruise with up to 6 on board, and we made full use of the under-seat storage under the built in L shaped sofa. At the aft end we built a small compartment for the inverter with pancake inlet and exhaust fans (which we repositioned from the lazarette when we upgraded it). The rest of the storage space was tools, parts, wine and beer. If the storage space is not needed I can't think of any reason not to replace with freestanding furniture.
~A

 

[Shrew]

Why 'built-in' furniture

1) Because it can 'easily' be fixed in place. (We've come down from the bridge after a rough day to find all the furniture (couch is normally to Stbd in the salon) piled on the port side of the cabin).


2) It serves as storage underneath (if you don't get the sleep sofa option).

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I have a settee where the back flips up to make something similar to a pipe berth (with no railings.) No way would I put a child in a skinny upper bunk like that. I guess it allowed the manufacturer to say "sleeps six" on a pocket trawler. I've found that the lower doesn't make that great of a napping spot, given that the V berth is available.

The value of that area to me is three-fold. There is a considerable amount of storage under the lower (which would be lost if replaced with furniture). Second, the upper bunk, minus the cushion (which is at home), makes a fairly nice work bench. Third, the best use we've found for the settee is a place to sit when putting on boots, but that doesn't need to be six feet wide for my butt (yet).

What might be the best use of that area would be to have the whole area cabinets or a chest of drawers (for tools and parts) with a real work bench on top. Easy access for tools and spare parts! I'd trade that for a crappy napping spot or a Lazy Boy.

 

[Scottwb96]

Funny, I just pulled mine out this last week. The "built-in" kind of served it's purpose. But to be honest,
1. It wasn't all that comfortable
2. The fabric that it was reupholstered in last, didn't match ANYTHING.
3. The storage under it was a bit difficult to get at.
4. Converting it to a bed and/or back to couch was kind of a pain in the rear!
5. The seating was kind of narrow compared to the standard depth of a regular couch.
6. Wasn't very comfy for cuddling up and watching a movie (especially if more than 2 people).
I opted for an Ikea couch, it fit the dimension almost EXACTLY. I also like that the covers come off (fairly) easy and the entire thing can be washed as needed. The pullout bed, takes all of about 3 seconds to do and anyone can do it with out needing an engineers schematic... Also, the storage on the chaise side is massive and easy to get to. Great for all the bedding/blankets to be stored.
Ikea makes 2 inexpensive versions of this couch. I went with the FRIHETEN because it didn't have an armrest on the long-side. Great for us tall people (I'm 6'5") when laying down...

 

[catalinajack]

I don't think there's any fundamental reason not to if you prefer that. Of course the built in won't move in heavy weather and you may have some storage built in. I've seen several Bayliner 45's which had the built in removed.

I've also seen it done on Tollycrafts and others. You may want to have a method of securing it to the boat to manage those unexpected rolls. I'd just make sure you can find furniture that fits properly before you commit.

We do not have built-ins. We have been ivery heavy weather, heavy enough such that we had to crawl to the head. The furniture, a sectional and a two-person love seat, never budged. Just one man's experience. Smaller pieces may have moved if we had any.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

For the last 4788 I was on, one would have had a harder time finding alternative places for the salon AC unit, the two hydronic heat fan units, and the invertor that all lived under the settee along with the large amount of spare parts.



We were planning on stowing our kayaking and other outdoor activity gear under the settee benches - until we lifted up the seats

 

[catalinajack]

For the last 4788 I was on, one would have had a harder time finding alternative places for the salon AC unit, the two hydronic heat fan units, and the invertor that all lived under the settee along with the large amount of spare parts.



We were planning on stowing our kayaking and other outdoor activity gear under the settee benches - until we lifted up the seats

Every bot is different but for boats that do not have essential equipment installed underneath built-ins, free-standing furniture is far, far more comfortable and aesthetic in my opinion. Built-ins remind of restaraunt booths.

 

[amapola]

We have Ekornes Stressless recliners instead of a settee.

 

[Wonderfullife]

Hey Kevin,
We have a 4588 and just had ours recovered with new foam in the cushions. We recovered because we did not want to lose all the storage under the settee. As you know, even though the 4588’s and 4788’s have a great layout, they still lack storage compared to some other boat models. As you do, we live aboard and just could not give the space up.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Bluewater2]

Having lived aboard for many years, we would have struggled without the stowage lockers beneath the settees - in both sail and power. Even now, no longer living aboard, the stowage beneath the settees is crucial for tools, parts, etc………

 

[JRO]

They are secured. Made to stay in place while the ride is wild. Just make sure your dreams are as well secured and will fit through the door before purchasing. I love to hate my built-in couches but I don’t have the courage to install a King’s TV leather recliner.

 

[hollywood8118]

Often built in boat furniture takes up less space than house furniture. A exception is the more modern frame and cushion house stuff. I tend to like a hybrid approach with built in corner settee and some form of movable comfy single chairs, I'm a big fan of ekornes stressless at home.. we have 3.
Hollywood

 

[SteveK]

In order to provide extra storage spaces, seating has to feel like padded pews in a church

 

[tisado]

Here is pix of sofa from Home Reserve. We recently replaced the tan covers for a new look. We store lots of stuff under the seats, it's not sliding anywear. This fabric is machine washable.

 

[Finally Fun Again]

Just measure carefully. We had to order a special couch made to put together INSIDE our 50' trawler with 16' beam because we could not find a ready made one to get inside the door! Also, couch slid quickly across flooring/carpet under heavy beam seas, slamming into TV on other side. We ultimately bolted that couch thru the flooring into the engine room ceiling.....Finally got Stabilizers and that solved all problems.

 

[catalinajack]

Just measure carefully. We had to order a special couch made to put together INSIDE our 50' trawler with 16' beam because we could not find a ready made one to get inside the door! Also, couch slid quickly across flooring/carpet under heavy beam seas, slamming into TV on other side. We ultimately bolted that couch thru the flooring into the engine room ceiling.....Finally got Stabilizers and that solved all problems.

RV furniture is made to be taken apart and reassembled. We had no problem getting large pices through a 20-inch wide door, no need of custom-made, at least for us.

 

[CaptTom]

For future reference, much the same discussion is going on over on this thread:
https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s11/couch-recliners-60765.html

 

[markpierce]

... Built-ins remind of restaraunt booths.

I prefer booths.

 

[ksanders]

Hey Kevin,
We have a 4588 and just had ours recovered with new foam in the cushions. We recovered because we did not want to lose all the storage under the settee. As you know, even though the 4588’s and 4788’s have a great layout, they still lack storage compared to some other boat models. As you do, we live aboard and just could not give the space up.
Just my 2 cents.

Thanks!!!

Since starting this thread I decided to just recover the settee.

I ordered Sunbrellas 4 way stretch vinyl from sailrite and will be tearing down the first seat in a couple of weeks. Once I get the seat torn down I'll make a foam decision based on what I find. When I did the pilothouse I replaced the foam but there was not a darn thing wrong with it, so I'm withholding that decision for now.

 

[Comodave]

Is it the Sunbrella Horizon vinyl? It is good stuff. We are having all of the seating in our Formula recovered with it. They will recondition the foam, they have some sort of process including a mold inhibitor that helps the foam, and then cover the foam with a plastic and reupholster it all. And in our boat there are lots of vinyl seats…