Boat seats for am Achilles Sports Boat

[leahy]

I finally found a good motor (1985 low hour 50HP Mercury)and broke down and baught a new trailer form Marita. Took it out on Lake Lucille GPS said we were doing 26MPH - plenty of fun for this new boater.
I am thinking of installing some pedistal seats in my 16 foor boat. Any recomendations as to brand or type? Any recomendations Against this style of seats. I may just sit on the coolers...
I mostly plan on using it with the wife, 2 kids,a 110 lab and our gear-plenty crowded. Going out of Whittier fishing and hunting.
Thanks
Rob

 

[AKMarmot]

seats

seats

Rob,
You will hear & see a lot of different variations, from coolers to milk crates to just a sheed of plywood across the tubes. We took the economy black tube pedestals & mounted them through the aluminum floor boards with the bolts & nuts coming up so not to hurt the underside of the floor /keel. Next get the plastic fold down seats with the 1" foam cushion & the swivel bracket for the seat (Think light yet need some comfort) The ped if front is a little shorter than the one in back. you want to be able to swivel the seat without always rubbing the tube, yet the higher you go the more torque is put on the bolts & pedestal when hitting the chop & makes the person in front hold on more. This year I went to Dewys & added a steel plate spring to the front seat as they really can take a beating up there while you are driving. The wife likes it a lot more now.
As far as set up goes
I put the one up front on the left side & the one in back on more towards the right. That way I can hold on to the tube (oh **** ) handle with my right hand & the tiller motor with the left & you don't have obstruction to your vision.
If I had to do it again I might look at bette pedestals as I went cheap & easy but I would stick to something along the same lines.
I would definitely go with seats however, as the long rides will be a lot more bearable on a seat vs. the cooler/floor etc...
Typcially we load the boat up drive to the cove / bay & unload everything, then when go fishing or hunting you only have the seats, & small cooler & emergency gear leaving you more room to manuver.

 

[leahy]

Thanks, That is what

Thanks, That is what

I have been thinking. I looked at the Waaly world econo swivels and some zink coaed swivels as well.
I appreciate your insite.
Thanks,
Rob