Helm Seat Height...and other seat discussions

[SkunkBoat]

I'm playing out ways to improve my helm seat without spending $1000+
Has anyone raised the height of their helm seat?
I think its too low on my 265 express


View with current setup Pompanette type seat on 23" high pedestal base (2 -7/8" dia)

View with 6" of cushions added to raise me up

Butt height for 6' tall person would be like a leaning post. Feet on deck....half-sitting

Feet comfortably on footrest with 6" additional height.

23" from deck to top of post

A new taller 30" pedestal is $109
Slider and spider are trashed...need new. Best Todd slider/spider is $189 at West Marine
I could add some new foam to the cushions which are in OK shape.

 

[leeccoll]

I'm in airport transit right now BUT there was a post by a fellow member Holokai I believe a few months ago.
He added 6 or 9" (can't remember which) with a pedestal extension for whatever it's worth Skunk.

 

[Lite Tackle]

I'm in airport transit right now BUT there was a post by a fellow member Holokai I believe a few months ago.
He added 6 or 9" (can't remember which) with a pedestal extension for whatever it's worth Skunk.

Here’s the ones Holokai used. Can’t find his post.
https://www.arrigonidesign.com/pedestals/pedestal-extender/

 

[SkunkBoat]

Here’s the ones Holokai used. Can’t find his post.
https://www.arrigonidesign.com/pedestals/pedestal-extender/

That is the only vendor of a 2-7/8" dia extender I can find on the web. $60 plus shipping. Strange they have a form to FAX your order....WTF?...What the Fax????
That would be quick but then I'd have to worry about it spinning.

Leaning towards replacing the pedestal with 30" for $109 from West Marine.
Have to check out how easily I'll get the old one out. Access is good but generally 20 yr old boat hardware causes aggravation....strip screw heads....

 

[drbatts]

That is one of the things that drove me crazy with my 265, my eye level was perfect with the top of the windshield. I always thought about raising the helm seat however in the end just used the good old yellow page technique and sat on a cushion.

 

[g0tagrip]

I changed both of the helm seat bases on my Marlin to 12 inch. By the way huge improvement in visibility. Here is the link:
https://www.wholesalemarine.com/garelic ... ibbed.html

 

[jip40]

Here’s the ones Holokai used. Can’t find his post.
https://www.arrigonidesign.com/pedestals/pedestal-extender/

I used this one on my 330. The only issue I had was that the 6" rise made it too high & difficult to stand when I had the tilt helm tilted all the way up. I took 2" off the rise and it is now a perfect fit for me. Sitting I can see over the compass & pulpit and standing the seat hits me exactly like a leaning post. BTW I am 5' 8"

 

[DennisG01]

A cheap way to do this is to use wood to make a spacer under the seat between it and the slider.

That extender looks nice - I see there's a locking bolt to keep it from spinning, but does the extender fit tightly (no wobble)?

 

[jip40]

A cheap way to do this is to use wood to make a spacer under the seat between it and the slider.

That extender looks nice - I see there's a locking bolt to keep it from spinning, but does the extender fit tightly (no wobble)?

i have had the extender in place for about 6 months now & once the bolt was tightened down there has been no wobble at all

 

[seasick]

I used the pedestal extension mentioned on my boat. The part raises the seat 6 inches but I wanted a bit less so I cut it on a wood lathe using a hacksaw and then had to smooth out the lip of the cut. A lathe at a machine shop would be much better.The extender fits tightly and doesn't wobble at all.
here is the part https://www.arrigonidesign.com/pedestals/pedestal-extender/

 

[DennisG01]

That's good to hear it doesn't wobble - thanks. I'm putting this in my "mental tool box"!

 

[Holokai]

I got the info from seasick and Shane9052. Called Arrigoni and put in an order over the phone (no issues and they were fast in processing).

Shipping to Hawaii was expensive but it was easier and cheaper than modifying the pedestals. Put a bit of threadlocker on the bolt used as a set screw and no wobbling so far. There’s another guy on island with a 208 (not on this forum) and he’s been using the extenders for a few years without issue. He fishes rough water too and they’ve been holding up.

For shorter people (like me) you might want to consider making a standing platform for the driver about 6” high. Makes getting into the seat easier. Shane made one for his boat that you can see in the pics.

208 Adventure Custom steering for more room

Aloha, Just wanted to show some pics of my 208 Custom steering replacement. It opened up a lot of room also I added an Arrigone pedestal extension to see over the windshield. Aloha , Shane 2020 208 Adventure

www.greatgrady.com

I made one too and covered it with some leftover SeaDek helm pad.

 

[Fishtales]

Nice work. Did you do anything on the backside to mitigate noise and chafing?

 

[Holokai]

Nice work. Did you do anything on the backside to mitigate noise and chafing?

I had a bunch leftover scraps of surfboard/SUP traction padding that keep the wood from direct contact with the gelcoat. Could have used some type of rubber or neoprene with contact cement but I was fortunate enough to have scraps of traction pads with the adhesive backing. You can kind of see it on the right edge of the platform (purple strips).

 

[Holokai]

Found a better picture. Hope this helps.

 

[Summertop511]

Put the seat shock in under the seat. Adds atleast 2” and shock absorbing. 6” cushion squishes down to 2” anyways idk

http://new.attwoodmarine.com/

www.garelick.com

 

[Sdfish]

I just ordered the extender myself - cant wait to try it out! No more sitting on float cushions!

 

[Fishtales]

Found a better picture. Hope this helps. View attachment 10975

Very nice. I'm sure that works well.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Mounted a new Todd locking slider/swivel on my old seat. The old one was broken and bolted in the fwd position.
Its nice to be able to slide it back!!!!
I'm going to order one of those https://www.arrigonidesign.com/pedestals/pedestal-extender/ to get some more height.

 

[Holokai]

Mounted a new Todd locking slider/swivel on my old seat. The old one was broken and bolted in the fwd position.
Its nice to be able to slide it back!!!!
I'm going to order one of those https://www.arrigonidesign.com/pedestals/pedestal-extender/ to get some more height.

View attachment 12377

If you’re 5’8 or shorter you might want to consider making a standing platform at the helm. It helps with sight lines and it makes getting into the chairs easier after adding the pedestal extenders. You can also move your footrest up two holes so it’s still useable with the higher seat.

I added a 55 qt cooler for drinks/food between the seats and cut the standing platform to keep it in place.