Seating in rib

[Tellum]

My 420 didn't come with a seat ,but I did purchase one and yes they are handy. I have two rod holders a compass and a fish finder on it and there is still room to sit in the middle. Extra weight against performance is worth thinking about, i have had 21 knots the best , if go with bench seat and console and a 30 HP will there be much improvement over my open boat with a 20hp ? A 40hp, weight difference of a 40 to the 30 is quite a bit. I only got this outfit in February so I will give it a fair chance and use it for this summer, maybe if the fishing improves I wouldn't feel the need for speed and comfort so much.

[sonny1]

i have a 30 elpt and have notched up just over 30 mph on my mercury 420 but to be honest it has got to be flat calm to open it right up. ive been out 3 times in it now and i havnt had the best out of it yet because the sea hasnt been calm enough. ive had full throttle for no more than2 minutes if im honest . so im not sure i would go down the 30 hp route again simply because 99% of the time you cant use it. but when you can its like a journey into space ,,,,,,awesome. ive been in quicker boats but not holding a tiller, its just different.

[Limecc]

Ever since we got our 420 I've looked enviously at bench seating but in the past few weeks (especially after upgrading to 40hp) everything has changed.

Main problem is with the hull design. Ocean Runners have a medium V which I find does not lend itself to comfort in the seas around the Solent. Fine on the Trent, but when trying to bring the speed up to cut journey time, one is restricted by back-jarring slamming. It's a real blessing to grip the jockey seat with your knees like riding a horse, it stops you being launched skywards and it can be difficult to hold on when one hand is controlling the throttle and the other the steering wheel. As has been mentioned you can take the shock by using your feet and knees and not relying on the seat padding to save your spine. You don't stay seated when the going gets tough on a mountain bike do you?

To offset some of the extra 26kg of the bigger engine I moved the 25L fuel tank forward and inside the console behind the battery. This freed up valuable space at the rear of the deck and means I don't have to lock the tank against theft anymore, there's still plenty of room for our gear and it's no problem filling up at the petrol station. I'd say the boat is perfectly balanced, not sure that it's our forever boat but am enjoying it greatly for now. A bench seat would be a retrograde step.

[Roy54]

I nearly ordered a Ocean runner with a bench seat, and would have but the dealer had the Zodiac secondhand at half the price. I wasn't sure about the jockey seat at first but now I love it because it does give me the option of standing. The sea and particularly the Solent where I do most of my boating is generally to harsh for me to sit down if I want to move on a bit. I agree, the balance is also great with me positioned in the middle.

[Tellum]

Well deposit is now paid for bench seat and console all fitted out. Going to drop off next week and get measured up for placement , I have short arms and legs so need to make sure I can reach the wheel when sat down . Also need to talk to the fitter to get it in the ideal position for trim, he will mark the deck and get it done over the couple weeks. I have gone for a new tohatsu 30 HP eptl , its about 15 to 20 kilos lighter then the 40hp so will help with the balance. Should give me 26 knots which is plenty for my needs, at the moment. I have been eyeing up a 5 meter brig or I also like the Highfield ocean masters but haven't got the pennies for that yet, and also my company have changed there vehicles and I have lost my l200 truck and i got a 1…5 diesal focus instead, which I think will struggle on a wet ,steep slip with anything to heavy. Any one else using a smallish car to launch ?