Pontoon console and captain seat move around. Is this normal?

[bruce0359]

It seems strange to us that the console and the captain seat on the used pontoon we bought move around. Neither are attached to the deck.

The captain seat fits down over a square of wood on the deck, but easily and frequently shifts out of place.

The console moves in all directions. I believe it is only held on due to the steering column & wheel.

Shouldn't these should stay securely in place? How do I properly secure them to the deck?

 

[HotTommy]

I replaced the captains seat and console on my boat when I refurbished it. Both were and are secured. The seat is bolted to the deck using an aluminum plate under the wood deck like a giant washer. It will take two people or some clever tool work to reach both ends of the bolt at the same time. ... The console is made of wood and is secured to the deck with stainless screws. Unless your steering effort is high, that should be sufficient for a pontoon boat.

 

[ahicks]

If the captain's chair and console are not securely fastened to the floor, how would he be expected to keep his balance if taking an unexpected wave from the side? You're talking about a dangerous situation. Both should be SECURELY fastened to the floor. If a passenger falls down, that's one thing, but the captain?

 

[bruce0359]

The 17' pontoon has two wooden flip flop seats. They sit down over a wooden frame. The second one is stable, but I haven't been able to find what is keeping it in place other than being a snug fit with the wooden frame. The captain seat is identical and sits on a similar wood frame, but it isn't snug and doesn't stay in place.

Thinking perhaps installing a L bracket to tie them together. The wooden frame secured to the deck is so low that I don't think I could get a wood screw through it to secured into the wood in the seats.

I'm going to take the panel off the console to see if there is some way to secure it from inside. Just to clarify, the steering doesn't move, but the console slides at least 2". It's a basic console with only steering and lighting switches. No RPM, speedometer, etc. Either heavy plastic or fiberglass.

Open to any input or ideas. Totally new to pontoons

 

[MinUph]

Both and all other seating that is used while underway should be fastened down properly. If not it is an accident waiting to happen.