Seats & wheel

[cs]

Something is just not right. The wheel is right. Instead of box seats I'm doing open slat seats. The seat height is maybe an 1/2" higher than what the box seats would be. They are the same distance from the sides of the boat as the what the plans call for.

Holding the wheel up to where it should be the wheel would be in the seats by about 3".

Did anyone else have any trouble with the wheel clearing the seats?

I was kinda up in the air about whether to use a tiller or the wheel. Unless someone can tell me how to fix this, I need some ideas about the tiller.

My idea is to bring it about 3" above the deck and come into the cockpit about 6"

Chad

[ken connors]

maybe you could move the spokes from the sides of the wheel to the front of the wheel :?: :roll:

sorry, i went tiller....

[Stump]

My wheel didn't fit, spokes hit the seats...I eneded up just shortening the spokes about 1/2 inch. Works find now, just had to refinish the ends. :wink:

[Craig]

My wheel fit fine Chad until I put on the one inch cushions. With a 3" over lap something is very wrong. Did you angle the seat bottoms up ?

[JMetzner]

Chad,

Yup, had the same problem. I think I drilled the hole through my lazzerete maybe a half inch too low and I added an extra layer of plywood to the seats when they flexed with just the quarter inch ply. My wife bought me a very nice 18 inch diameter wheel, it wouldn't fit.

What I did was I photo reduced the plans for the wheel, 90%, 80% & 70% cut out the spoke for each and tested it to see if it would swing clear of the seat. I ended up building a 80% wheel, 16 inch I think.

--John M.

[cs]

After quite thought and reflection I think I know why. I raised the seats closer to 1-1/2" higher than the plans call for. I also have them about an 1" deeper than what the plans call for. This all for the sake of comfort. I'll rethink tonight and tommorow and probably end up moving the seats closer to plans and see what happens.

At the moment I tjust have the cleats for holding the slats on one side and nothing else, so it isn't an issue to move them.

Chad

[Frank Hagan]

The stock seats in the Weekender are pretty comfortable ... and part of what makes them that way is the high back on them. They are much more comfortable than my 18' production sailboat, which really has uncomfortable seats! So if it isn't to much trouble to move them back to the standard size, I would recommend it without hesitation.

[Dave R1]

Chad, I did as you are planning and made slatted seats. I think they are close to the height from the plans and the front of the seats are parallel to each other. The seats get narrower at the back but I've never found it objectionable. I like having the foot space back there to be able to stand up.

[cs]

Like I said all I have is the cleats for holding the seats on. They are only on the port side, so it shouldn't be any trouble at all to relocate them. I will look at that tonight.

BTW I glued the mast up Saturday and cut and shaped it Sunday. Will start drilling the holes needed and start varnishing it.

Chad

[cs]

Roughed in a new location for the seats which is closer to design, and it seems to work. I will look at it closer tommorow.

Chad

[kydocfrog]

Cool. So tell us about the mast.

My next major challenge, I guess.

DocA

[cs]

The mast was no problem. I bought (5) 1 x 6 Douglass Fir at the local Lowes store. Glued them up with epoxy on Saturday and shaped it Sunday. Lowes had 12' pieces and with the 4' base already made I didn't have to scarf anything. I used a chalk line and laid out the taper and ripped it with my circular saw. Being as the material was thicker than the blade cut, I had to cut it from both sides and than use the hand plane to clean up the cuts..

Once the rough shape was achieved, I used the hand plane and the belt sander to round of the top of the mast. I than used the hand plane to round the corners, giving it a not so square look.

All in all an enjoyable task.

Chad