Suggestions for seating

[DeepCMark58A]

I am currently reassembling my old alumacraft deep C It has the classic flat bench boat seats. I want to add a backrest and cushion to the back seat, a flat pad on the middle seat, and split seat with backrests up front. I do not want modern looking boat seats, and would prefer a canvas material. I have tried searching for vintage seat frames that can be rebuilt with no luck. Anybody else construct seating that would be willing to share photos?

 

[NYBo]

Just a word of warning: Do not cut the front seat unless you determine that it isn't structural.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

No the seats are floatation no removing have to maintain stock structure.

 

[airshot]

It would seem a nice piece of plywood or some mahogany to fabricate a seat back then hinge it to the alum base seat should not be a big problem. Then add some nice cushions. Take a look at the old Lyman boat seats or others from the wood boat era for some ideas. Could even add a mahogany top to the current bench seats to get that wood boat appearance. Had a couple Lymans in my day with the red vinyl button tufted cushions...had a lot of nice comments on them and were quite comfortable once the proper angle of the seat back was found.

 

[jbcurt00]

Metal hoop style seat backs w an attached back cushion was typical in many vintage runabouts and depending on how they're mounted to the fixed bench, they could possibly be removed when unneed or unused.

Sorry, couldnt find a better pix, one that showed a similar back from the other side or how it might be attached to the bench seat lower

Metal conduit might be bent and powder coated.

The pix is for reference only, I only meant for you to use the hoop back, not the seat cushion part shown.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

I found a local shop that will make me something, just takes $.

 

[gm280]

Metal hoop style seat backs w an attached back cushion was typical in many vintage runabouts and depending on how they're mounted to the fixed bench, they could possibly be removed when unneed or unused.

Sorry, couldnt find a better pix, one that showed a similar back from the other side or how it might be attached to the bench seat lower

Metal conduit might be bent and powder coated.

The pix is for reference only, I only meant for you to use the hoop back, not the seat cushion part shown.

WOW jbcurt, those seats you posted bring back memories. My very first boat was a FeatherCraft 12' "V" bottom aluminum and I actually made the seats for that boat from steel tubing like that. And then made the seat cushions and backs from dense foam and vinyl that my wife and I made as well. And they folded down nicely and were very comfortable. I almost forgot all about them until your post here. It is amazing what you can do when you just don't have the money to buy things already to go. JMHO!

 

[DeepCMark58A]

WOW jbcurt, those seats you posted bring back memories. My very first boat was a FeatherCraft 12' "V" bottom aluminum and I actually made the seats for that boat from steel tubing like that. And then made the seat cushions and backs from dense foam and vinyl that my wife and I made as well. And they folded down nicely and were very comfortable. I almost forgot all about them until your post here. It is amazing what you can do when you just don't have the money to buy things already to go. JMHO!

When I bought my boat it had 6 of those on the seats, step 1 was removing and disposing of them. Ugly and uncomfortable.

 

[gm280]

When I bought my boat it had 6 of those on the seats, step 1 was removing and disposing of them. Ugly and uncomfortable.

Deep, I don't blame you if they were uncomfortable. But ours were built for comfort and when you simply don't have the money to buy high end seating, you do what you have to. Things are certainly different now, but that was back when I was first married and we really didn't have the money, but I still wanted to fish. And so the wife and I made so many things to get by. And all that learning certainly paid off as well over the years. JMHO!

 

[DeepCMark58A]

I guess from looking at the seats that were available in the 1958 Alumacraft catalog it screwed my perspective about what was in the boat when I got it.