Thread subject: Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos :: Katama helm platform
Posted by escapeartist on 06/25/11 - 11:42 AM
#1
Well, thanks to the heads up by Tom Clark I was able to score this, which was missing, for my Katama. The seller was a super nice guy, and actually was coming down to the Cape and dropped it off. Now I need to find the "toboggan" style seat with cushion that sits on top. This really helps get me one step, in the line of many, closer, as I feel this would be a difficult part to find.
Found some original metal 12 gal tanks with built in handle that I've been thinking of picking up. Can't decide between the metal and plastic gas tanks.
Still grinding away on the non skid.
Posted by Tom W Clark on 06/30/11 - 4:43 PM
#2
David -- I'm glad the sat platform came through.
The helm seat is not the same thing as the "Toboggan" cushion.
The Toboggan cushion is simply a thin flat cushion that fills the flat area behind the helm seat on the aft half of the platform. The original was about 1" thick and held to the platform with 8 snaps (the platform should show evidence of where these snap studs were).
The Helm Seat itself was a Pompanette product. It is still available today for an outrageous price:
http://www.pompanette.com/pompweb.nsf...enDocument
The original upholstery material was a smooth white vinyl, not the heat sealed pleated material Pompanette uses today.
The irony is that the helm seat is very simple. It is two pieces of plywood that are upholstered with foam and vinyl and they are held together by the bent anodized aluminum bars. If you had those bars, you could easily have a local shop make the rest of the seat.
Posted by Tom W Clark on 07/02/11 - 9:34 AM
#3
Correction: The Toboggan cushion behind the helm seat is secured with only four snaps (in each corner) not eight.
Posted by Tom W Clark on 07/03/11 - 9:06 AM
#4
A few more details on the original helm seat of a Katama:
The bottom cushion is 3-1/2" foam on 3/4" plywood.
The back cushion is 3-1/2" foam on 1/2" plywood.
Both pieces of plywood are 37" long, the seat bottom is 14-1/4" wide, the seat back 10" wide.
Both pieces of plywood have a 3" radius on the front/top corners and a 1" radius on the inside/bottom corners.
The aluminum bars that connect the sat cushion are 1/2" x 2" bar. The edges are fully rounded and then the bars are clear anodized. The bend in them is 90 degrees with a 3" inside radius. They are spaced 22" apart, on-center (24" out-to-out).
The whole seat site on two blocks of wood, which are painted white. These block are 1-5/8" x 1-5/8" and appear to made of softwood like Pine or Fir. The whole assembly is then through bolted to the helm platform with four bolts.
With this information, it would not be too difficult to make one locally.