Removing middle bench seats from tinnie

[mick2me]

Hi Guys,

I have a 12ft De Havilland Sea Topper tinnie, and it seems to be a bit small inside.

My Questions are:

1) Is it safe to remove the middle bench seat from my tinnie?

2) Has anyone done this? (to any tinnie)

3) what are any recomendations for fitting out a new floor?

Also I think this would be a great brag thread to place photo's of your much loved modified tinnies.

Thanx guys

[mick2me]

This is not my tinnie but the same as I have. Im posting it so you can see the middle seat.

[AZZA]

I had a tinny that had the middle seat removed, didn't seem to worry it in any way. Dont know what brand it was, but it was a x hire boat so it was a extra heavy duty built job

[Death Ray]

Structually wouldn't it be better to lower the height of the middle seat rather than remove it completely? You could then easily walk over it onto floors either side of it.

Good luck with your project also.

[fishingnut]

Like this?

[mick2me]

Hey Death Ray,

I like that option thanx for reply.

[Malcolm]

My reply did not work but.

I cut the middle seat out of my 12' dehaveland tinnie with no ill effect i'll try to put a pick up if you want?

[mick2me]

Malcolm wrote:

My reply did not work but.

I cut the middle seat out of my 12' dehaveland tinnie with no ill effect i'll try to put a pick up if you want?

That would be great

thanx Malcolm

[Malcolm]

.

[adambris]

lowering the middle seat to floor height would stablize the floor without structurle disablement.

[mick2me]

Malcolm wrote:

.

Thanx for pic Malcolm.

[mick2me]

adambris wrote:

lowering the middle seat to floor height would stablize the floor without structurle disablement.

Does anyone know about the sides of my tinnie, would they be affected by removal or would I have to brace them some how, and flotation as the seats are filled with foam.

Thanx Adambris & Azza for reply & fishingnut for pic

[chonna]

The seats act as a brace for the side walls of the tinnie.

I would say removal of the seats without replace with some sort of bracing would make the boat unsafe structurally.

If you've ever seen a tinnie being built, they use temporary braces to hold the sides together until the seats are welded in etc

[Yellow Peril]

my last boat was a 4.3 m heavy duty Stessl tinny that I converted into a centre console. Boat the forward and aft cross-thwart seats were removed by a marine engineer and additional bracing was welded in, so I had a full flat floor. I managed to get most of the floatation back under the floors.

You are taking a risk of weakening the hull by removing the seat which also acts as bracing, and you may get cracking problems as a result. You will also lose floatation, but there is no law I know of stipulating floatation in boats.

Make sure you know what you are doing and why if you go ahead, because it costs money and much harder to put it back the same!

[rayke1938]

I have cut the centre seat out of a few of my previous quintrex hulls but they all have had ribs in them.

. I would be very reluctant to remove the centre seat out of yours without installing a couple of ribs that go all the way from the keel to the gunnel

Flotation can easily be installed under the new floor.Just measure how many cubic feet in the seat and install the same under the floor.

Cheers

Ray

[mick2me]

Thanks yellow peril & Ray for your reply.

Also thank you all who posted a reply on this thread.

After reading replies I think I might leave the middle seat in. Build a casting deck from front seat to middle seat, sitting flooring on top of frame work i will build on the tops of these seats.

Also I'll put a flat base on floor of tinnie between middle a back seats.

Thanks again.

Mick

[aussie123]

I am in the middle of building casting decks into my tinny and was also going to remove the seats but after a lot of checking into things I decided to leave them in and use them as the foundation of my casting decks.

Inside the front seat is now home to 2 deep cycle batteries and kill/esky/bait tank.

It also has the pedestal seats mounted on top of it.

Tomorrow morning we weld in the alloy frame to do the rear deck which again is built off the rear seat.

Here is a few pics of what has been done so far and hopefully it may help you with some ideas.

[mick2me]

aussie123 wrote:

I am in the middle of building casting decks into my tinny and was also going to remove the seats but after a lot of checking into things I decided to leave them in and use them as the foundation of my casting decks.

Inside the front seat is now home to 2 deep cycle batteries and kill/esky/bait tank.

It also has the pedestal seats mounted on top of it.

Tomorrow morning we weld in the alloy frame to do the rear deck which again is built off the rear seat.

Here is a few pics of what has been done so far and hopefully it may help you with some ideas.

Hey aussie123,

Mate that looks great!!! you just made me wanna get rid of my boat and buy a new one. lol

Congats, on what looks like gunna be the perfect "lil flicker" boat.

Thanx for progress pics, could you put up pics of the back once done plz?

Mick

[mick2me]

Has anyone else got any idea's or pics they want to add???

as it's always good to get ideas and learn from others.

cheers.

[mick fillet]

Looks like a great little tinnie you got there mick.

I got rid of the seats from my little 10 footer.best thing I ever did I reckon.

it was a bit of work but worth it.when I removed the seats the hull didnt flex any more than what it did when it had the seats in it but I still rienforced the hull with a couple of bulk heads and gusets.I relise that the floatation was lost removing the seats so foam filling under the floor was done and pods were put on the back for extra floatation

Its a bit of an experiment hull for me.I was just curious to see what would happen to the hulls performance with pods on it so i did it.and after doing it I reckon a 25 on da bum of a 10 footer would be sweet :woohoo: .I havnt got me a 25hp yet but iam going to.

I havnt fitted any seats I just sit on an eskie

[mick fillet]

[mick fillet]

[mick fillet]

[wesfish]

been busy mate! i will donate the 25 yammy for trial run down kooka or riverside lol :laugh: :laugh: interested to see how it handles...

[harfish]

Just purchased a boat with the middle seat removed and two seats placed along the sides . Will send a photo tomorrow. looks good and i am giving it a test run on monday.

[mick2me]

Hey Guys thanx for your replies,

And Mick fillet well done on your transformed tinnie mate, I'm not an engineer or welder so to be able to do somthing like that to my tinnie is not likely, but thanx for pics and report, once again wow well done & like the pod idea...

anyways all the best for the trial with wesfish and his 25hp yammy.