Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

[kelise24]

Hi. I just purchased a 14' jon boat for my husband for his birthday next weekend. The boat came with everything (at least from my perspective) - trailer, spare tires, 15 hp johnson, minn kota trolling motor, aerated live well, fish finder, gas tank, rod racks, etc... I'm having it carpeted today - at least for now. (He can upgrade to a spray in liner if he wants - but the carpeting was cheap enough that it will make it look good for now and make it easier for the kids to step in without slipping.)

So, to get to my question, the boat has two pedestals and very basic, one-piece hard plastic seat that have a small, round metal piece that sticks into the pedestal. It is just a round piece of metal - no threading. You drop it in and pull it out.

My question is - how do I upgrade to the swivel fold down seats? Will I have to get an entire new pedestal? Or, is there something I can buy that just goes into the current pedestal that has a swivel on it, then attach the seat to that.

Please be very basic in your explanation and very specific on what I need to get and how it attaches, etc... I want to make sure I get the right thing. I know this is most likely a very basic and dumb question, but I'm new to all of this. I guess just think of it this way - if your wife was doing this for you - what would you want someone to tell her so she could get it done easily even with the most basic level of knowledge on this topic.

Thank you!!! :redface:

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

Got a picture? There are a number of different pedestal/base standards and they aren't necessarily compatible. The seats themselves usually don't come ready to go on any of them. You add a plate (4 bolts) to the bottom of the seat that's compatible.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

Walmart has the seats, pedestals, everything you need, just go over there and get them and they'll slide right down into those pedestal holes, no problem. But sounds like you've done about 99% of everything, maybe "let him go and pick out the color and style of seats that suit him best"...lets you off the hook from having to do it

 

[kelise24]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

I don't have pictures (close-ups, anyway) right now. Sorry!

Thanks for the tip on WalMart - though, I know what he would pick... haha. He is an easy one to figure out with these types of things.

Bubba - thanks. I have 2 sisters that are spoken for, a 21 year old sister who is available and one that is still under age. My husband is one of those guys who works himself non-stop. He's on the road around 250 days out of the year - working catastrophic insurance claims. We have a ski boat, but it's not something he can really take with him and park in a cheap hotel parking lot while he's working. Plus, it's a lot of work getting it in and out of the water by yourself. He likes to fish, and he needs a break every once in a while. I figure with this, he can do things by himself much easier and not worry about it too much in a hotel parking lot. I try to keep him happy.

 

[kelise24]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

Got a picture? There are a number of different pedestal/base standards and they aren't necessarily compatible. The seats themselves usually don't come ready to go on any of them. You add a plate (4 bolts) to the bottom of the seat that's compatible.

I do have a picture of the overall boat - doubt you can tell much about the pedestal. But the current seats are in my car at the moment - so I took pics of the bottom... maybe that will give you some info.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

You're in good shape. You can just take this View attachment 146764 and attach it under the new seat. Those are also the most standard pin-type pedestals so if you were to get different ones (like if you wanted a different length or something), they should fit the existing bases.

 

[kelise24]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

You're in good shape. You can just take this View attachment 146764 and attach it under the new seat. Those are also the most standard pin-type pedestals so if you were to get different ones (like if you wanted a different length or something), they should fit the existing bases.

Will attaching this to a new seat allow for the "swivel" action?

 

[robert graham]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

Those seats look fine like they are...all he might need is a cushion to put in it to sit on...Man, he's gonna love that rig!...and you, of course, for gettin' it for him!

 

[kelise24]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

Those seats look fine like they are...all he might need is a cushion to put in it to sit on...Man, he's gonna love that rig!...and you, of course, for gettin' it for him!

Ha. Thanks! Glad I got a little credit there.

 

[mk4713]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

I agree... I bought swivel pedistals($20 or so ea) from cabelas and got nice cusioned seats ($48ea). I had the plastic fold down seats with padding attached to it and they lasted about a year lol...Go to cabela's or Bass Pro

 

[MJS]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

These posts should swivel in the base. You attach the seat to the post and the post will turn in the base. Almost any folding boat seat should bolt up fine.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

Will attaching this to a new seat allow for the "swivel" action?

That pin swivels in the base. So yes.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

One more item to consider, if the boat is going to be stored outside in the weather and rain, then the plain white plastic seats will hold up better than the upholstered vinyl units....You're about home free on this project regardless what you do about the seats.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

you are a great wife.

I hear what you're saying about him working too hard to do things for himslef, but I think that now that you have him in the boat, let him fine tune it.

Like most coastal boaters, I don't like pedestal seats at all and in small boats prefer no seats other than the bench. A good middle ground (a friend has these on his jon we use duck hunting) is a fold-down seat that slides on a track. You can move them to either side of the boat, remove them easily (for when you don't want them, dry storage or security), put two side by side, etc. I like them b/c they are low profile; as I alluded above, I don't like the highchairs the fresh water guys like.

Which circles back to my point about letting him pick. He may like to do a little customizing himself.

Another suggestion: an OB motor lock and some coated cables, like bicycle locks, to lock his gear up in the parking lot.

 

[kelise24]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

you are a great wife.

I hear what you're saying about him working too hard to do things for himslef, but I think that now that you have him in the boat, let him fine tune it.

Like most coastal boaters, I don't like pedestal seats at all and in small boats prefer no seats other than the bench. A good middle ground (a friend has these on his jon we use duck hunting) is a fold-down seat that slides on a track. You can move them to either side of the boat, remove them easily (for when you don't want them, dry storage or security), put two side by side, etc. I like them b/c they are low profile; as I alluded above, I don't like the highchairs the fresh water guys like.

Which circles back to my point about letting him pick. He may like to do a little customizing himself.

Another suggestion: an OB motor lock and some coated cables, like bicycle locks, to lock his gear up in the parking lot.

Thank you for all of the suggestions!!! You guys are great!!

I agree, I think I'll just let him customize whatever he wants from this point on. Good idea.

Great suggestion about the OB motor lock. Never heard that about the bicycle locks before. Great idea!!! Thanks!!

 

[kelise24]

Re: Jon boat seating question (very basic, but please help)

you are a great wife.

I hear what you're saying about him working too hard to do things for himslef, but I think that now that you have him in the boat, let him fine tune it.

Like most coastal boaters, I don't like pedestal seats at all and in small boats prefer no seats other than the bench. A good middle ground (a friend has these on his jon we use duck hunting) is a fold-down seat that slides on a track. You can move them to either side of the boat, remove them easily (for when you don't want them, dry storage or security), put two side by side, etc. I like them b/c they are low profile; as I alluded above, I don't like the highchairs the fresh water guys like.

Which circles back to my point about letting him pick. He may like to do a little customizing himself.

Another suggestion: an OB motor lock and some coated cables, like bicycle locks, to lock his gear up in the parking lot.

Can anyone recommend an OB lock? Thanks!