Advice/ideas re: tiller seating for big fellas

[tucker99]

I have the same boat. I don't think removing or modifying the seats is an option. Mirrocraft has always prided itself in it's self-float boats and it's because the seats are foamed. I would cover the holes in that forward seat with aluminum tape or similar. The flotation will absorb rain water over time and it adds a lot of weight to the boat. If you want a seat that will hold your big-behind, you can't go wrong with a millennium. I have 1 in the stern stb side and I have another on the second seat, port side. The wife and I balance it out fine. I'm 215 and she is about 160. I also have the gas tank port aft, and the battery in front of the bow seat. I don't think having seats that aren't attached to the boat is good idea. Other than live with it or loose weight, I don't see many options. That Honda is certainly no skinny-girl either.

I looked at mine and moving the seats forward is very feasible. I had mine out this past Spring to replace the seat mounts which are marine plywood. The angle for the benches is simply riveted to the hull. I don't see why you couldn't move it. But moving it would create cramped stowage in the main compartment.

 

[Shaugh]

That type of chair can be had for similar money... disposable is part of the idea... a much better choice than spending hundreds on a "boat seat" that falls apart in a year....imo...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ergonomic-Swivel-Mid-back-Computer-Office-Desk-Mesh-Chair-Heavy-Duty-Metal-Base/193597978397?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225086%26meid%3Dc968fa3d06c94aaabfa245511a360f0c%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D333713331300%26itm%3D193597978397%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithBBEV2bDemotion&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

On one of my boats from a few years back I used a couple old Herman Miller chairs that were laying around at work... They cost about $500 each new... Just rehabbed them and put a coat of paint to match the boat. When traveling I just bungeed them together over the middle seat:

 

[mattNYtrout]

I have the same boat. I don't think removing or modifying the seats is an option. Mirrocraft has always prided itself in it's self-float boats and it's because the seats are foamed. I would cover the holes in that forward seat with aluminum tape or similar. The flotation will absorb rain water over time and it adds a lot of weight to the boat. If you want a seat that will hold your big-behind, you can't go wrong with a millennium. I have 1 in the stern stb side and I have another on the second seat, port side. The wife and I balance it out fine. I'm 215 and she is about 160. I also have the gas tank port aft, and the battery in front of the bow seat. I don't think having seats that aren't attached to the boat is good idea. Other than live with it or loose weight, I don't see many options. That Honda is certainly no skinny-girl either.

I looked at mine and moving the seats forward is very feasible. I had mine out this past Spring to replace the seat mounts which are marine plywood. The angle for the benches is simply riveted to the hull. I don't see why you couldn't move it. But moving it would create cramped stowage in the main compartment.

Really appreciate your insights! Yeah, the more I dwell on it the less inclined I am to remove the benches. The roled are they play as structural components and floatation
are too critical.

 

[mattNYtrout]

I have the same boat. I don't think removing or modifying the seats is an option. Mirrocraft has always prided itself in it's self-float boats and it's because the seats are foamed. I would cover the holes in that forward seat with aluminum tape or similar. The flotation will absorb rain water over time and it adds a lot of weight to the boat. If you want a seat that will hold your big-behind, you can't go wrong with a millennium. I have 1 in the stern stb side and I have another on the second seat, port side. The wife and I balance it out fine. I'm 215 and she is about 160. I also have the gas tank port aft, and the battery in front of the bow seat. I don't think having seats that aren't attached to the boat is good idea. Other than live with it or loose weight, I don't see many options. That Honda is certainly no skinny-girl either.

I looked at mine and moving the seats forward is very feasible. I had mine out this past Spring to replace the seat mounts which are marine plywood. The angle for the benches is simply riveted to the hull. I don't see why you couldn't move it. But moving it would create cramped stowage in the main compartment.

Really appreciate your insights! Yeah, the more I dwell on it the less inclined I am to remove the benches. The roled are they play as structural components and floatation
are too critical.

That rig looks sharp! Thanks for the input

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Best thing to do is rip out all of the seats and install a floor..

I have done two this way (Currently 310lbs) and it gives you the best of everything. Room, comfort, balance...

My pedestal seat in the rear is about 1' forward of where the original bench was and I built a deck in the bow to house the battery and trolling motor.

The battery box is enclosed in 2 part foam with the deck being a 40"x40" triangle and the flotation goes under the floor. The trolling motor is on the bow with a wired foot pedal so I can run the main motor and the trolling motor from my seat.

Im also near perfectly balanced trim wise with the wife in the front seat or solo without trimming the motor.

I haven't given much consideration to decking the boat as I wanted to keep the weight down. Your setup sounds awesome! Any pics??

Would it be feasible to take out just the rear bench, and add a small floor just to mount a pedestal seat to?

Yeah, you could do that.

But, once you start and realize how much more versitale the boat is with a floor youre going to want to do the whole thing.


Due to the cost of wood right now my project is on hold, but this is where Im at and it is temporary.

The floor will be completed with a center hatch running down the middle and rod lockers on the sides spanning 8' or so.

This is where I stopped working on it in the middle of last year so we could get out and shake down any issues. So far everything worked out well save for me wanting more room between me and the motor and having a small dedicated pedestal for the foot control.

 

[DaleH]

One doesn’t necessarily need a full width floor ... even a 3’ or less ‘walk way’ gives you a flat floor for ease of moving around, or for mounting things too. But it improves stability as it keeps your weight low, plus adds less weight.

In my tins I only add enough floor width to allow safe & easy passage fore to aft.

But again, my use is significantly different than the small pond/flatwater guys, or the majority of tin boaters here, as I boat in saltwater tidal rivers where I navigate rips, currents to 5mph, wind chop & large boat wakes. So weight (less), initial stability (low center of gravity), and the best power-to-weight ratio (less weight added to hull) that I can maintain are BIG factors for me.

 

[gogittum]

30 years ago, I lived for some years in a town on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in WA. The local guys all had what they called a "mooching" boat, basically for jigging for Salmon. Standard was an old, beat up ~15 ft fiberglass runabout with the windshield removed, the interior gutted and a back seat installed. Typically, a 35 hp tiller outboard for power and they'd run it from the left rear corner.

Some of those guys were pretty good sized and the boats would squat at idle with that rear corner barely out of the water. When a wake came along, they'd get a wet butt. When they were running in a chop, the things would pound mercilessly - no weight up front. No matter with any of it - that's the way things were done, by gaw, that's the way my daddy did it and that's the way it's a-gonna be.

I got a vg deal on a 13 ft plywood skiff with a 20 hp Mercury tiller motor and grabbed it. (it turned out to be a real little hot rod - had to be careful at speed) I'm a lean 170# and very fit, but that rear corner sat low anyway, with such a small boat. I wasn't a "local boy," and love to tinker and find "better ways" to do things. The mooching boats, to my eye, were a joke, with several problems just waiting to happen. Gotta be a better way.

To make a long story a bit shorter.....I took a 1x10 Doug Fir board and clamped it lengthwise between rear and center/front seat. Mounted a standard plastic swivel seat on a square of 3/4" plywood....oh..??...about 12" x 20", give or take. I screwed a 1x2 board on each side of the 12" side to give a channel of about 12x16. Then I set the seat/plywood base on the lengthwise 1x10 and bolted the 12x20 underneath with a fender washer under the seat portion at each bolt, to give clearance for it to slide. Ummm........let's see what I can do in Paint....




I hope that helps. What it let me do was slide that seat back and forth till I liked the balance and could move it sideways a bit. If I needed more, loosen the clamps on the 1x10 and move it where-ever and at what angle desired. I made a tiller extension out of PVC and had at it. Worked beautifully and I had a lot of fun in that little boat.

 

[mattNYtrout]

Best thing to do is rip out all of the seats and install a floor..

I have done two this way (Currently 310lbs) and it gives you the best of everything. Room, comfort, balance...

My pedestal seat in the rear is about 1' forward of where the original bench was and I built a deck in the bow to house the battery and trolling motor.

The battery box is enclosed in 2 part foam with the deck being a 40"x40" triangle and the flotation goes under the floor. The trolling motor is on the bow with a wired foot pedal so I can run the main motor and the trolling motor from my seat.

Im also near perfectly balanced trim wise with the wife in the front seat or solo without trimming the motor.

I haven't given much consideration to decking the boat as I wanted to keep the weight down. Your setup sounds awesome! Any pics??

Would it be feasible to take out just the rear bench, and add a small floor just to mount a pedestal seat to?

Yeah, you could do that.

But, once you start and realize how much more versitale the boat is with a floor youre going to want to do the whole thing.


Due to the cost of wood right now my project is on hold, but this is where Im at and it is temporary.

The floor will be completed with a center hatch running down the middle and rod lockers on the sides spanning 8' or so.

This is where I stopped working on it in the middle of last year so we could get out and shake down any issues. So far everything worked out well save for me wanting more room between me and the motor and having a small dedicated pedestal for the foot control.


IMG_0626[1].JPGIMG_0625[1].JPGIMG_0624[1].JPGIMG_0623[1].JPG

Thanks for sharing those pics and ideas. I now understand why people prefer the open setup v. 3 benches

 

[mattNYtrout]

One doesn’t necessarily need a full width floor ... even a 3’ or less ‘walk way’ gives you a flat floor for ease of moving around, or for mounting things too. But it improves stability as it keeps your weight low, plus adds less weight.

In my tins I only add enough floor width to allow safe & easy passage fore to aft.

But again, my use is significantly different than the small pond/flatwater guys, or the majority of tin boaters here, as I boat in saltwater tidal rivers where I navigate rips, currents to 5mph, wind chop & large boat wakes. So weight (less), initial stability (low center of gravity), and the best power-to-weight ratio (less weight added to hull) that I can maintain are BIG factors for me.

Appreciate your insight and how you've drawn comparisons to your specific circumstances and specific needs.

Youre partial floor comment got me thinking of building a narrow slat/plank type floor in the very center of the boat. Maybe use some composite and add non-skidd patches

 

[mattNYtrout]

30 years ago, I lived for some years in a town on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in WA. The local guys all had what they called a "mooching" boat, basically for jigging for Salmon. Standard was an old, beat up ~15 ft fiberglass runabout with the windshield removed, the interior gutted and a back seat installed. Typically, a 35 hp tiller outboard for power and they'd run it from the left rear corner.

Some of those guys were pretty good sized and the boats would squat at idle with that rear corner barely out of the water. When a wake came along, they'd get a wet butt. When they were running in a chop, the things would pound mercilessly - no weight up front. No matter with any of it - that's the way things were done, by gaw, that's the way my daddy did it and that's the way it's a-gonna be.

I got a vg deal on a 13 ft plywood skiff with a 20 hp Mercury tiller motor and grabbed it. (it turned out to be a real little hot rod - had to be careful at speed) I'm a lean 170# and very fit, but that rear corner sat low anyway, with such a small boat. I wasn't a "local boy," and love to tinker and find "better ways" to do things. The mooching boats, to my eye, were a joke, with several problems just waiting to happen. Gotta be a better way.

To make a long story a bit shorter.....I took a 1x10 Doug Fir board and clamped it lengthwise between rear and center/front seat. Mounted a standard plastic swivel seat on a square of 3/4" plywood....oh..??...about 12" x 20", give or take. I screwed a 1x2 board on each side of the 12" side to give a channel of about 12x16. Then I set the seat/plywood base on the lengthwise 1x10 and bolted the 12x20 underneath with a fender washer under the seat portion at each bolt, to give clearance for it to slide. Ummm........let's see what I can do in Paint....


Boat Seat.jpg

I hope that helps. What it let me do was slide that seat back and forth till I liked the balance and could move it sideways a bit. If I needed more, loosen the clamps on the 1x10 and move it where-ever and at what angle desired. I made a tiller extension out of PVC and had at it. Worked beautifully and I had a lot of fun in that little boat.

That's a cool idea thank you so much for the construction info and drawing. I may be able to incorporate some of this

 

[RaisedByWolves]

I haven't given much consideration to decking the boat as I wanted to keep the weight down. Your setup sounds awesome! Any pics??

Would it be feasible to take out just the rear bench, and add a small floor just to mount a pedestal seat to?

Yeah, you could do that.

But, once you start and realize how much more versitale the boat is with a floor youre going to want to do the whole thing.


Due to the cost of wood right now my project is on hold, but this is where Im at and it is temporary.

The floor will be completed with a center hatch running down the middle and rod lockers on the sides spanning 8' or so.

This is where I stopped working on it in the middle of last year so we could get out and shake down any issues. So far everything worked out well save for me wanting more room between me and the motor and having a small dedicated pedestal for the foot control.


IMG_0626[1].JPGIMG_0625[1].JPGIMG_0624[1].JPGIMG_0623[1].JPG

Thanks for sharing those pics and ideas. I now understand why people prefer the open setup v. 3 benches

I only just now realized I didnt include a pic of the deck or battery box I installed.


Sorry its a bit messy, but you can easily see how it makes for a more versatile boat overall.

The battery box is encased in two part foam to hold it in place and make for a floor under the deck for storage. Its poured in place and trimmed flat/level then carpeted over.

The deck is 3/4" plywood with a 1.5x1.5 edge for support. It is all screwed and glued and encapsulated in epoxy. I can literally stand on the rear most edge with no flexing.

 

[mattNYtrout]

Thanks for including additional photos. I like the battery compartment