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Hi there,
I am considering to build some kind of saddle for a more convenient way of racing. I saw some of you already have built their own solutions here. Would be awesome to get your thoughts and experiences on how to best build this (e.g. fixed version vs. Just something like a strong pillow?)
Thank you!!
Markus
Hi Markus,
I built a saddle with the assistance of friends who participated in the build. Like all good ideas, mine was stolen from past Commodore Fred Allerton, who the saddle is named for…”The Allerton Seat”. Here is a picture of Fred’s saddle in Smokin Loon. My saddle is similar, but I put 3 screw inserts into the floor and fashioned knobs onto some carriage bolts so that I can install and remove the saddle easily. The saddle really saves my knees, so I really love it. Sometimes, you may be in your boat waiting on other boats to arrive at the starting line, or waiting for some kind of delay. It is much easier to relax and not stress your knees, or your body, with a saddle installed. But, some drivers feel that your weight is too far forward if you stay on a saddle, and they prefer to slide aft as far as possible, presumably so that less of the boat’s hull is in contact with the water. My saddle is far enough forward that I am able to slide off of it and move my weight aft if I want to. The saddle is built with a tiger maple frame, and traditional upholstery materials with a vinyl faux leather cover. I hope that this helps.
Thank you again, Jeffrey! Very helpful! I also very much like the idea with the screw inserts to be able to remove it if needed.
One question: have you added the screw inserts only after the boat was finished or did you foresee this already in the construction phase? (I have the classic clc kit where the bottom of the cockpit would be likely to then to hold a lot, so probably need to plan this rather for the new boat)
thank you!
markus
You are welcome Markus. We did plan ahead and added a 1/4 inch marine plywood backer under the cockpit floor, in addition to areas where we mounted handles, U bolts, remote controls, so that we had enough wood to screw the inserts into. I think that we added the inserts after we varnished.
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