Rear seat centered or offset?

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Jay D

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Hey guys I got the front and middle seat done on my 14' richline and am contemplateing the rear seat and or deck area. I have a 53" back bench and plan on a fixed seat/post attached to a slightly raised(3") deck. I have been deciding on the fixed seat/post to be centered or offset to control my 9.9hp engine better. either way there does'nt seem like theres enough space back there to move my 6' 3" frame around. offset or centered, short fixed post or 13" fixed post, what say you? :roll:
 
Centered, 13". I needed to make this same decision about a month ago. I asked a local jet boat builder and he said to center my seat because a tiller steer has the tiller off to one side of the motor to allow the seat to be centered. Facing forward, you would use your left hand, tiller handle is on the left side of the motor. Say you offset the seat to the right, if you have to push the tiller away from you with a seat off centered, you have to lean to far that way. Centered, you can turn it either direction without leaning. I followed his advice and I'm glad I did. 13" pedestal is the correct height for me to be in a comfortable sitting position, I'm 6'1".
 
on my 12ft meyers with 10HP johnson the bench seat i mounted the swivel seat to is only about 14 inches from the transom, I had to offset about 6 inches right so the tiller wouldnt be obstructed by the seat. I'm 6'3" also and i wish i would have moved about another 3" to the right, after about 20min the angle is just a bit uncomforatable.
 
Valid point. My pedestal mount is 30" from the transom. On my Aluma 1442 that puts it directly in the middle of the bench.
HD
 
Personally, I've never seen anyone use a tiller steer from the center of the seat. I know on any boat I've ever owned it would be very uncomfortable for your arm to do so.
 
I had mine centered for most of the first year, my arm was pretty much behind the seat at a weird angle. Now with the seat about 5 inches to the right, I can sit with my seat toward the port side with my feet still in front of the bench and rest my arm on the tiller comfortably all day. I can also see around a passenger now because that seat is centered.
 
I offset my seat, it is more comfortable and I have better control. With the seat in the center if I made a left turn my arm would be back behind the seat making it uncomfortable.
 
After building my last boat. I would say YES centered and offset. I would buy two of the pin type bases and center the one. The other would be offset to run the tiller. If I HAD to choose one I would choose centered. I built mine offset and for the short times while running the tiller it was great. But for the majority of the time while fishing the offset rear seat caused a bit of a lean to that side a bit when I had a partner along. It would have been much more comfortable if it were centered.
 
I have mine rigged with a sliding track lets you move back and forth; don't think it will be comfortable with fixed center pedastal if you run motor for long runs jmho; good luck! 8)
 
chavist93 said:
Personally, I've never seen anyone use a tiller steer from the center of the seat. I know on any boat I've ever owned it would be very uncomfortable for your arm to do so.


I do and it works fine for me but not for all. I just purchased a extension with a elbow to see if it is better but for me I just centered the seat beacause I am a big guy and when driving I turn my seat so the back is opposite the handle and sit sideways. I have a 7 inch riser but if you weigh 125 pounds it probably will not matter where you mount it but I am 6 2 268 lbs. and to be off center would be suicide.
 
Gonna center it with a 13" fixed post..I can run it from the seat or from the front of the bench area sitting on a flotation cushion. I extended the platform about 1' in front of the rear bench should work good. Thanks everyone! =D>
 
jay d even if you have already decided on the way you are going to go i just wanted to throw in my 2 cents. As i am 6'2'' and have just started using my first john, the rear seat post centered in the boat for operating the tiller is not 100 percent as functional as may be possible. I wish my seat was off set so i could operate the tiller with my left hand and just off set the weight with trolling motor and gear storage.
 
I have been thinking about this for my latest project, as well. As of now, I am thinking of using two pin bases and have flexibilty to move, as was suggested already. I have to work out how I'm going to switch between a "C" rear deck to full and back, easily.

From my tiller experience, have always been a bench seat strattler, facing port, so offset is better and more comfortable, but I'm just 6'. That has been more comfortable to me than both feet forward and centered. If you don't have an integrated shift, you have to twist around about 160. I have never tried operating from an elevated seat where the seat is higher than the throttle at horizontal or had the flexibility to change the distance between motor and seat. If you run shallow allot, make sure it is still good position with engine tilted.

Good luck with your project.
 

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