R-21 EC Helm Seat Replacement Ideas??

[TugScout]

Hi Gang,

It was such a beautiful day yesterday I decided to take a leisurely cruise from Everett to Oak Harbor for lunch. At 6.5kts it's a bit over four hours each direction.

At some point during the trip it became painfully obvious that I'd like to replace either the R21 helm seat or my butt with something more comfortable. I'm guessing the helm seat would be the least expensive of the two options.

Has anybody upgraded or replaced their pilot seat on the R21? If so, was the original hardware used or is it better to start from scratch with a new seat post mounted into the deck which would entail re-configuring the door below the existing seat. Any help and/or direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[bob daily]

Mark
I envy you folks on that side of the state as we still have snow and expecting another snowfall the next few days, I have not replaced my seat but have come up with a solution that helps with long periods of time in the helm seat, the problem that I had was my legs were hanging, I found a small cooler that fit snuggle under the helm it holds water and beer! I freeze water bottles in the fridge and replace every 12 hrs during my long fishing trips. By keeping my feet on the cooler there was less stress on my back and my butt! Not sure if this will help answer your question but it's worth a try!
Good luck Bob

 

[Pilotnavigator]

If you are tall and have long arms like me you could do as I did. Remove the factory seat and all hardware. Buy a seat from any marine dealer that suits your needs. Mount that seat to a 3/8 inch piece of plywood adjusted to fit snuggly over the fridge.i hold it in place with a pin through the plywood that extends beyond the back of the seat and into the top of the cabinet. Seat does cover the fuel gauge, but the seat can be lifted a bit to see the fuel. The tach is in full few.
I put one foot on the passenger foot rest and the other on the edge of the berth. Works great and give me more room to stand at the helm when needed.

 

[TugScout]

Thanks Bob, I'm glad we're done with the snow around here, at least for now. I love the beauty of Eastern Washington, but do not envy your harsh winters at all. It sounds like your cooler idea is similar to what I'm doing now. I have a plastic milk crate that I use as a foot stool and reposition in different areas during the trip to take some of the pressure off my legs.

Pilot: I am a big guy at 6'2" and 230#. I hadn't considered using the top of the fridge as a base for a seat but it seems like a fine idea. I will do a little pre-checking on it while I'm at the boat this morning.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi-
I went the other way. A slightly more padded, but smaller seat from Overton. 99 bucks.
Original was 22" wide. New one is 14" wide. Works well.

 

[Todd Tugnut]

Hi
i can’t see your pics. Could you send a link? THANKS