Legal requirement for a boat seat

[ravaneli]

First of all, I am happy to report that I've put in my boat 10 times already and I've gotten pretty comfortable with the whole process and can do it myself pretty well. I also got over my trailering fears. I lift the boat back UP after I hook it to the hitch ball, to make sure it doesn't come out. If the car starts going up, I am good.

Now to my question, my boat came with three seats. But my parents are coming over, and I want to make a tour with my wife and them. I do have 4 lifevests and the throwable one, and the distress signals and fire extinguisher and everything necessary to be completely compliant. I took the boating class too, (took me a week), and that was helpful. But nowhere did I see a particular requirement for the type of seat inside the boat. I have a very nice fishing chair, more comfortable than the boat seats to be honest, better back support, Can I put that chair on the boat, on top of the platform where a boat seat is supposed to be, and not get a ticket? I don't want to buy a 4th seat because i don't plan on having 4 people more than a couple of times a year, and then my garage is already PACKED, and I have nowhere to store it all year.

Just asking, haven't made my mind yet, so don't jump on me...

 

[JaCrispy]

What boat? What's your capacity plate say?

 

[ravaneli]

Tracker Pro Guide V 16. It says 700 Lbs/ 5 people. It has 4 seat bases in the middle, one on the transom platform and one on the bow. But I know you cant have people sitting on the bow or transom while you are moving, So I guess I am left with the 4. Which is fine, but then why does the boat say 5 people? Where could I seat 5 people and move, if all seats must be with a pedestal inserted in one of those bases.

 

[MTboatguy]

It says 5 because based on rating criteria that is what the boat can handle. We have used a small floating deck chair on our boat at times when we needed extra seating. Over the years, I have seen a lot of guys fishing from the bow chair on that style of boat and I have also seen they riding up in the as well as the transom while underway. You, as the captain need to make sure you feel comfortable handling the boat with someone in those positions. Now, that said, pick up an inexpensive folding chair sit it on the deck and go for your tour, I have no seen any laws anywhere again or stipulating what type of seat you must have on the boat. If you have the normal style pedestal seats, then if you think about it, they are not really attached to the boat, they just sit in friction tubes..

 

[gm280]

ravaneli, if you look at boat seat on most any boating site for such, they mention the type seat and the compliance of that seat. Most inserted pedestal type seats are okay for fishing but are not supposed to be used when traveling under power. Now how strict your area is about such, is anybody's guess. You could contact the DNR in your area to get verifiable ideas about seats... JMHO!

 

[MTboatguy]

In most places I have boated, how hard they look you over has been based on how you are handling your boats and how rambunctious the people on the boat are. In the area I currently live, if you are just cruising along at safe speeds and not doing anything stupid on the water, they don't even give you a second look, there were a couple of place back east, they would check us over as we left the dock each day! to make sure everything was safe and sound.

As GM stated, it is always best to check with the local agency that controls boating requirements in your area or the area you plan to boat.

 

[JaCrispy]

Is this your layout?

http://media.tmgcreative.com/2014/T...ad_1327521/Pro-Guide-V-16-SC_img50432_900.jpg

If so, just get a 4th seat and pop it in the 4th base on the deck. You could also put down a bean bag maybe on the bow area.

 

[ravaneli]

thats my boat, though i have the walk through windshield.

http://media.tmgcreative.com/2015/TR...150310_900.jpg

Of course i can buy the 4th seat, but don't want to spend 200 dollars on something I will use twice a year, and the rest of the year I have to find storage for. This is not a speed boat anyway, i believe any seat positioned on that location will be safe enough. Honestly, I am not concerned with safety, as the tour will be with 5 MPH around downtown chicago, I am just concerned with law enforcement and tickets.

 

[MTboatguy]

I don't see you getting a ticket, but when in doubt, call those with clout, call your local regulation agency, let them know what your idea and let them tell you what you can do.

 

[WIMUSKY]

My daughter likes to sit on the deck in front of the helm while using the throwable seat cushion as a backrest. Would your wife be up for that just a couple times a year?

 

[JaCrispy]

Honestly, I am not concerned with safety, as the tour will be with 5 MPH around downtown chicago,

And some a-hole blows by you in a 28' pleasure boat.....then what? Whoever is in that seat has zero support.

 

[ravaneli]

The back seats have handles for support. When big waves, you need to hold on to them regardless of what seat you are on.

I did however read a line that in IL at least, riding on the bow is illegal, unless the bow has cushions and rails. My boat has no rails and that would be kind of an obvious violation, visual from a distance, while someone would need to come pretty close to see what exactly people are sitting on.

 

[gm280]

I did read some of the official requirements about boat seating, but not everything. And If I remember correctly, you are not even allowed to drive any boat that doesn't have a lockable seat. In other words, if you are driving a boat and your seat can swivel, that is a violation unless that seat has provision to lock it in a forward direction when driving. IDK, but I would check the DNR to see... JMHO

 

[UncleWillie]

See Boat Seat Pedestal Safety in the middle of the page.
Class AD is for the Helm. (Driver)
Class AP is for all other passengers while underway.
Class B seats are only for use at no wake speeds. <5mph (Fishing, Observing.)

A lawn chair is not technically Class B unless it is attached to the deck and meets class B standards.
Otherwise, if you get rocked by a passing wake, the seat may dump over.

Having said that, A loose seat in the cockpit at idle speed will probably not cause any undue attention.
If you need to move quickly, have the most agile member of the group sit on the Deck!

The law says you can't sit on the Gunnels, or with your feet hanging over the Bow or Transom. No seat Laws.
ABYC Standards are Recommendations, Not the Law. But still a very good idea.

 

[MTboatguy]

One thing that I am thinking is sticking to that 5 mph claim is not going to be quite as easy as you think.

:lol:

Got any buddies that have pedestal seats in their boat you might be able to borrow for a few days?

 

[dingbat]

Tracker Pro Guide V 16. It says 700 Lbs/ 5 people.

Your capacity is 5 people or 700 lbs, whichever is less.

Pretty hard to find five people under #140 each theses days

 

[smokeonthewater]

What dingbat said^!

 

[H20Rat]

My first boat had zero seats! Open pontoon... Whatever you could find to sit on was the rule. That aside, unless some state has some strange ruling, the general idea is that your butt needs to be below the railing/gunwal. Sitting on the edge is bad, as well as being on any swimdeck while in motion. What your butt is on if it is under that level is up to you. Floor, cooler, lifejacket, or a lawnchair, all are equally decent choices legally.

 

[bonz_d]

See Boat Seat Pedestal Safety in the middle of the page.
Class AD is for the Helm. (Driver)
Class AP is for all other passengers while underway.
Class B seats are only for use at no wake speeds. <5mph (Fishing, Observing.)

ABYC Standards are Recommendations, Not the Law. But still a very good idea.

This is the key point.

Looking at adding pedestals and bases to a boat that did not have them but being aware of those classifications I did a search on the subject. I found exactly that statement by the ABYC. So even a Class B seat could be used at the helm it is not advised or a good practice. In some instances it could even be deadly.

If you have an open base already in the boat just buy one pedestal to fit it, a seat base and any one of the cheap plastic seats such as the Wise Folding plastic seats. They're about $40.00

 

[thumpar]

My front seats swivel and I let adults sit on the sundeck when underway. I have never had a problem with the enforcement. Kids have to have there butt on a seat though.