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Opinions?
I'm about to replicate the elusive folding stern seat for my 22 Outrage. I have no experience with the starboard product, would this make a good seat bottom or should I stick to wood and fiberglass?
Also, is there a source for the folding legs, or must I fabricate?
Thanks in advance.
Mike

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Mike,

I believe Sue at Twin Cities can get some of the parts.

I assume you read this article on the Fold Down Stern Seat.
http://www.whalercentral.com/readarti...icle_id=50

There is also a drawing and a parts list for this seat in the downloads section.
http://www.whalercentral.com/download...p?cat_id=6
It is hard to tell from the drawing if the part # for the legs is:
72-7219-00 or 12-7219-00
It looks closer to the 12-number though.

I just haven't had anytime to start working on that project yet.
I would think starboard would work just fine. There is a member here that has used it for his stern seat. Maybe he will let us know how it is working out if he reads this.

Keep us informed on what you find out and what the final project looks like.

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Mike,

I am building my own right now (look for a published article in the future). I am not going about it the same way as whaler did but, it will be the same except I will use coolers under the seat bottom instead of legs. If you need the legs I know where there is a pair of them for sale.

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Guys,

I will be looking forward to your progress. I would really like to have the option of additional casual seating on the boat.

Doug

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Jeff and others,

Below is a photo of Brian's Revenge 22' that Rob helped him redo his Fold Down Stern Seat.
They replaced the bottom seat part with starboard material and used coolers instead of the folding legs.

Looks like a great idea and gives more storage in the coolers for whatever.

[img]http://www.whalercentral.com/forum/attachments/sternseat8.jpg[/img]

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Thanks Guys,
Starboard it is. I will do some thinking about the coolers.

Jeff, Please lead the way to the folding legs.
Thanks Mike

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Without the folding legs and using coolers instead, it is not a folding stern seat anymore. Well, I guess you can still fold it down, but then you got to find someplace to put the coolers. John

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mikejana,

I have a pair of legs that I am going to use on my seat... I have almost all the parts, I just don't have the time to put everything together.

As I mentioned above and I listed the part numbers for the legs, you should be able contact Sue at Twin Cities Marine and see what she can come up with.

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So here is where I stand on the project so far. I ended up having two pieces of 3/4" CDX (marine grade) plywood laminated together in a lamination press. Then I had the seat CNC cut out from a file. I am planning on filling and epoxying the seat then finishing it with gel coat.

With it cut out I did a little test fitting and found that I could push the seat back a good ways however, by doing that I was going to have to find a new way of mounted it other than the standard stainless bar that goes from gunwale to gunwale because it would interfere with the motor under full up tilt. Also if I could get rid of the cross bar I could remove the seat and have an open unobstructed transom again.

So I set out of Theft (West) Marine and found a set of Perko table brackets. These are meant to be mounted to the underside of the tables edge. Once the table is dropped into place and propped up there are detents in the hook that engage and lock into the hook block thus providing a positive support on the tables edge. I figured I could use them only by turning them 90 degrees they would act as a great seat back support. Now I am still up in the air about how to lock them in place. For my testing I have been leaving the seat back hooks loose and once they are in the hook block tightening the screws thus pulling the hooks tight and engaging the dentents. Then of course you have to loosen the seat back hook to get it out of the hook block. This works OK however, I am thinking about drilling out the detents so the seat back hook can slide into the hook block with out loosening the screws and then using screws that go through the hook and hook block where the detents are to lock them together.

In the end what is nice about the Perko table latches is once the seat back is removed you are left with an open transom and you do not have that support bar running across the transom.

As for the hinges, well I bought the hinges from Defender's Warehouse for $13 per and they are made of stainless and not chromed brass ones from Perko. They are made by Suncor and here is the listing.

The coolers came from Costco for $19 a piece and I am working on figuring out a system for locking them in place under the seat.

I will post updates as I make progress.
Seat up
[img]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/upfront.jpg[/img]

[IMG]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/up.jpg[/IMG]

Cooler removed
[IMG]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/upcoolerout.jpg[/IMG]

Detail across seat back
[IMG]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/acrossback.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/upback.jpg[/IMG]

Detail of the Hook and Hook Block
[IMG]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/updetail.jpg[/IMG]

Detail of the seat disengaged from the hook block
[IMG]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/Offdetail.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/DownandOff.jpg[/IMG]

Detail of the Hook Block..This is all that is left with the seat out
[IMG]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/hookblock.jpg[/IMG]

Coolers out seat bottom down
[IMG]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/Stern_Seat/Upanddown.jpg[/IMG]

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Jeff,
Thanks for the excellent job on the seat article. This stuff really makes a difference. Nice detail.

Mike

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Jeff,

A few questions...

1. What size cooler?
2. Are the coolers Igloo Marine?
3. Are the Hatch Hinges sold in pairs or is the $13 the price for ONE hinge, not a pair?

I like the idea of the completely removable seat back and seat....
Great work...

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Yes the hinges were $13 per so $26 Total.

And the coolers are the igloo marine 36 quart.

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I looked on Igloo's site.

Here are the dimensions for the 36 qt. and the 48 qt.

36 qt.
L= 24 1/4
W= 13 1/2
H= 13

48 qt.
L= 25 3/4
W= 14 5/8
H = 14 1/2

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Another fine example of Jeff's design & craftsmanship skills....Very Nice!!!

Pat Henahan

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Great work Jeff. I thought of making a folding bench seat in my boat, but ended up with this instead:

2by4benchseat

Here it is on my boat:

benchseat

I like the seat because it carries in and out of the boat easily. I gorilla-glued some Walmart rubber matting on the bottom of the legs, and the bench does not move while underway.

Your mod is just a tad more elegant B)B)B)

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So I finished the seat tonight.....Well sort of. I was installing the rear lip section of mahogany and I over tightened the screw and cracked the board nearly the entire length. I was able to cut a couple pieces off to act as the rear stops for the coolers and mounts for the hinges. So I am going to head back to the lumber yard to get another piece of wood and remake the rear lip. Oh well.

Over all I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I filled all the voids in the CDX plywood with bondo sanded and then sprayed 8 coats on minwax polyshades (stain and urethane all in one) over it. Then I finished it with 6 coats of Gloss Spar Urethane. You can see in the images the front and rear lips keep the coolers in place and keeps them from sliding forward and back while the others help out in the side to side.

I will post more pictures when I actually finish it right.....

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storage and seating! Great job, Jeff!

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That folding seat is such a great idea. Hope I get around to making one too.