Pedestal Seat Confusion?

[ste6168]

Hello All. I just recently received my first boat. It is a fixer-upper but overall is not that bad. The first and main thing it needs is seats (they were taken out and never replaced!). A little background and then my question. The boat is a 16.5ft open-bow fiberglass tri-haul design. I plan to build a rear bench seat (with storage for gas tank and battery underneath) using marine grade plywood and a bench seat of some type. Now for my question... I plan to add a front deck (marine plywood also) that I would like to have a pedestal seat mount in the center of. I would also like to add two pedestal seats for the driver and passenger seats. I am EXTREMELY confused about the whole pedestal seats/mounts/spiders/poles. I would like to get 3 mounts (one for passenger and driver location, and one for front deck), two poles, two spiders that rotate 360 degrees and lock into forward position while moving/driving, and two seats. The passenger seat needs to be height adjustable as it will double as a passenger seat/casting seat for the front deck. Also it needs to move easily from one mount to the other. Driver seat can be fixed height/fixed mount although I would like to keep mounts fairly uniform for aesthetic reasons.

What I was looking at getting is the following, but really do not know if what I am looking at is correct. If anyone could give me some insight that would be great!

Passenger Seat:
Base
Pedestal or this one?

Driver Seat:
Base
Post
Swivel/Spider or is it this one?
or just this to save a few bucks, although the pedestals will then not look the same?

Front Deck:
Base
and use the post and spider from the passenger seat.

Seats:
Seats

If anyone could help that would be AWESOME! Also, if you have any other suggestions on places to look, or different components, please let me know. Very new to this! Thanks in Advance!

 

[oops!]

Re: Pedestal Seat Confusion?

hi.....welcome to i boats!

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try this link

http://www.iboats.com/Boat_Seat_Ped...7483099--**********.026437482--view_id.473670


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cheers
oops

 

[wewefirex2x]

Re: Pedestal Seat Confusion?

Driver and Passenger pedestals have a different rating if they will be used for seating for speeds over 5mph. Class A,AB,AD. etc.

I will try and find the link but it is on this website somewhere. I cannot find it though...http://www.cascadedepot.com

 

[ste6168]

Re: Pedestal Seat Confusion?

Thanks guys. Yeah, I think you are right. The seat posts I posted are not rated as drivers/passenger seats. I am still confused on the whole pedestal thing though and am starting to think that lounge seats (if they will fit) may be the easier/cheaper way to go.

In the meantime. Does anyone know of a pedestal seat that will spin 360 degrees, but lock into place when you want it to (ie: while moving)? also it must be able to be used as a driver/passenger seat. Thanks

 

[wewefirex2x]

Re: Pedestal Seat Confusion?

If you google springfield marine group, it will come up with all the info needed. I have a pedestal in my boat from springfield since 1989. You can pick up a locking swivel, fore aft movement and different height for around 140.00. Call and ask for Ken at springfield, he will guide you in the right direction.

 

[wewefirex2x]

Re: Pedestal Seat Confusion?

Here is the link I found...ABYC standards on seat pedestals..

http://www.springfieldgrp.com/page.php-pageid=13.htm

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Pedestal Seat Confusion?

If you need storage, then lounge seats are nice,,, but they take up a lot of room. You won't need to spend the extra $$$ on marine plywood for seats, 5 ply 1/2" exterior plywood will be more than enough for the sides with 5/8 or 3/4 exterior plywood for the tops. I had my old boat interior built like this and the seats were solid.

I'm using Springfield Plug-In "Hi-Lo" pedestals sets along with a few locking spiders in my rebuild as they seemed more flexible for my boat, the locking spider is AD rated. I shied away from the Taper-Lock series as I heard people having problems removing the post when it got wedged in the base hard, but from what I have seen these parts are cheaper and can save you a few bucks.

If you are putting pedestals in an older boat I would check and make sure your decks are strong and sound enough to mount and support the seat bases. There's going to be a lot of force on the bases and if it's just being screwed into 1/2" plywood, they could pull free,,, especially if the decks have rot in them.

 

[ste6168]

Re: Pedestal Seat Confusion?

If you are putting pedestals in an older boat I would check and make sure your decks are strong and sound enough to mount and support the seat bases. There's going to be a lot of force on the bases and if it's just being screwed into 1/2" plywood, they could pull free,,, especially if the decks have rot in them.

If it is only 1/2" plywood, could I cut a hole in the deck and come through the bottom and use nuts, bolts, and washers to make it stronger? or would I just be better off using a different type of seat at that point? (I do not currently know what the boat has, just trying to figure out my options/pricing)

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Pedestal Seat Confusion?

If it is only 1/2" plywood, could I cut a hole in the deck and come through the bottom and use nuts, bolts, and washers to make it stronger? or would I just be better off using a different type of seat at that point? (I do not currently know what the boat has, just trying to figure out my options/pricing)

Deck rot is going to be the deciding factor whether or not you can use the pedestal seat mounts, even if you back up the mount on a rotted deck, it's most likely not going to last for long. If you can drill a test plug, and the deck plywood looks dry and clean you should be OK, wet, black and mulchy is not going to work.

It depends on how much room you have under the deck and on top of the flotation foam,,, and if you have enough room to snake a T-nut in there and epoxy it in place. Springfield has threaded mounting rings (backup rings) that I suppose you could cut in 1/2 and snake then under the deck,,,, if you have enough room under the deck. The bases I used require a 3 1/4" hole in the deck, so that should be plenty to work through, to get your below deck fasteners in place, though it won't be easy.

On my 01 Crestliner, they used a thick piece of aluminum for the backing plate, self tapping screws were driven through the deck and into the aluminum backing plate,,, and in a few places nuts and bolts were used with the backing plates
.

 

[wewefirex2x]

Re: Pedestal Seat Confusion?

This is what I was using until I had my deck replaced. A pedestal ring mounted under deck, pedestal srews to ring. The ring is two pieces. I have also had my pedestal powder coated aluminum since pic was taken...