Rebuild Fiberglass Helm Seats - Grand Banks

I'm considering the purchase of a Grand Banks Classic and the two standard back to back helm seats on the flytbridge have been modified. Does anyone know a reputable fiberglass shop or boatyard on the East/Gulf coasts that can rebuild these seats back to the original configuration? Or, can anyone suggest alternatives? Thanks!!

I would suggest signing up on the GB owner's forum and post your question there. They're a very knowledgeable bunch. IAGBO :: Index

I stripped those uncomfy seats out totally.

Hated to lose the storage but now love the 2 captain chairs and 2 air chair loungers we have up there.

Much more flexible and comfortable seating....also can fold them up so now I can have a large flat area on board for projects when necessary.

Boydster said:

I would suggest signing up on the GB owner's forum and post your question there. They're a very knowledgeable bunch. IAGBO :: Index

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i will second this and add that the person on that forum to address your question to is Bob Lowe. He's one of the forum founders, but more important, for many years he managed Oak Harbor Boatworks, a yard that specializes in everything to do with wood and glass Grand Banks.

A good quality yard in S FL is Cay Marine in Miami. They can do anything and do it right. No affiliation, I've seen it.

Possum has back to back seats on the bridge. I hate them. The people who have to ride facing aft always look uncomfortable. Who came up with that idea anyway?

HopCar said:

Possum has back to back seats on the bridge. I hate them. The people who have to ride facing aft always look uncomfortable. Who came up with that idea anyway?

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In terms of riding backwards, I think you are correct. However, on a boat like a GB the aft-facing bench seats are very handy when we or our guests gather up top after we get to where we're going. With some folding chairs set up on the open aft section of the flying bridge deck, people can face each other to talk, eat, etc.

So we like the aft-facing seats up top. We never drive from up above so the built-in seats are only used by our guests while we're underway and then by all of us (or just my wife and I) for socializing or viewing our surroundings when we're at that day's destination.

HopCar said:

Possum has back to back seats on the bridge. I hate them. The people who have to ride facing aft always look uncomfortable. Who came up with that idea anyway?

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In addition to facing backwards.....mine were only about 12 inches high making them difficult to event sit in.

With the teak deck leaving and major surgery to the underlying glass...getting rid of the seats was a no brainer for me.

Using folding chairs that are very comfy and able to face in any dire ton make using the bridge a pleasure whether looking at something, sunning or just relaxing.

Marin, that makes sense. I always run Possum from the bridge and everyone wants to ride up there. There also isn't enough bridge aft of the seats to socialize there. I'm thinking a bench seat near the aft edge of the bridge and a couple of swivel seats forward. That way when we're running everyone faces forward and when we stop, the forward seats will turn to face the folks in the aft bench seat.

My next project is to strip all the seats off my bridge. I hate the back to back seating too. It's just stupid, plain and simple.

When looking at GB's on Yachtworld noticed quite a few that mounted helm chairs to the seat part of the original bench, must be a good reason why, from my untrained eyes the seats do look a bit low for my liking in the stock configuration.

We drove the GB36 we chartered from the flying bridge and we drove our boat from there, too, for a little while until we decided it was a bad idea and stopped. The charter boat is a '91 and our boat is a '73, so a slight difference in height and configuration since they were made from different molds. But we had no visibility issues from the stock bench seats on either boat. The few people I've met who have installed helm seats on the bench did so for comfort and more secure seating.

I plan to completely remove my stock fore and aft facing seats on my GB 46 classic. 2 new individually adjustable helm chairs going in by the helm. The rest will be some L couch table and room for nice folding chairs or hammock. Maybe hide a new AC unit under some of it. Not this year though, but soon.