I posted up pictures in my gallery showing the installation of a WPS seat bracket for the helm on my 17'SR. I will be working on the seat top/swivel base install and canvas cover and will post up more pics on that once completed. It turned to be a very solid 3" high starboard base assembly and sturdy WPS bracket. Once the top components are in place it will be 24" high overall. With me seated in a stock arima "fish on" seat it will "ride" at 22". We will see how it holds up on the upcoming sea trials.
You will note the pics are in reverse order. So start with the lower right and work back to see the overall progress and final actual mount. Most of those pics were taken during the "fitment" process so they look a tad raw.
Great job ! Looks good with the black Starboard. 👍🏻
Nice.
Really interested in hearing your experience with these things on the ocean this summer. I just blew half a boat buck on an EPIRB, and since I already have the Smooth Moves type seats I figured I should wait for field reports before blowing more $$, lest my wife kill me. :nono:
It has proven to be an interesting project so far. I figured I would keep and work with the stock pedestal screw mounts in case I or the next owner wanted to return to the original arima solid pedestal. For 29 years old 5 out of the six original ped t-nuts still have excellent purchase. I actually modded the WPS bracket with high density, nylon washers on both inner S/S rods at the "hinge points" to stabilize and prevent chaffing of the 6361 alum alloy tubes and vertical supports. The base turned out so solid the bracket started to feel a tad "loose" before I shimmed it.
I will report back for sure... I have under 1/2 a boat buck into the seat/bracket conversion. My goal is to hopefully mitigate K's of doctor expenses for further damage to my ""C2 region of my back from those "surprise" small vessel wave "slams" taken over the past several years. Barring any boat "breakage... I still have the other 1/2 of the "annual" boat buck is slated for another ACR P-EPIRB and the leftover funds needed as a start to look at replacing my 8 y/o FF. I have not yet found a new FF/sonar package that I can "live with".
Quote from: Threeweight on March 21, 2017, 02:53:27 PM
Nice.
Really interested in hearing your experience with these things on the ocean this summer. I just blew half a boat buck on an EPIRB, and since I already have the Smooth Moves type seats I figured I should wait for field reports before blowing more $$, lest my wife kill me. :nono:
Great report! I as well will be looking forward to your field test review. I am interested in adding these bases to my boat.
I don't have a dog in this... except I bought one. I have found Ken at WPS to be very helpful on both sides of the purchase. 541-892-0640 if you have any questions.
Quote from: BruceL2_Fish on March 23, 2017, 04:03:26 AM
Great report! I as well will be looking forward to your field test review. I am interested in adding these bases to my boat.
I been on 6 ocean trips so far with the new seat assembly I fabbed based upon a WPS Hydro seat bracket/base garelick S/S swivel and original arima swivel "based" seat. So far I am surprised how well this assembly is performing in the varied ocean conditions I have experienced so far. This includes bigger swell, the wind driven, short sharp stuff and vessel (speed) generated wave "impacts". Every time I am out w/ the 17SR I can always count on a few surprise impacts that get my attention. The impact absorption this bracket/double valved shock assembly provides/manages has been very "accurate" for the ocean conditions presented, so far. For the most part in really dampens slams or short "wave hits and transforms them into a up and down " floating motion that has yet to bottom out or "launch" me. As utilitarian as this bracket appears, looking at it.. it is it feels and acts very similar most of the big ticket air seats I have experienced.
So far so good with respect to the bracket operationally. The only thing I will change is the actual seat position on the bracket as the season permits or this winter. The actual seat and swivel assembly I make to fit the top of the WPS bracket is a tad too close to the helm. When the seat unweights sometimes my right knee bumps the S/B bulkhead mounted VHF radio. I made a "combing" pad around the radio to suffice for this short term.
I went the less expensive route for suspension seats 100 ea