The Notorious Disappearing Helm Seat

[sailprincess]

From what I've read, several models of Bavarias are notorious for losing their helm seats as they don't stay attached to the boat when not in place and they don't float. Our 2002 Bavaria 40 came with a missing helm seat So, we have got a new one now and it fits (although we need to put the metal loops on for the clips to attach to) We are going to put floatation underneath it and attach it somehow via a tether. What I am wondering is that when you do unclip it and take it out to use your stern access, where do you store it? Has anyone come up with a creative way of storing it that keeps it attached to the boat, yet out of the way? Would love to hear ideas and see pics! Cheers!

[Salty]

After a charterer from Rennes in France allowed my helmsmans seat to swim away, I bought a new one. The old one was not recovered despite that it had foam flotation material attached to its underside. So when fitting the new one I permanently attached bungee cord to it at one end while the other end of the cord remains permanently attached to the boat. When accessing the boat over the stern, the seat is laid to one side onto one of the cockpit side benches. Arguably a slightly longer cord would allow it to stow away inside one of the cockpit lockers, or you could hang it off from one of the pushpit rails where it would be out of the way. Being permanently tethered it can't be dropped far overboard, neither can it be lost if it does manage to get into the water.

[sailprincess]

Great suggestion with the bungee. I think a pushpit mount would be ideal. Now to wrap my head around how that could work! Thanks

[IslandAlchemy]

We have a piece of rope connecting the seat to the boat after a charter guest lost the original.

[ITIL MAN]

Our Bav 42 also has strong cord attached to seat and long enough to move seat to the side when not at at sea.  However, I saw a picture of a boat for sale with the seat hinged like on the newer model but this was a 2005 vintage.  I thought it seemed a good idea just lifting the seat and tied / cliiped up against the backstay.  I was looking at different hinges but the gap between the seat and side is quite large and was wondering how best to do it.

Anyone done this?

[Impavidus]

Hi. I Had this problem.

Simple solution, make it float.

Get a can of expanding foam, the type used by window fitters. Cost about £6.00 from B&Q or other builders merchant.
Carefully layer up a foam bed on the under side of the seat.
Do this in several layers allowing each layer to dry.
Trim any excess with a long knife or hacksaw blade so it is flush with the underside of the seat.

Check it floats by throwing in the water with a tether or in the bath.

Hope this helps.


Ant.   

[Salty]

Simple solution, make it float.

Get a can of expanding foam, the type used by window fitters. Cost about £6.00 from B&Q or other builders merchant.
Carefully layer up a foam bed on the under side of the seat.
Do this in several layers allowing each layer to dry.
Trim any excess with a long knife or hacksaw blade so it is flush with the underside of the seat.

Check it floats by throwing in the water with a tether or in the bath.

Hope this helps.


Ant.   

With respect Ant, your solution does tend to assume that the loser of the seat is then in a position to be able to turn around and go after the errant seat and recover it. Much better if it couldn't get away in the first place by having a tether between it and the boat.
If you look back to my earlier posting on March 8th, the seat lost from my boat while it was under charter had your suggested foam buoyancy, it didn't sink, but circumstances beyond the control of the charterers onboard prevented them from going after it. Namely the weather was awful, and the location they were in was one where  going after the seat which was being blown away in an unsafe direction, was completely out of the question. Had it been tethered to the boat, they could simply have hauled it back onboard without needing any change in direction. Also if it's tethered to the boat, then applying foam to make it buoyant would not be all that necessary.

[Impavidus]

Good points well made.

We found the tether was inconvenient and restrictive in putting the seat into the locker, it was what was inconvenient to undo the lashing for us, but just a suggestion, each to their own.

More than one way to skin a cat as they say 

best regards.

Ant   

[Salty]

Very true Ant about the "cat."
On the occasion that charterers lost the seat from my boat, the spray hood was also torn to shreds, as too was the genoa. During the storm, and before what was left of the Genoa could be recovered, the flailing genoa sheets went over the top of the mast tearing off the VHF aerial and the wind instrument. Eventually in port, but before the storm had passed a short lead on a forward mooring rope to the quayside, which was higher than the deck of the boat, ripped away the forward starboard fairlead. Fortunately it was all covered by insurance, but the extraordinarily high cost of replacing the helmsmans seat resulted in having a rethink on how to avoid losing it again.

[Odysseus]

Every year this topic arrives in forums, I still cannot believe people just do not clip it on. Mine has been clipped for 7 years now.
Odysseus
Bav 38

[Brian]

After a couple of close calls, and being told that a new one was close to ?1000;  I decided to hinge the seat on my 44, it now folds flat and there is no chance of loosing it.

[sailprincess]

Brian, would love to see pics of how you hinged it. Odysseus- thanks for sharing those pics! What year/model is your Bavaria? It looks just like ours at the back. Although we don't have a a cover on our emergency tiller connection. Was that stock? I think ours leaks rain water... *sigh*

[Nigel]

I still cannot believe people just do not clip it on...

Seems the obvious solution.

But I couldn't have a cover on my rudder boss, that's my "where am I steering" marker

[ZhuHai]

I hate the helm seat. It is bulky, heavy and always a pain to find a place to store it in the lockers.


Sometimes I wished to have lost it but now that I know how expensive it is I'm going to take care of it 

[Spirit of Mary]

Every year this topic arrives in forums, I still cannot believe people just do not clip it on. Mine has been clipped for 7 years now.
Odysseus
Bav 38

This is also my solution or better the sailing school who leased the boat before I got the owner. When I am not sailing I put the seat standing on its side in the starbord corner of the pulpit. The safe line is just long enough.
Ger

[Odysseus]

Sail princess,  the covers are still available from any dinghy outlet, Odysseus is last of the linear galley, 2006. Lots of mods to boat search for Odysseus on this forum or Google.
 
Best mod is the cockpit area cover,  my design made by C&J Marine, they do a very good job. It just folds back for sailing, or stays up if its raining, (getting old  )

Keep boat in the Biscay area.
Odysseus
Bav 38

[Salty]

Sail princess,
Best mod is the cockpit area cover,  my design made by C&J Marine, they do a very good job. It just folds back for sailing, or stays up if its raining, (getting old  )

Couldn't agree more Odysseus. C&J marine provide a lot of the canvas work for new Bavarias, and they keep records of what they make for each type of boat including the dimensions such that back in 2010 just after I bought my B36 (2002), and while at the Southampton Boat Show, I came across their stand, saw an example of their work in regard to cockpit area covers and ordered one from them there and then. They made it at my request to their stock measurement for my model of boat, sent it to me when it was completed and I put it in place myself. Their instructions for fitting it were excellent and easy to follow, and it fitted perfectly. It has to be without doubt the best and most useful modification on my boat.

[sailprincess]

Wow, nice cockpit covers! We have spray dodger and Bimini top but really want to add sides. How much do these pre made enclosures go for?

[Salty]

Wow, nice cockpit covers! We have spray dodger and Bimini top but really want to add sides. How much do these pre made enclosures go for?

Hi Sailprincess, in October 2010 when mine was delivered, I paid £1028+VAT for the sides and top for my B36(2002). I also purchased a new spray hood at the time which cost a further £420+VAT. At the time the basic price was discounted by 7.5% on account of having placed the order while at the boat show, and is reflected in the amount I paid above. The spray hood already had supporting stainless framework in place from the existing sprayhood, but framework was needed for the rest of the enclosure and the cost for that is included in the amount paid above. My cockpit cover does not include a Bimini, and I'm not sure whether one can combine the two as amongst other points the height of a Bimini is significantly higher than the top of the cockpit enclosure and would raise the line from the top of the sprayhood quite significantly which may spoil the overall appearance. This means that in practice most boats would use one or the other but not both at the same time. My cockpit enclosure does not permit full standing headroom, but there is enough for it not to be uncomfortable or a nuisance. Opting for full headroom on a B36 results in a rather strange looking enclosure showing a steep rise from the spray hood to the top of the enclosure. The photo attached was found after some searching and shows the full canopy except for the aft section which was rolled up at the time. My canopy doesn't have so many windows as the one shown on Odysseus, but I'm quite happy with it where it affords a small degree of privacy.