Why only one seat? Dinghies

[Capn Jimbo]

Originally Posted by Shrew

There are a few reasons for this:

1) The manufacturer doesn't include the extra seat because it would be an increase in cost and drive up the purchase price for the buyer.

2) The chandler doesn't carry them because most people don't buy an extra seat.

The seat really only serves two purposes:

a) Lateral stability between the tubes, yet allowing storage on the floor below.

b) a place to row.

You won't be operating an OB from the seat. and everyone will be sitting on the tubes. It would only serve to get in the way IMHO.

Thanks... makes a lot of sense...

[Chris Whitney]

Mine can off one day when i was doing something stupid and left it on the floor for a few days then took it out. That was a year ago. So much more room to sit where you want without any seats. and makes a better hauler as well. Doubt it ever goes back in.

[AKA-None]

There is also the possibility of moving the one seat to a second position. So not necessarily a second seat but a second location.

[Carver Power]

Check out St Croix Euro style seat, They run about two thousand . My wife likes riding next to me, I do to...

[Orion Jim]

I have a 9'6" Achilles and it came with one seat and two seating positions. I purchased the second seat. I rarely have a second occupant but I leave both seats in place. The midship seat is primarily used as a rowing position. The aft seat sits just far enough from the transom to hold my outboards fuel tank in position. I always sit on the aft seat when under power. Sitting on the tubes results in a wet behind sooner or later......I've grown tired of a wet bottom.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

There is also the possibility of moving the one seat to a second position. So not necessarily a second seat but a second location.

That's what the ad literature for my old Mercury RIB said too.

But, I'm in the camp of toss the seat too. They typically just endup busting shins as you climb from the dinghy dock to the steering position anyway.

Matt

[waterman46]

The seat on my Caribe has one very useful feature. It has a large fabric pocket attached to it's underside. The pocket is big enough to store my tools and plugs for the outboard, an air pump and the two blades of the oars (the shafts of the oars are stored on the floor secured to the inner edge of the tube by Velcro straps). So the seat is very useful as there is no storage compartment in the Caribe.

The tiny storage compartments I've seen on other dinks would not be large enough to hold the blades of the oars, so the seat with under-seat pocket makes a lot of sense.

[De.windhoos]

Originally Posted by Shrew

There are a few reasons for this:

1) The manufacturer doesn't include the extra seat because it would be an increase in cost and drive up the purchase price for the buyer.

2) The chandler doesn't carry them because most people don't buy an extra seat.

The seat really only serves two purposes:

a) Lateral stability between the tubes, yet allowing storage on the floor below.

b) a place to row.

You won't be operating an OB from the seat. and everyone will be sitting on the tubes. It would only serve to get in the way IMHO.

c) use it as a paddle when you don't have your paddles on the dinghy and forgot to take the spare fuel jerrycan

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Shrew

You won't be operating an OB from the seat. and everyone will be sitting on the tubes. It would only serve to get in the way IMHO.

Originally Posted by Capn Jimbo

Thanks... makes a lot of sense...

But it's not universally true.

Originally Posted by Orion Jim

I always sit on the aft seat when under power. Sitting on the tubes results in a wet behind sooner or later......I've grown tired of a wet bottom.

Yep.

-Chris

[rsn48]

So I left part of the information out. We have a young (currently 14 month) pup who is very active and squirrely. Secondly my wife a retired nurse/nurse manager is more the "sit on the seat" where the pup is with her and in the middle of the dingy, type person. We got a great life jacket recommendation/purchase with the help of the CF "Families, Kids and Pets Afloat" forum. I bought the Ruffwear jacket for her, their quality is kind of like "Kong" built well and tough.

I also experienced the wet bum experience, not in a dingy, but on a Canadian Navy RIB. I'm anti-wet bum! When the water is calm, no issues with stray spray but in more flamboyant wind, current and white cap conditions, I prefer to be in board.