An elder-care product updates a good old boat
Issue 102 : May/Jun 2015
My 1983 Catalina 36, Tao, was a great choice at a great price, but I’ve often looked with longing at those cool open transoms on other boats. The problem is, I’d have to buy a newer boat at four to five times the price to get that extra feature. I kept looking for a similar solution and finally found it.
I’ve seen add-on transom steps, but they add to the boat’s LOA (and therefore possibly marina dues) and can give rise to problems in following seas. Browsing the Internet for solutions, I stumbled onto folding shower seats for the home. Most of these fold down when not in use, with the support brackets below the seat. That wouldn’t work. Then I found a Serena shower seat that folds up to stow and is rated to hold up to 350 pounds. It’s made of teak with aluminum hardware. At about $180 (including shipping and tax), it fit my cost profile.
Once the seat arrived, I spent a long time measuring and re-measuring, getting the dinghy up under it, checking angles, and finally took the leap and drilled holes. I put backing plates inside the transom and bolted it on. I then added the extra step on the ladder’s hinge and put on the non-slip treads.
The seat comes with six teak slats: three on the back, three on the seat itself. I decided to leave the backrest slats off. I can use them as replacements if the three in use get damaged. I could also someday replace the teak slats with Starboard or another material.
My Catalina 36 has about a 15-degree reverse transom, which is great because the lowered seat tilts just a bit toward the boat, assuring a more secure platform. The seat/step is 18 inches wide, 15 inches deep, and fits perfectly. It is large enough to sit on comfortably. The seat doesn’t latch, it just tensions when closed. If it tends to open when in use, I can add a latch.
I like this outcome enough that I plan to add a second step/seat on the starboard side. It will balance the look, allow for two people to be back there, and provide access from both sides of the swim ladder.
Daniel Jordan is a latecomer to sailing who just retired after a 34-year career and plans to make up for lost time. A two-week Windward Islands charter and a cruise from the Channel Islands to San Diego on their good old Catalina 36, Tao, are coming up. “Maybe we’ll go wherever the wind blows,” he says.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
