New custom seat from Release Marine

[BOBMX]

I've been working with Release Marine for the past few months on a design for a B31 custom seat and wanted to pass on the results. It's a double helm that measures a total of 45" with each seat measuring 18 1/2" wide. I had the seat board tapered in at the middle and the center rest over lap the board to create more of an individual seat look as well as going with individual ladder backs. The seat has fore and aft individual sliders that function simultaneously by lifting both levers. Ive measured several B31 bridges and there is between 62" and 63" inches between the inside walls at the back part of the bridge ring. You can center the captains seat on the helm with the outside edge of the left arm rest only encroaching on the back of the ring by an inch or two where it begins to slope down. I am also going to cheat my helm pod over by 1" to 1 1/2" which will be unnoticeable and keep the seat completely inside the ring. Either way its no big deal. Release Marine is great to work with on custom stuff. I can provide the info for my contact there if anyone wants to talk to them.

[Harry Babb]

Beautiful Workmanship......


hb

[John F.]

Looks great. Very impressive. Please post pics. once its mounted on your B31

[bob lico]

To the best of my knowledge i establish this seating concept 5 years age "just like a movie house arrangement with one arm between two seats"two full size chairs in 45" .-------- what gives?

[BOBMX]

2ea. 18 1/2" seat bottoms; 2ea. 2/1/2" outside arm rests; and 1ea. 3" center rest= 45". Bob, your concept but connected. I'm going to abort the swing out foot boards , space too tight, and configure a fold down style like on the Stidd and add a connecting bar to put both slides on 1 pull.

[bob lico]

good idea . i eliminated the two pedestals and mounted both chairs on platform so i could make both chairs able to slide forward and back with four stage adjustable shock absorbers.most important made a perfect cavity to place ditch bag .where you would want it right under your feet.

[Dug]

Release marine is a great company run by really fantastic people. Beautiful seats!!!

[Pete Fallon]

BoBMX,
Make sure you add a good sized backing plate under the floor of the fly bridge, that area isn't the thickest FRP laminate, either an aluminum plate or epoxied plywood to spread out the load. Nice looking design, Release makes quality items.
Pete Fallon

[PeterPalmieri]

Beautiful! Looks like your just putting the finishing touches on an already awesome boat.

[BOBMX]

Thanks. Will do on the backing plates. Peter, I don't know about the "finishing touches", the more I touch it the farther from finished I get!

[PeterPalmieri]

This seating is the Bentley version of what I called the Lico seating system. You started with a good base, new Yanmars, cabrera decks and boxes. a nice SF interior and exterior paint job. I'm sure plenty more, you are well ahead of the game! Take some time to enjoy her, still anxious to see your fiberglass window frames!

[BOBMX]

I'll try to negotiate a commission for Bob Lico on each seat sold since it was completely based on his original design! I'll have window frame pics this week and will post them in between my travels.

[BOBMX]

I did figure out that the foot boards stand 13" off the pipes and I have 16" in between both pipes. By raising one board a couple inches above the other I can swing them both inside between the pipes to get them out of the way instead of adding the fold down rests which would be a pain.

[bob lico]

I put so many hours into this bridge seating mainly due to the fact the seating had to interface with other devices. I had to first make the chairs to fit in 45" space but more important consideration was space for ditch bag and support for the rocket launcher .i use a ladder back frame under the bench then fish plated all four legs of bench underneath with 1/2" aluminum stock the rocket launcher is welded to port side radar arch wraps around bench then is welded to the up rights of bench support so I am using the bench actually to give rigid support to rocket launcher . Normally I place penn. 80 in there for " way back" needless to one hell of a strain on that bench support so pedestals was out of question.the only alternative is take rocket launcher all the way across to starboard radar arch then you would have to step over to get on bridge.i can get the release chairs and the Todd set up for free I wanted the suspension system under chairs.i was hopping a lot of other FBC would use all this research to set there up but this is the first time anybody has went this route.

[bob lico]

I found this procedure the only way to anchor that rocket launcher and put tremendous strain on it due to the leverage of a 6' rod being hit by A big eye and the time involve getting rod out and down into cockpit.

[BOBMX]

I went with pedestals to get good foot rests that you can either fold up or swing away to run while standing. I am also adding a hard top with a full across double pipe rocket launcher seat that will tie into the back legs of the top so the holders will be able will handle the load. I did away with the motor box ladder so you will enter the bridge from either side via back leg bridge ladders with a couple tulips on each leg for clearing the cockpit when a fish is on.

[bob lico]

I like that Lay out actually similar to the 510 Bertram I pilot with tuna tower whereby you climb to bridge by way of leg braces on port side. My chairs were design as sit down with feet on bridge floor,very coftable to lean back ( like a corvette) and pilot the boat with one drawback on auto pilot you tend to dose off after long day at sea.i believe this is what you have in mind.

[BOBMX]

Somewhat but more along the lines of this except i'm going to bring the ladder legs all the way down and roll them out a bit toward the sides of the house so you can climb up and step in from either side. I dont like the way the boat in this pic was done as there were two steps that went from the backs of the legs to the back of the house, you can see one in the pic. It was fine going up but you had to fish for the step coming down. Would be dangerous in a rough sea. I'm going to take the ladder legs all the way up to the hardtop so you have access to the top but you wont have to fish blind for a step going down.

[bob lico]

You have a good eye or a bad experience . This Bertram 51 has a pipes welders tower you would think they would take the fact that you mention " search for platform on the way down" into account .yes it is downright dangerous in the ocean even in moderate seas.i would love to see a photo with your solution.you have my respect ,engineering even in a better seating tower arrangement fascinates me "built a better mousetrap"---------why not!thanks for posting!

[PeterPalmieri]

Bob (MX)

My boat came by default with a half tower. The stantions just clear the brow of the bridge and end on the gunnel, so I do not have a ladder. My plan is to remove the original rail and have rod holders added side to side as you say. Then I will enter the bridge from the side, it works out that you have to step over the back edge of the curved piece of the bridge, no big deal. I mention this because there are a couple things I will do or have done that I didn't realize until using it.

First if you put a surrond canvas you need to leave enough space to get through easily but enough so your passenger stays dry. Naturally you'll want something to grab onto with your right hand if the boat is pitching as you come off the ladder onto the bridge. The brow on the side of the boat can be slick I will want to add some nonskid. If you make the crossbars for the rod holders high enough you can grab on with both hands, swing under it to get your rear on the brow and pop down onto the engine box. A quick decent when you need to get down quick or it's really rough and you don't want to hang off the side. Finally I have large rectangular 4" cushions on the engine boxes. I wish I left a notch out of it in the back right corner so that I didn't step on the cushion every time I get up and down (the fixed space outboard the part of the box that lifts). I also would like to add one of those small fold up step like this

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/p ... SHOP_72311

on the side panel to avoid the big step up to the engine box, I'm fairly young and it's not to bad but others have trouble.

You're doing everything I can't afford too, keep it going! I'm enjoying this...

[BOBMX]

Peter, for sure on the non skid and the glass. We should be able to come back far enough to provide protection while leaving entry space to board without a problem. As for the the grab rail the plan is to get the back leg ladders rolled around to the proper angle and front v-brace on 1st then figure the mid braces and hand rails based on an easy entry and exit. I'm hoping to have the frame ready to set within a couple weeks. Like the steps, used something similar on a transom before.

[PeterPalmieri]

I know Bob Lico uses a small plastic step stool, to make the jump from cockpit to engine box. When we're just family cruising we keep a large 2 step boarding step in the cockpit, also makes on and off at a dock easy, a small yeti with a seadek pad also works. But outside of that, while fishing by the end of the day getting that foot up on the box gets old. Maybe the SF model makes that point less of an issue.

On another point, what I would have loved to have seen with your windows. I love the look of the frameless look like Marlin did on Wahoo, although he has fiberglassed in windows. But that look of one piece of tinted glass wrapping the cabin is very cool. I wonder if your design could be adapted so that so see the frame from the inside but outside it looks seemless. Not that your's won't look great but that would be a very cool option if someone didn't care about the windows openning. Just thinking outloud, I like the windows that open, hopefully you will see very little leakage.

[BOBMX]

I would assume that he could do a frame-less front and side and that would look great but would require another mold and I think he's all in with this project. When he did his original sides they were done to match the Bertram original fronts. The new fronts were done to match his sides that he already had in production. I had him modify his sides to make them sliders but the fronts are going to be fixed mount. He is going to do a front lift glass version in this frame after he finishes mine but I think it would be impossible to make that leak proof. Side sliders should be enough to at least get some air flowing in the salon without letting too much water in.