Deck chairs???

So, as we have been sailors up to now, we know little about deck chairs.
We keep looking at chairs and finding ourselves unable to figure this out.
It sure seems as though we'd like a couple of chairs for hanging out in the cockpit and sometimes up on the upper deck but what chairs?
There are teak chairs, stainless, aluminum, plastic, sunbrella and vinyl chairs.
What do you use and why?
I think we need to keep them in the folding category and I'd like them to be comfortable enough to hang out for a while...
This is a Westminster Barbuda folding armchair that is pretty comfortable.
I did swear that i'd never have any teak again but...
Thanks in advance...
Bruce

We use Seateak Avalon folding teak chairs. Look much like the one you have pictured. Also have a folding teak table. Picked them for both their classic look and comfort.

Bruce B said:

So, as we have been sailors up to now, we know little about deck chairs.
We keep looking at chairs and finding ourselves unable to figure this out.
It sure seems as though we'd like a couple of chairs for hanging out in the cockpit and sometimes up on the upper deck but what chairs?
There are teak chairs, stainless, aluminum, plastic, sunbrella and vinyl chairs.
What do you use and why?
I think we need to keep them in the folding category and I'd like them to be comfortable enough to hang out for a while...
This is a Westminster Barbuda folding armchair that is pretty comfortable.
I did swear that i'd never have any teak again but...
Thanks in advance...
Bruce

Click to expand...

Hi Bruce,
Ask whether the American Tug own chairs. I have the same NT own chairs and teak interior fabric as the sofa are comfortable and foldable, and are suitable for interior decoration. they are collapsible, to facilitate if you take up.
a little bad image, but hopefully you see the principle

As much as they look cheezy, I like the simple plastic chairs from a box store or anywhere.


They come in colors that may be close enough to boat trim, yes they mildew but will clean up with a wipe usually, light, and stackable.


For me and many others, we find then as comfortable as any other deck chair as far as posture. Sure air chairs and recliners...etc all have their virtues...but for simple sitting for awhile here and there, the upright and supporting size and shape...good. I am sure there are lots of comfy chairs out there...but I haven't sat in them enough to really know...especially when they cost hundreds. The cheezy plastics are a known commodity.


You can get cushions if too hard or sticky in hot weather...but I find them uneccessary and just more "stuff".

Inexpensive ...so if someone walked off with one ...not the end of the world.

When my vinyl cushioned boat chairs bite the dust...going back to a couple of the nicer plastic ones.


Now if I had a permanent sitting area with a matching table....I might consider a nice set if I could make sure they were comfy to a large group of people before dropping a load of money on looks.

This is what we have . The frames are stainless steel. The chairs are very comfortable but expensive and really heavy . I like those teak chairs and they would be easier to store and move around . We're under roof so the sun does damage the vinyl as quick .We get our cheezy look from the ceiling fan .

I use big box store eucylyptus chairs that I put a few coats of Epifines fast coat on. I get compliments on them all the time. But really is just an $100 and a couple hours total investment. They look pretty good, and are fairly comfy. Table is not so great, though. Here is a picture after three years use. I have cushions for them, just not in photo.

I have the same set of chairs that Star posted about in this post from last summer. They are teak, relatively small sized, have not yet broken under my very large son-in-law, and both chairs and the table fold up and store year round under the ladder to the boat deck.
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=463549&postcount=6

Greetings,
Mr. BrB. I used to be in the box store plastic chair crowd along with Mr. ps but age and attrition has reduced our seating capacity to one, of that style. The Admiral purchased 4 nesting chairs to replace the defunct units in this style:


They are light and cheap enough that even if they only last a couple of years, they can be replaced many times for the equivalent price as those used by Mr. PM.
One may argue that the stackables take up more floor space than folding units but IF 4 of the folding units are all stored in the same place, the real estate used will be the same, if not more.

Nice chairs RT. I have found that the most critical feature of a deck chair, on the boat or at home, is that my wife approves of it.

For some reason she is not swayed by practicality and convenience.

All our interior seating is fixed as is the flybridge seating (three seats). For extra seating, we have two of the $5 folding chairs from Walmart or the drug store. It doesn't hurt so much when the wind blows them off the dock and into the water.

We had folding teak chairs and the hardware rusted out badly in a marine environment. Large parts of the hardware were brass which was OK, but the screws, hinge pins, and other critical parts were steel and rusted badly.

Second time around my wife was on a mission to find similar chairs with stainless hardware, and she succeeded. Thomas Baker in Washington offers at least some of their folding teak furniture with stainless hardware. It's all good quality stuff.

Bruce, next time you are in WA and have a car, just take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island and drive to the place. It's a nice half day adventure.

But I'll also say that my wife and I are split on liking the chairs. She loves the big chaise lounge chairs, and I admit they are very comfy. But I hate lugging them around the boat and putting them in and out of storage. I prefer things lighter and easier to move around. But I expect the regular chairs would be just fine in that regard.

We have the same chairs as Pack Mule indicated in an earlier post, with photo. We have had these for three entire seasons on two boats, and we use the boat more than the average boater.

I would NOT recommend them or buy them again:

1. Not very comfortable
2. Not easily stored on the boat or at home
3. Some parts are prone to corrosion (upholstery tacks)
4. Costly

Best Wishes,

Jeff

Indeed, former sailors, having the ability to have and use something comfortable on deck is a wonderful thing!

We have folding wood chairs that are very like the directors chairs except that the sides are rigid. The PO let them go grey and they may well be Teak. Surprisingly comfortable. Small scale, suitable for our back porch.

We bought folding Teak tables as sold by WoodenBoat and others; they're not the worlds best for workmanship but they will go grey nicely. Watch your fingers when folding!

We also have on board the typical 'camp' sling chairs which store in their own bags neatly in the flybridge. Adequately comfortable and convenient; not suitable visually.

We used the plastic stacking chairs for a long time. OK, not overwhelmingly comfortable without cushions... which brings along a weather/storage issue. Stacking was onnly marginally useful to improve storage.

We used a pair of Garelick folding aluminum chairs for a long time. Not bad, although they go south eventually if you leave 'em in the weather... and they don't fold all that small. Replaced two of those with a new stainless one from WM; unexpectedly the seat-back angle is different, so it's slightly less comfortable for me. It lives in the cockpit, does OK.

We have some folding camp chairs. They stow nicely. Some are comfortable, some are not. Some include beer-can -- er, beverage -- pouches in the arm rests... Not wonderful looking, but not a bad option for occasional need. And they travel up the dock easily, if there's a confab going on somewhere.

I often keep a folding mid-height director's chair on board, to augment seating around our dining table when necessary. Not bad, and it's (relatively) easily portable, but it's not weatherproof so we don't usually leave it out in the cockpit. Still, the choices of wood and fabric can maybe come closest to complementing the boat...

But mostly we find we live on the bridge, with built-in seating... mostly only use the cockpit for overflow (rarely) or when the angle of the sun dictates.

Just saw a thread on cruiserforum suggesting a drummer's throne would be useful for some. Have to admit, mine would work OK, since it's got a decent backrest and it's pneumatic to height adjustment. Not water proof, though, and would maybe be better at "task seating" than it might be at lounging.

-Chris

I have given up with teak folding chairs (pic post #1) of my former boat - instable at the anchor and not enough comfortable - for these which are more stable and ergonomic, also stackable, still teak.

Cleaning twice a year with high pressure cleaner (such as Karcher) is perfect.

In 17 yrs of cruising from Alaska to Mexico I have had all types. Best are the deluxe size stacking plastic chairs from Costco. Don't store in the sun. Buy new ones every few years.

Ikea has nice wood outdoor sets for reasonable price. By the time you store 4 wood folding chairs they take same space as the stacking ones and they are less comfortable and require routine varnish and far more expensive.

Northern Spy said:

I use big box store eucylyptus chairs that I put a few coats of Epifines fast coat on. I get compliments on them all the time. But really is just an $100 and a couple hours total investment. They look pretty good, and are fairly comfy. Table is not so great, though. Here is a picture after three years use. I have cushions for them, just not in photo.

Click to expand...

We have something very similar to this set but in pine, bought for 50$ at wall mart. Just added some cetol marine to it and it is looking fine for us. And for that price, when used it will go in the furnace

Like the folding way as when underway we fold the table and chair and attach them so no risk of seeing the set going overboard.

[/IMG]Costco $16 each

We have 3 chairs like Pack Mule posted. We had to rebuild one that was given to us with a new plywood seat base. I protect them with vinyl seat covers and find them comfortable with good back support, but they're bulky and relatively heavy. At least they won't blow overboard.

A couple of years ago, I searched for a 'lawn chair' with good back support because the ones we had (like the blue one Dheckrotte posted) felt like I was sitting in a hammock. I found Strongback chairs and have been very impressed with the comfort and back support. We liked it so much, I immediately bought one for my wife. Now, after trying out mine, six of my friends have also bought them.



Strongback video:

Q

A friend had a couple of these, sitting on them I found them to be very comfortable. We bought a couple and liked them so much we bought 2 more. At one time we had a 3 of the white Taylor Made deck chairs, after we got them found they were made in China. They were poorly made and didn't last long, I had 1 recovered and then the frame broke.

River Cruiser said:

QView attachment 60783


A friend had a couple of these, sitting on them I found them to be very comfortable. We bought a couple and liked them so much we bought 2 more. At one time we had a 3 of the white Taylor Made deck chairs, after we got them found they were made in China. They were poorly made and didn't last long, I had 1 recovered and then the frame broke.

Click to expand...

It looks comfortable, I like the double legs therefore double pads on the deck.

It seems you guys have more stable boats than me. A chair on my boat would be dangerous away from the dock, unless it was bolted down.

I have built in cockpit seating. On the foredeck we use either a beanbags or a hammock.

Another Vote

johnrupp said:

We use Seateak Avalon folding teak chairs. Look much like the one you have pictured. Also have a folding teak table. Picked them for both their classic look and comfort.

Click to expand...

Been great for us. 7 years and still like new, just use a little oil every 3 or 4 months.

We use wooden/canvas folding director's chairs.
Two of them are over 40 years old and the 'new' one is about 20 YOA.

Deck chairs?

We started with two fixed seats in our cockpit similar to Pack Mule's. They lasted 3 months then my wife went on the hunt. She looked at West Marine, IKEA and several dozen other places. She fell in love with stackable patio chairs similar to RT's. Impressive that 4 fit nicely on our Owens and for far less than $100 on sale.

We bought these last year for some more seating . We haven't had much time to use them but I think we're going to like these as much or more the the vinyl padded chairs .

Northern Spy said:

I use big box store eucylyptus chairs that I put a few coats of Epifines fast coat on. I get compliments on them all the time. But really is just an $100 and a couple hours total investment. They look pretty good, and are fairly comfy. Table is not so great, though. Here is a picture after three years use. I have cushions for them, just not in photo.

Click to expand...

Ours are similar to these, or to the OP`s but without arms, made of "mimosa". I like that they fold flat, we have a large lazarette and they store there.
Because of the teak on the boat they fit in nicely.

River Cruiser said:

QView attachment 60783

A friend had a couple of these, sitting on them I found them to be very comfortable. We bought a couple and liked them so much we bought 2 more. At one time we had a 3 of the white Taylor Made deck chairs, after we got them found they were made in China. They were poorly made and didn't last long, I had 1 recovered and then the frame broke.

Click to expand...

Bought four of these. After a couple of months the sewn seams began to open on ONE CHAIR. I called the manufacturer and without so much as a request for a receipt, they sent me 4 new chairs and told me to keep the others. I now have 7 chairs that have lasted 5-years to date although the canvas is fading. Great customer care.