Dinghy Seat Conversion

[Marc14857]

My dinghy is a West Marine by (Zodiac) SB-4 which is the equivilent of the Zodiac S285. The only real difference is that the West Marine version has the inflatable tube seat between the two tubes while the Zodiac model has the wooden seat that attaches to the tubes. My wife is not comfortable with the inflatable tube seat and would like me to modify the dinghy to use the wooden seat. Does anyone know of a conversion package or whether or not I can purchase the patches required for the wooden seat and glue them onto the tubes to support the wooden seat?Thanks

 

[Marc14857]

My dinghy is a West Marine by (Zodiac) SB-4 which is the equivilent of the Zodiac S285. The only real difference is that the West Marine version has the inflatable tube seat between the two tubes while the Zodiac model has the wooden seat that attaches to the tubes. My wife is not comfortable with the inflatable tube seat and would like me to modify the dinghy to use the wooden seat. Does anyone know of a conversion package or whether or not I can purchase the patches required for the wooden seat and glue them onto the tubes to support the wooden seat?Thanks

 

[Tim22902]

How about this?

........Otherwise your option would be to find a pair of "seat patches" and glue them on.Tim

 

[Tim22902]

How about this?

........Otherwise your option would be to find a pair of "seat patches" and glue them on.Tim

 

[John T1594]

Solid seat box

We have a similar dinghy and opted to use a solid seatbox. We bought it from Defender and the current price is about $130 (see link). It has a snap-on vinyl cushioned top and provides a good amount of storage for lines, anchor, etc. You can move it forward or aft while the dinghy is inflated to adjust the ride or if you want to get into a good position to row.

 

[John T1594]

Solid seat box

We have a similar dinghy and opted to use a solid seatbox. We bought it from Defender and the current price is about $130 (see link). It has a snap-on vinyl cushioned top and provides a good amount of storage for lines, anchor, etc. You can move it forward or aft while the dinghy is inflated to adjust the ride or if you want to get into a good position to row.

 

[Harry]

Be careful

Marc, I'm going the other way. My dinghy (BoatUS with HP inflatable floor) had a wooden/fiberglass seat. While zipping along at speed, we hit a small wake and it snapped underneath me. Thankfully it did not puncture the floor. I'm not slim, but I'm not fat either, but I think I'll be more comfortable with an inflatable tube that won't crack.Harry

 

[Harry]

Be careful

Marc, I'm going the other way. My dinghy (BoatUS with HP inflatable floor) had a wooden/fiberglass seat. While zipping along at speed, we hit a small wake and it snapped underneath me. Thankfully it did not puncture the floor. I'm not slim, but I'm not fat either, but I think I'll be more comfortable with an inflatable tube that won't crack.Harry

 

[Alan]

What I did

Going by this website's saying "Nothing says I love you like boating cushions" I cut piece of marine grade plywood 3/4"x 12" wide by the length of my existing aluminum dinghy seat. I covered it with 2" foam and marine gray vinyl. Underneath I screwed 1"x2" slats on either side of existing seat to hold in place. The wider softer seat has my wife happy. What more can one say?

 

[Alan]

What I did

Going by this website's saying "Nothing says I love you like boating cushions" I cut piece of marine grade plywood 3/4"x 12" wide by the length of my existing aluminum dinghy seat. I covered it with 2" foam and marine gray vinyl. Underneath I screwed 1"x2" slats on either side of existing seat to hold in place. The wider softer seat has my wife happy. What more can one say?