Seat Base Install ??

[FullTilt]

I have a Cresliner 1750 Fish Hawk and I recently broke the aluminum base that is screwed to the floor in the bow of the boat. I should have taken the warning sticker more seriously that says something about not going over 5 mph with a person sitting in the bow seat. The aluminum actually seperated around the socket where the pedestal seat slides in. I guess that's what happens with a 240 Lb dude sitting in the bow going 42 mph in a light chop.

I was able to get a new base but some of the bolt holes are stripped. Does anyone have a suggestion to fix these stripped bolts? I'm thinking about trying to get a nut on the end but I'd probably have to take the floor off to do that.

My second question, has anyone ever added seat bases to a 1750 Fish Hawk? The boat has 4 seats and 4 pedestal seat bases but one of the bases is in the bow and I'm not planning to have anyone situp there in rough waves again.

The configuration in the main area of the boat has passenger, driver and a third "back" seat inbetween and behind the driver/passenger row. I like this "back" seat placement for back trolling because it puts me in the center of the boat and not up against one side. I'd like to add two more seat bases on either side of the back base so I'd have three bases in the back row. This would allow me to seat 4 people in the main area and move one of the seats to the bow and another to the middle base when back trolling. Does anyone know if this will be a problem, is there anything under the floor that won't allow me to do this?

[Gus]

They have nuts called "Tee-Nuts". They have little prongs that stick up so you can press it into wood and it will bite. I would take some of those and press them into the bottom side of the floor while you have the base out. Then put the base back and put the bolts back in from the top. That should work if you cannot get at the bolts from the bottom with the seat base in place. If you Google Tee Nuts you should find a picture of them.

Good luck.

[Valv]

To have strenght again you will have to pull platform, you will find there's a 1' x 1'plate uderneath seat base, bolts go through it to help reinforce whole assembly.

Same for back seats, to add others you could just drive 6 screws into floor, but they will pull out in a short time.

You should pull floor and add a plate undereath floor to help spreading force to a larger area.

[Steve Bakken]

Valv's right on the money. We repair several floors a year where the seat base has been re-installed several times and failed to hold. Like he said the only way to keep the base in place is to put in an aluminum plate. As for the one that already pulled out, if it is a factory installed seat, there should already be a plate under it. Just rotate the base a little and pre drill new holes into it.

[Guest]

I had surprisingly good luck on reanchoring front pedistal screws one time in the past(on my own boat) by drilling out the holes and using wall anchors(plastic type). I did it for a quick last minute fix(for a weekend trip) and it lasted for a couple seasons and didnt show any sign of failure after the second season.

I do not recommend this for any long term repair, but it can save a fishing trip. Steve said the best way to go about it with the least amount of work.. pull the screws and rotate the base.. but the most permanent fix would be to pull the deck and back it with metal as others have stated, if you go that route use stainless machine head screws and stainless lock nuts to avoid rust, and the nuts wont rattle off. It is no fun to be that guy in the front of the boat when the base gives. It happened to me in a friends boat and I had a shotgun in hand when I fell backwards(duck hunting).

I have found that much of the time when those screws start to pull, the wood on the deck is getting soft so a secondary anchoring material other than the deck itself will hold the screws longer(backing plate, etc).