Seats for john boat

[jayg0351]

I have three bench seats in my boat. I would like to put two swival seats in the boat. I bought a clamp on seat mount which was not what I thought it would be. The mount is not very secure. I bought two swival bases but need to find a good mount the attach to the bench. Is it possible to attach the swival base directly to the alumminum bench? Do I need to screw a piece of plywood to the bench for mounting the seat. I do not want to sit to high in the boat also. The boat is a 1972 14ft Star craft with a 9.9hp motor. I also plan to put a deck on the floor so it is more comfortable to walk on. There is a mount on the front seat for some type of seat. There is a hole in the middle if the mount. It looks like what I would need. I am new to this and lost on finding correct harware for this project.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Seats for john boat

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/tashasdaddy/MVC-905S-1.jpg

on this boat i did 3 seats. the easiest way to mount just a plain swivel, is to cut a 3/4 piece of plywood the side of the base, screw it down where you want the seat. i use 2 inch sheet metal screws, to make it easier, mount the swivel to the seats and then take them off, that way the bolts go in easier. not using the same type screws mount the swivel onto the block of wood flush on all sides. the reason for this is the 3/4 block gives you enough room to get you fingers under the seat to start the bolts, to mount the seat, using an open end wrench tighted the seats to the swivel. it's kinda pia. but well worth it. i use these swivels, but if you can use the ones you have go for it

http://www.iboats.com/Seasense_Swivel_Seat_Base/dm/category_id.250652--view_id.56331

 

[John_S]

Re: Seats for john boat

Your front seat looks like it was outfitted with a pin type mount. I believe swivelease makes them, but you will have to take measurements. Also, don't know if they make a low/no height pin.

I have had compression type bases that go on bench seats. They will not stay on with that style bench seat, no matter how hard you crank them down. They were really designed for the board type bench, but don't hold much better on them. I resorted to using ratchiting cargo straps to lock them in, running under the bench. I didn't want the perminent mount on the light, car topper style boat.

 

[BF]

Re: Seats for john boat

if you're talking about the 4" swivel base that you screw onto the bottom of your new seat, they make plastic quick disconnect bases that are the hot ticket. You screw/rivet/bolt the plastic base to your existing bench seat, you have the 4" swivel attached under your seat, and you just slide the bottom part of the swivel into the plastic base... It snaps locked. To remove, it has a little lever you push, and just slide the seat off. I've got them on 2 of my boats. They're great, cause the seats remove easily to keep them out of the weather.

Before I tried the plastic bases, I bolted a piece of 3/4 " plywood a bit bigger than the seat to the swivel base (which was attached to the seat bottom), and then screwed the whole thing to the aluminum seat through the 4 corners of the plywood. It worked, but not nearly as good as the quick release bases. I didn't like the wet seats all the time. I think the bases were ~$20 each. Oh and they're only about 3/4" thick so they don't stick you up in the air.

look here:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/p...older_id=1408474396672333&bmUID=1177958785239

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Seats for john boat

BF these are 8" bases, i would loe to see the type you are talking about, but the link did not work.

 

[BF]

Re: Seats for john boat

this link should work... when I said 4" swivels, I should've said square, not high. See below, I think they're actually 6"... the standard swivel for putting under the standard styles of seats. The base plastic thingy attaches onto a flat surface with (like the existing cross seats). If you wanted to use a pedestal, you'd put this on top of the pedestal, right under the seat, not on the floor.

http://www.mts.net/~bfedirch/seat_base.jpg

I did a quick search here at IBoats, and I think the swivels are actually 6" square... like this.

http://www.iboats.com/Seat_Swivel_E...6784793--**********.316865935--view_id.215398

but they don't seem to carry these quick release bases... wally world and Canadian tire does up here.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Seats for john boat

very interesting.

 

[pman7]

Re: Seats for john boat

Tas, interesting stern light you have on your Evinrude. At least it looks like it's mounted on your motor. Is that wired up to your 12v battery passing through your cowling?

 

[jayg0351]

Re: Seats for john boat

I bought two of these seat mounts. I saw the plastic ones and these they were being sold together as a package or as seperate items. They can work together or alone. I also have a question on the actual seats. I bought a strong built plastic seat like the ones on TAS boat. There is a swival base on the seat. It does not seem to swival very good is there something that need to be removed or is that just the way they are.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Seats for john boat

I bought a couple of metal removable seat units at Gander Mountain. You screw them to the seat in your boat, then screw a standard $8 swivel to the seat. It slides right into the mount, and can be removed by pushing down on a latch.

I like it because I like to remove the seats during bad weather. They last longer.

 

[pitbulljoe]

Re: Seats for john boat

When using these seats does controlling the motor become uncomfortable due to height difference? I will be looking into getting one of these soon.

 

[Pony]

Re: Seats for john boat

I think that what you are planning is pretty similar to what I have done in my 14ft.

I started with three bench seats very much like yours and just a hull. I have added a 3 piece custom removeable floor system that allows for water to pass underneath the structure along with a PVC pipe that has the wiring for my running lights in it. The floor is quite strong and is easy to remove for cleaning and for storage during the winter. I used on sheet of plywood, a bunch of assorted framing material, and a roll of outdoor carpeting. The whole project cost me maybe $40.

The seat mounts use the swivel that Tash referenced earlier in this thread. This swivel is attached to a custom fabricated bracket that I made from some sheet metal. On the top, the swivel part bolts to a 1/4" think piece of metal that is welded to the sheet metal that wraps around the bench seat. The metal is formed to the seat and is "clamped" to the bench by means of 2 long threaded rods and wing nuts hidden beneath the bench.

Just recently I added a deck to the front with the same carpet as before and added a pedastal. I bolted that directly to the swivel wich you can see in the pictures.

If you have any questions just ask, I would be more than willing to take closeup pictures of stuff.

 

[Pony]

Re: Seats for john boat

Forgot to mention that I have used those store bought clamps that you can get to attach seats to the benches, and if you don't get decent ones they will slide around and can pull off the bench if you lean back too much.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Seats for john boat

We just attached the swivel to a piece of 3/4 inch plywood with bolts and countersunk Tee nuts. Then, we used ratchet straps to attach to the seat. Completely adjustable and yet just as stable.
The thing with these boats, and nonadjustable seats is they will lean unless you are perfectly balanced. Unless you spend and whole bunch of time testing before mounting, and have the exact same people + stuff riding with ya, you will experience issues.