A pedestal extender improves visibility from our flybridge helm
Our 1990 Sabreline 36 powerboat has two pedestal seats on the flybridge. We have a full canvas enclosure up there so unless the weather is really bad, we tend to drive from the upper helm when cruising. The windshields are rigid, clear polycarbonate panels that run up from a small, tinted Venturi windshield to the canvas top above. When it is nice outside, we open the side and back windows to let in the breeze. With canvas up front and the structure of the Venturi, I found that while sitting in the helm seat my line of sight just off the bow was inhibited. I used to pile cushions up on top of my helm seat which worked in a pinch but wasn’t ideal. I looked into replacing the pedestal with a taller one, but it would be a big job as in order to unbolt the base you have to open up the ceiling liner below in the cabin. Then I found a pedestal extender sold online that looked like it would work.
The pedestal extender made by Arrigoni Design fits over any standard 2 7/8″ pedestal and raises the seat by six inches. I purchased two of them and had them shipped to me. Once on the boat installation was simple. You loosen up the helm chair and take it off the pedestal. Then insert a piece of protective plastic that comes with the extender, slide the extender on the post, and tighten it in place with a wrench, simple. The seat then slides right on top of the extender and can still be adjusted like it always has. I put the extenders on both flybridge seats which took less than five minutes.
Sitting in my now 6” higher helm seat, the visibility was much improved as I was looking cleanly through the clear windshield sections not into the venturi transition. I can still reach the wheel, throttles, and controls easily. In fact, it is more comfortable than before. The seat feels solid, it is not wobbly at all, just conveniently higher. I found that at my 5”10” height on the new taller seat, my feet could not rest comfortably on the ground, so I bought a footrest with a collar. Arrigoni sells footrests which look nice but the companion seat on my flybridge already had a Todd footrest so I went to our local chandler Fisheries Supply and bought one that matched. The footrest has a stopper ring and then just slides down over the post (you have to briefly take the pedestal extender off to get the footrest on). The footrest height is adjustable, and it can be swung around as we often turn the helm seats to face aft when we are relaxing or entertaining on the bridge dockside.
The pedestal extenders we installed not only made cruising more comfortable when underway but greatly increased safety as we can spot debris in the water more easily. Because our primary cruising area is the Pacific Northwest it is imperative to keep a consistent watch forward for debris in the water. Especially during large tidal cycles there can be sticks in the water and sometimes even trees or stumps. A true dead head is a water-saturated log that lingers just under the surface and can be hit even while keeping watch as it can’t be seen, which occasionally happens. More commonly boats hit debris on the surface because they weren’t watching carefully enough. I have over the years hit both surface debris and once a submerged dead head. Fortunately, the dead head was laying horizontally so it glanced off my hull with a thud but without damaging it. I throttled back to neutral and watched as it briefly rolled up into the wake behind us, where I caught a glimpse of it before it submerged again to continue as an unseen menace. I checked the bilges and systems and then throttled back up. Luckily it did not hit the prop, so we were spared a major issue. On a different occasion I did manage to hit some floating debris which I should have stayed clear of. We had minor prop damage but were able to get home with only a slight vibration on one side. A diver pulled the props and confirmed the damage which our local prop shop was able to repair. I can’t say that I wouldn’t have hit that branch if I had installed the seat extenders before that time, but I might not have. The increased clear visibility with the higher pedestals definitely helps.
If you have a 2 7/8″ pedestal mounted seat that needs to be higher in order to improve visibility, or you just want a taller chair, pedestal extenders are an easy way to give yourself a boost. The fact that this was one of the easiest improvement projects I’ve done onboard was nice too.
https://www.arrigonidesign.com
