Bench Seat Ideas

[c.dunwoody1234]

Hello!
I’m new to the forum! I’ve just started working on my first boat, it’s a 14’ aluminum boat and I have a 8hp Mercury outboard for it. I just applied the first coat of durabak to the interior. I would like to put some kind of material on top of the aluminum bench seats to improve the comfort/ look. I’ve been considering just bolting down some marine grade plywood coated with sparr varnish, or 10” lumber.
I’m mostly concerned about potential corrosion of the aluminum underneath the wood, I’ve heard that poultice corrosion could potentially occur with wooden seat covers.
I’m open to any input and ideas, thanks!

 

[c.dunwoody1234]

Here is an image of the boat so far.

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

Why don't you get a couple clamp on bases and put folding seats on them. Makes a day on the water so much better. My bases I picked up at bass pro, came with little angle iron brackets to keep them from slipping.

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[c.dunwoody1234]

I appreciate that and may do that for a seat or two, but I am still interested in covering the bare aluminum seat with something for aesthetics. I’m just trying to figure out the proper way to do that.

 

[Colorado1135]

I've seen vinyl cushions made for coolers that have built in snaps on them. They are pretty reasonable and come with the hardware to affix them to the coolers. I would imagine you could find something like that pretty easily. Remove them when you're not using it and they will stay like new for years. Just an idea.
If you want to go the wood route then just put a little buffer between the two surfaces perhaps.

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

I would imagine if you coated the wood with spar urethane or epoxy that corrosion shouldn't be an issue.

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[Weldorthemagnificent]

I made these seats from 1x12 rough pine and ran them through a planer, sand and 3 coats of spar urethane with a light 200gr sand between coats. They held up well. I think how you store a boat is as important as how the wood is protected.

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[DaleH]

FWIW Lund and others use MDO for their seat and bench tops and as long as the edges are properly sealed, that's pretty bullet proof! I painted mine with white Rust-Oleum to reflect heat and give them some additional weather protection, and they wore great and held up well - looked good too.

 

[Zlakin]

I have done a DIY project about building a bench seat for my boat. I used wooden material which can give my boat a more rustic and natural elegance. Besides that, You should apply a waterproof coating on the wooden bench seat to improve its durability. I recommend a removable seat cushion instead of one mounted permanently to the bench. It is more efficient to clean and offers more versatility if you want to use the seat for another purpose.

 

[airshot]

Years back I had a 14' tinny with those metal tank seats. Hot and uncomfortable they were, so .....I wanted something more comfy but couldnt decide where to mount them. Then the light went on....used some 3/4" plywood and made a U shaped base that slide over the tank seat, added a couple of hand screws to lock them in position. Then attached my comfy swivel seat to the U shaped base. Now I could slide the seats from one side to the other or anywhere in between !! No het seats from the sun as the backs folded down to shade the seats....my back loved me for making them !!!!

 

[cyclops2]

I just use use those big throwable flat USCG seat cushions. White is very cool

 

[Zlakin]

I have done a DIY project about building a bench seat for my boat. I used wooden material which can give my boat a more rustic and natural elegance. Besides that, You should apply a waterproof coating on the wooden bench seat to improve its durability. I recommend a removable seat cushion instead of one mounted permanently to the bench. It is more efficient to clean and offers more versatility if you want to use the seat for another purpose.

Pro Tip: Install all mounting hardware onto the wood panels to facilitate hassle-free mounting on your boat.

 

[thill]

My boat started out just like yours, empty with 3 bunks, but I've been adding carpet and upgrades. Personally, I'm not fond of adding seats to bunks. I like the center of balance low when running at speed. I had clamp ons in my first jon, and when I hit wakes, the clamp jumped off, and it was not great. I ended up taking them off and went a different route.

I added 5/8" plywood decks in the front and back with carpet. I was going to do something similar for my slippery/hot middle bunk, but I ended up just putting carpet directly over the aluminum. MUCH more comfortable to sit on:




For my driver's seat area, I put a snap on a throw cushion handle and a snap below the seating spot, and I snap it in place as a cushion, and it works great and doesn't blow away.



Sorry about the grungy carpet in the pic, My nephews had muddy feet. It comes right out of marine carpet, though. Not sure if you want carpet in your boat, but it greatly adds to the comfort level. Either way, adding snap-in cushions adds a lot of comfort.