Clamp style seat bases?

[Bantou]

Have any of you guys had success with the clamp style bases? The reviews online seem to be about 50/50 either amazing or will dump you overboard.

I’d like to have something that I can add or remove fairly easily depending on what we are doing. My other thought is to just mount the bases to a couple of 2x4s or a piece of 3/4” plywood and ratchet strap them to the benches. It would look redneck as all get out (and match the motif of the boat), but it would probably work.

 

[flatheadsteve]

Have any of you guys had success with the clamp style bases? The reviews online seem to be about 50/50 either amazing or will dump you overboard.

I’d like to have something that I can add or remove fairly easily depending on what we are doing. My other thought is to just mount the bases to a couple of 2x4s or a piece of 3/4” plywood and ratchet strap them to the benches. It would look redneck as all get out (and match the motif of the boat), but it would probably work.

I tried some years ago on a little 12 ft alumacraft hull and did not like them. They would slip and loosen and before you knew it you would go to lean back and it would fall off. That was when I learned about riv nuts and then used those to secure the base to the boat bench.

 

[Bantou]

I think I’ll go with the plywood idea and secure the wood to the benches with some counter sunk self tappers for now. The benches are going to get turned into live wells and storage when I get around to putting a floor in it. Having pre-cut tops for them just gets me one step closer to the eventual goal. I’ll probably use 1/2” instead of 3/4 ply though. Save a little weight and cost.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

I tried some years ago on a little 12 ft alumacraft hull and did not like them. They would slip and loosen and before you knew it you would go to lean back and it would fall off. That was when I learned about riv nuts and then used those to secure the base to the boat bench.

My experience has been the same. I ratchet strapped the bottom but they still slipped over time.

 

[overboard]

I took my screenname thanks to a clamp on seat, YES, they will dump you OVERBOAD!
If you decide to use one, make sure to secure it to the bench with some type of bracket/brackets so that it can't shift, I had a secured one on a boat for years and never had a problem, the one that dumped me overboard was on a friend's boat and wasn't secured, it is now!

 

[Ray Clark]

LIL...

My boat had clamp on seat bases when I bought it. Those bases have been banned on my boat since my first fishing outing with them. They seemed solid until my fishing buddy went to retrieve the anchor. When he started pulling on that anchor, the clamp on the seat gave way and he almost went overboard. The seat clamps were uninstalled the next day. Never again.