posted 12-29-2003 04:30 PM ET (US)        

I've made 2.5 inch risers out of TREX decking material...The natural color is very close to the teak on my Montauk, the material should be impervious to sun, saltwater and freshwater (or so I was told)...

Before I install the risers and the RPS, has anyone tried using TREX for marine applications? Any problems?

posted 12-30-2003 07:12 PM ET (US)            

No problems with either set, although one winter project I'm considering is replacing the Starboard with laminated wood to match the console risers.

One thing you may want to consider is changing angle of the seat, very slightly lowering the rear of the seat. I've always felt that I'm sliding off the front of the seat. Sat in a friends RPS that he added a set of angled risers to it, and found it very comfortable.

posted 01-03-2004 05:54 PM ET (US)            

Never thought of angling RPS Risers...too late now that they're done, maybe next set!

They actually look great! Trex natural color with a few coats of gun stock oil...Identical match to oiled teak on the boat!

posted 01-14-2004 08:25 AM ET (US)            

I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you say you wonder why "these" are installed on the deck and not under the seat.

If you are referring to the RPS Risers..My intent was to raise seat to fit larger fuel tanks, not sit higher up or angle seat. I suppose there would be some way to raise the seat from below seat (as oppsed to deck) but this would only serve to raise the seat and not give you more room below seat.

posted 01-14-2004 12:06 PM ET (US)            

Actually there have been very few variations of the classic Reversible Pilot Seat (RPS) over the years. They have all been the same size and the only significant variation has been the construction of the seat back which varied from oiled teak to varnished mahogany to fiberglass.

I believe Andy is asking: Why not put the spacers between the top of the legs and the bottom of the seat cushion instead of putting the spacers under the bottoms of the legs? (Either way, you wind up with more space below for a larger fuel tank or cooler.)

Andy,

The reason is simple: If you put spacers between the seat cushion and the tops of the legs, you loose the notches that hold the pivot frames (stainless steel bars) that hold the seat back in place. The tops of the RPS Z-legs have notches in them that the pivot frames rotate in. The seat cushion has low friction plastic pads that contact the tops of these pivot frames and allow a controlled but smooth rotation.

The relationship between the tops of the legs and the seat cushion bottom is pretty precise and putting a spacer in there would necessitate the spacers themselves having notches or blocks to position and control the pivot frames. It could be done of course, but it is more work than just putting them under the bottoms of the legs.

It should also be noted that the very first RPS Z-legs were made of aluminum and they (along with the first of the plastic Z-legs) did not have the notches for the pivot frames. Location and control of the pivot frame pivot point was achieved via little blocks of wood screwed to the underside of the seat cushion. This technique could be used by someone who wanted to put spacers between the tops of the Z-legs and the seat cushion itself.

posted 01-19-2004 02:59 PM ET (US)            

There are some good photos of an RPS that has the plastic Z-legs without the notches for the pivot frames (and the plywood blocking necessary to locate the pivot frames).

posted 01-22-2004 06:47 PM ET (US)            

I am in th eprocess of planning a 6" lift using teak. Did you offset/extend the length of the blocks to compensate for the additional weight on the seat while leaning back on the RPS with the added height? Did you make the blocks out of solid teak or build it up using multiple pieces? Any pictures?

posted 01-22-2004 07:52 PM ET (US)         

Anyway, it's quite simple. Under each leg, looking at it from the side, the riser assembly is an upside down "U", with two blocks, 3"(wide) x 4" in plan, and 4" high, spanned by a top beam. These riser blocks can be laminated up any way you want. I used two 2" thick sections. Then, spanning across the top of these, is a "beam", also 2" thick, only 1/2" longer on each end than the RPS leg dimensions. The seat leg sits on top of this 3" wide beam. All vertical and horizontal exposed edges of the blocks and beams are 1/4" 45 degree beveled. The entire assembly is rock solid and stable, with no movement or deflection.

The riser "blocks" each have two deeply countersunk 1/2" dia holes, exactly matching the hole pattern from the RPS in the boat floor, and the blocks, using 2" long screws, screw into the original holes in the boat floor. When you drill these blocks, drill 1/4" dia from the bottom of the block, all the way through, for matching accuracy, then countersink 1/2" from the top as needed. The top spanning beam then screws into the top of the blocks with two 3" long screws, countersunk flush, underneath the seat leg so they don't show. Then the RPS leg screws into the riser beam with 1 1/2" or 2" screws. All screws #14 (1/4").

Underneath my raised seats I have mounted the angled Whaler starboard cooler cleats in black, which securely holds, without bungees, a tan pleat cushioned 72 qt Igloo cooler seat, which can be pulled out for additional seating, dry or wet storage, etc. The 6" height is adequate for the cooler to fit.

My consoles are raised exactly the same way, except with different dimensions, obviously.

posted 01-22-2004 08:05 PM ET (US)            

I still have the photos but haven't scanned them as yet..

=___=

They look something like the above but upside down.. The solid piece across the top is 12/4 (3" thick) and each piece at the end is 12/4 (3" thick).

If anyone would like photos, just let me know and I will scan them...
Please, give me time though....

posted 01-23-2004 12:27 AM ET (US)            

And who said you weren't an Internet or Computer Geek....

Those legs appear to be made with 3 separate pieces of 8/4 teak to give it a 6 inch rise? After looking at the photos Larry sent me, that seems to be the case.. I was wrong in my description above.. I looked at it from a different angle in my head..

lhg,
the photo Tom posted must have been before you refinshed the teak.

posted 01-23-2004 12:45 AM ET (US)            

You may have got the geek part right, at least. I don't know about the computer part...

The photos of Larry's risers are from his Outrage 25. I have quite a collection of good photos Larry has sent me over the years.

posted 01-23-2004 08:36 AM ET (US)            

Thanks for the description. That clears up some thoughts I had. I'm glad to hear that they are rock solid without extending the length of the deck level risers. I will be building a similar set up on my montauk this winter. I have just received my new rps seat and rps pad from Halls. What a nice job they did.

posted 01-23-2004 01:58 PM ET (US)         

Incidentally, the two screw holes in the boat floor, behind each block, are from some Dealership rigger, when boat was brand new. Knowing I was going to raise the seat, I ordered the boat with RPS NOT installed, which the factory accomodated. When it arrived at the dealership, some guy took the liberty to install it for me, and too far back, unknown to me of course! No wonder they went out of business 6 months later!

Whalerajm - I designed the riser configuration as I did because I knew it wasn't necessary to have such a massive solid block of teak under the seat. The seat leg is really only held in place by the two screws at each end, so the teak blocks only had to be large enough to furnish necessary stability. The concept of building a "bridge" rather than a solid "causeway" made some sense to me. It keeps the boat non-skid floor more open, and is less of a water/dirt collection situation for the blocks. I thought tracing the dogbone shape in 6" solid thickness also made little sense design wise. For a 1 or 2" thickness it might look good, but not at this height. Nor would it be as stable.

Regarding screw lengths, note in above post that I used 2" size into the plywood floor of the gas tank cover. This provides a MUCH more stable connection, besides practical availability. The compression pressure exerted by the screw head in the block is now down low, close to the boat floor. They are counterbored in from the top. To use a 5" long screw, even if I could find them, would be a mistake.