TOPIC: Seats...

I need to get some new seats...
Here is what the previous owner "fabricated" for seats:




I was thinking of some back to back seats, however, I have no experience with them.
Practical/impractical? Comfortable/uncomfortable?
What do you guys like for seats? What have you had good or bad luck with?
I was also thinking of making a bench seat for seating near the back. Is this a bad idea?
The boat is 15'
Just looking for thoughts or advice.
Thanks,
oct.

Oct, I've seen worse seat setups than your picture but those babies were ment to be on swivel pedestals with rod holders alongside. Back to back are all what you buy, el-cheapo or expensive-o. You should measure your floor though, looks like it gets pretty narrow towards the bow area and back to back seats are usually mounted on box type frames. You might have to do some "field engineering" to make them fit. Back seating is nice, easy to make but you will need to hinge it somehow for access to the battery, fuel tank etc.
Cal

October,

FIRST, WELCOME aboard.

Like 63 Sabre, i've seen worse set-ups, by far.

In fact, (as i'm a fisherman) IF those seats DO swivel, i'm not at all sure that i'd change the configuration, as that rig would work for trolling or watching out for a waterskiier.

yours, satx

My last boat, a Galaxie 18 foot bowrider, had back to backs and two small jump seats at the transom. I loved the back to backs. Comfortable, and you could sit up on the backrest area when maneuvering at low speeds. Plus there was some storage in the boxes underneath. Like 63 Sabre says, the shape of the hull would call for some creativity to make them fit. In a 15 footer, back to backs would give you seating for four, probably all you want to carry most of the time.

Take a look at Overton's online for some good examples of what's out there, from expensive to really expensive.

Welcome to the forum!

The boat originally had back to backs...
I would either have to modify the bases, or make my own, because of the way the floor is shaped.
For some reason the fact that the back to backs fold down, appeals to me. But, again I don't have experience with them, and it may just be a worthless feature that sounds better than it is.
I was thinking if I made a rear bench, it could be removable, not bolted down.

I have seen Wise seats for $169 and other brands for $300... Are the Wise seats junk, and are other ones over priced? Or do you generally get what you pay for? Are there brands you like over others? Am I going to be sad if I ended up with something like this?



Thanks for all the advice...
october

Wise builds several styles/levels of seats, from inexpensive to somewhat pricey. Their mid-upper level seats are constructed well, no problem with the quality. Shipping costs are also a factor if you order online, it can run half again as much as the seats! It doesn't limit you to the "free freight" listings, but be aware it can be expensive.

A few things to consider are the frame - wood or plastic? The better seats contain no wood, no worries about rot. The warranty on the upholstery part of the seat is a pretty good indicator of the quality. If they're built with good materials, they'll back 'em up with a decent warranty. Size is (as mentioned) a major factor, there are some offered in several different sizes, it pays to do your "homework" before buying.

If you can wait a month or two, many retailers run "off-season" specials to clear inventory during the winter. You can save some serious money buying during these sales. When you do get your choice of seats and have them contoured to fit your floor, extra care and thought should be given to mounting them. Screw holes into plywood soles invite rot problems if not sealed properly, and we have seen a few "horror stories" where the mounting screws were run completely through the outer hull!

Just a few thoughts, HTH.

October,
I put the inexpensive Wise back-to-back seats in my '59 Avalon, they were fine in terms of quality and value. They looked exactly like your photo. My only complaint about them was the size... they were smaller than I would have liked. I am not a big guy, and they still seemed too small. On the plus side, they were easy to assemble and install and were comfortable. The base box is made of plastic so you dont need to worry about water damage. It wouldnt be hard to cut the plastic base to match the lines of your floor.

Dean

Thanks for all the insight!

Dean,
When you say they felt small, was it the width or height of the seat? Both? Or the height of the entire unit?
Was it uncomfortable? How were they when folded down in a laying position?

oct

I bought the $300 sets from Cabelas, (made by Wise I think) and they were plenty big enough.
You simply pull up on the rear seat pull it out and it becomes a lounge chair. I like them. A little storage underneath is nice. They do have plastic bases. And they were nearly free due to me having a Cabelas credit card and lots of stored up points. If the cheaper ones are in fact smaller, then it is possible the smaller ones may fit your boat without modifications. I'm hoping to go skiing today, I will measure the bases.

My bases measure 38' X 13 1/2"
Also keep in mind the cushion overlap.

Hey Oct,

The seat was high enough off the floor, but the seat area was small... like I was sitting on a small kitchen chair... I would have liked the seat to be a few inches longer and the back a few inches taller. I dont have the boat anymore... and the photos I have doesnt really show the seats well:

They were not uncomfortable, I bought the cheapest back-to-back seats I could find... i didnt have much spare change when I did the semi-resto on the Avalon. If I were in the same budget situation again, I would do it all over. They were 1000% better than the bench seat I took out.

Dean

I put Wise seats in my 1972 18 Foot Sea Ray. I bought some fairly expensive ones. The seat frame and boxes are high density plastic. No rot issues. They are comfortable (I am 5' 8") for me and my wife (she's 5' 1") I'll have to take my son in law out to see if they are comfortable for big people. He's 6' 6" and weighs well over 200. Bottom line: I like them and am very happy with them.