How to improve this helm position?

[Deleted User YDKXO]

This is the lower helm position of my new (to me) Ferretti. It is easily the worst lower helm position of any boat I've owned

There are 4 main issues. First, the base of the seat is too high relative to the windscreen. I am 6' 1" and I have to stoop to look out through the windscreen. Second, despite being 6'1" I can't reach the footrest when sitting back in the seat which means I can't brace myself in a lumpy sea. Third, I can't reach the wheel and throttles comfortably when seated and fourth there is no side support to stop you sliding off the seat in a beam sea

Obviously one solution is to throw away the existing seat and replace it with a couple of nice Stidd or Recaro seats. However, the existing seat folds down to allow access to the side door and I'd like to keep that facility if possible. Also the master cabin is directly under the floor so anything which needs bolting through the floor would require removing part of the ceiling underneath for access and I don't know how easy that will be.

This is the seat in it's folded position and the mechanism underneath

Ideally what I'd like to do is utilise the existing folding mechanism to support a new seat design which allows 2 people to be seated and from which I can comfortably see through the windscreen, reach the wheel and throttles easily and rest my feet on the footrest. Also, I would like the seat base to fold down as it does now

Any ideas?

 

[andy59]

I would unscrew the seat base from the mechanism and see how the height feels perched on the frame + 3 inches of firm foam , ( the existing base looks overly thick to me ). If that position fits you then you could get a wider base made to take two ( if you feel the mechanism is strong enough ) with some firm raised side sections to stop you sliding about , or maybe consider fold down armrests for a more positive feeling of being "in" the seat as opposed to sitting " on top " .

 

[Greg2]

I agree with Andy59. It looks as though the seat base is hinged where it is to enable it to fold down without hitting the deck. Might be possible to get in an inch or two lower although that would mean re-working the support. That with a thinner base cushion might do the trick.

If you go for a wider seat it may be necessary to extend the support mechanism to cover the full width of the seat but that shouldn't be insurmountable. Maybe an entirely separate section of base between the existing base and the door with its own supporting mechanism? This would allow it to be folded up when you want to seat two and left down when it is only one.

 

[Bandit]

I have a sliding rally type seat in leather finish with drop down arm rests and the seat swab is contoured to yer bum and the back is also contoured so stops sideways slide.

In the lumpy stuff you need arm rests to brace yourself and the contoured swab.

You need a slider to get in close to wheel and throttles while seated and to get to other dash and navaid controls

You can get seats with fold up arm rests and the front third of the swab hinges up out of the way to get past the seat to a side door etc.

A double seat is more sociable but in the lumpy stuff you need arm rests and a contoured swab and back of a single seat.

 

[Bandit]

http://www.scotboatseats.co.uk/ Look at these

Kab Seats, Ignore the pedestal base look at the seat perhaps you have the width for two ? http://www.marineseating.com/marine-seats/helm-chairs-t4/

I would give Thomas Scott Ltd a call at Marine Seating

I will find out the make of mine.

 

[PCUK]

As said, reduce the thickness of the seat by as much as is needed, have it widened as required and also refit the seat back lower down. Everything will still fold as it was meant to.

 

[andy59]

Looking at this again , if you have reduced the thickness by say 75mm then you could bring the hinge mechanism forward with spacers by the same amount , still maintaining the same space to walk through when folded down but effectively taking the seat 75mm closer to the helm position :encouragement:

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Looking at this again , if you have reduced the thickness by say 75mm then you could bring the hinge mechanism forward with spacers by the same amount , still maintaining the same space to walk through when folded down but effectively taking the seat 75mm closer to the helm position :encouragement:

Good idea. Praps I could at the same time increase the thickness of the fixed backrest to provide support with the seat base in a more forward position?

 

[andy59]

That would help as well but it's all dependant on how far short of wheel / throttles you are ?.

 

[Nick_H]

Outhill do a twin helm seat with flip up bolsters. You could fix the seat permanently at the right height and position, and flip up the bolsters to allow access to the side door. I think it could be made to look appropriately luxurious if re-covered in leather

http://www.outhill.com/products/twin-helm-seat-sbs27/#!prettyPhoto

edit: How often do you drive from the lower helm anyway? The last time I did was in 2011.

 

[Trundlebug]

Best starting point is to sit at the existing helm with a tape measure in hand.

Measure the gap between where you are and the things you want to reach comfortably - throttles, wheel, etc.

Make a note of all the measurements and it'll give you an idea of how much you need to move the seating position down, and forward.
From there, you can assess the possibilities.

 

[jfm]

Still cogitating on this one. What a difficult design. I'd want to change it so I can reach the nav screens without getting out of the chair, to marpa targets at night etc., but that is going to be tricky

 

[jrudge]

Can the wheel be mounted on a boss with a better angle. To me there seem 2 problems, firstly the seat and secondly the wheel angle that rather looks like something in a kids playground.

Looking at the picture the dash is high, which I suppose is what the seat is high, so lowering the seat my mean you cant see over the binnacle.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Still cogitating on this one. What a difficult design. I'd want to change it so I can reach the nav screens without getting out of the chair, to marpa targets at night etc., but that is going to be tricky

Yup that would be ideal but probably the best I could hope for would be to comfortably reach the throttles, the autopilot and the wipers, all of which are just in front of the wheel

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Can the wheel be mounted on a boss with a better angle. To me there seem 2 problems, firstly the seat and secondly the wheel angle that rather looks like something in a kids playground.

Looking at the picture the dash is high, which I suppose is what the seat is high, so lowering the seat my mean you cant see over the binnacle.

Yup you've probably hit on the problem there. With a fixed height seat like this, taller people like me are going to find it difficult to see below the top of the windscreen but shorter people are going to find it difficult to see over the top of the helm binnacle. Overall it really is a cr*p design

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

I like Nicks idea, which bring versatility and class.

I saw a Ferretti 68 in Genoa boat show (think it was 1999) and Ferretti had the hydraulic up and down option which at that time they showed us on a 72. I remember for me the 68 seemed an uncomfortable helm.

Gratz for the new to you 63. Lovely motor yacht.

 

[Bandit]

The wheel on my boat is vertical as incidentally are ships wheels.

My Mitchels 31's . my Halmatic 34 had vertical wheels, my Sunseeker 31 and my Fairline had angled wheels.

My Aquastar has a vertical wheel in the saloon which I use most and an angled wheel on the flybridge.

My steering is fairly light and about 3 turns from hard over to hard over.

Personally I prefer a vertical wheel.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Outhill do a twin helm seat with flip up bolsters. You could fix the seat permanently at the right height and position, and flip up the bolsters to allow access to the side door. I think it could be made to look appropriately luxurious if re-covered in leather

http://www.outhill.com/products/twin-helm-seat-sbs27/#!prettyPhoto

edit: How often do you drive from the lower helm anyway? The last time I did was in 2011.

Yup thats a good idea with the flip up bolsters. Actually being a wimp, outside June-Sept, I drive a lot of the time from the inside especially when I'm pootling at d speeds

 

[newWave]

Would it be possible to replace the seat base with a lower one and side supports, as suggested, and then mount it on a sliding mechanism? Even an up down system for a few inches might be possible, depending on how low you need to get.
This way it can be stored as before and still move people of various stature into the correct position with the least modification.
Servers are usually mounted on sliding tracks and can extend up to 3 feet and still hold a considerable weight and are only 1 inch high, so say 3 or 4 similar tracks should do the trick.
Obviously you should look for proper tracks, these just serve as an example that it could be done.

 

[Momac]

Looks like the seat may have been raised to suit the thickness of the wood floor?