Amel 55 - captain's seat
|
Hello,
I just got an Amel after owning X-Yachts and Albin Express before. Has any of.the other Amel 55 owners made any modifications to the captain's seat? With my 185cm height it's really to small for me to sit comfortably. There is no way to adjust the seat.. My back starts to hurt when sailing.... That's not good. It seems the seat is designed for smaller french people. Sorry guys. :-) I wonder if any other owners recognise this problem. Kind regards, Joan Amel55
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Alex BAIZEAU
We might be small but probably smart enough to try to sit at the helm once before spending a million dollar on a boat. Sorry guys :-)
On Tue, Nov 23, 2021 at 2:09 AM Joan Blaas <joan.blaas@...> wrote: Hello,
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
PAOLO CUNEO
Hi all,
Nice and amusing the exchange between Joan and Alex . I am Italian and, according to the current stereotype, presumably even smaller than a Frenchman. As it is, I happen to be 187 cm, and the helm seat of my SM, which seemed acceptable to me 12 years ago when I bought it, is starting to give me serious problems especially on long overnight passages. Short, if someone has modified the seat or found a way to replace it with one of the slightly more ergonomic ones on the market, while maintaining the convenience of the folding table, I would be interested to know. Bests Paolo Cuneo SM 454 Whisper Inviato da iPad -- Paolo Cuneo SM 454 Whisper
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Alex, I guess you are right! I felt in love with the Amel too quickly. But it's definitely not a one night stand so I need to find a comfortable seating position.:-)
Joan Amel55 - Caconano
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Nice to see all the humour and good spirit here. Let me add to this thread to show we are all different, and possible Captain Henry did get it right. I am 6ft3in / 1.93m tall and for me that Amel SM2K "Captain's Chair" was simply fantastic! Being taller, what I always did was to remove the Amel original rear back support cushion making me totally comfortable, and in tight manoeuvring situations (eg at the start of the video link below at notorious Dolphin Lagoon pass in the Maldives), or to get more breeze in hot sweltery tropics such as Maldives/ Chagos Areas, and parts of SE Asia, was to sit on the rear on top of the backrest where vision was great and breezes cooled one down nicely. The Admiral and some of our shorter crew (in the Indian and South Pacific Ocean crossings) also always had their favourite comfort positions in that chair too by immediately replacing the backrest cushion, and/or adding some of the copious numbers of small sofa cushions we had on the yacht to keep them from slipping in the chair. We all loved that chair! Being a tall person, the only slight gripes I ever had with the Amel SM design was the length of the bunks and rear bed (we changed it to a sideways large King bed, and loved that), and also the Amel original Bimini being a bit low, with no forward vision/window/airflow over the top of the windscreen. This was easily solved by lifting the front profile of the bimini to create more head height, and most importantly to create a window looking over the top of the windscreen. Should we ever purchase another Amel SM, if we are lucky enough to find a good one when the time comes, then I would immediately add a very nicely designed cockpit hardcover system for better sun/rain/heat protection. That, and the above two items is all I would change! Colin ex Amel SM2K SV Island Pearl II
On Wed, Nov 24, 2021 at 8:31 AM Joan Blaas <joan.blaas@...> wrote: Alex, I guess you are right! I felt in love with the Amel too quickly. But it's definitely not a one night stand so I need to find a comfortable seating position.:-) --
Colin Streeter 0411 016 445
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Joan, I'm sorry you're having trouble with the A55 helmsman seat. I'm 5'10" and find the seat quite comfortable. When sailing longer distances heeled, I often sit sideways in the seat with my feet up on the cockpit table and have a number of small sofa cushions in my back to increase comfort.
If the moderators permit, I'd also would like to make a point of order. I personally find it annoying that many questions about an issue or problem with the newer boats on this forum draw an answer from one or more of the many owners of older boats to the effect that their boats are really very superior and don't have the particular issue or problem the newer boats have. I think this site could really do without those types of comments. They do not help us all improve our experiences with our boats, clutter up the site and make it more difficult to find the answers we're looking for. I eliminated the SM from my consideration after being on one for a couple of hours. But I'm not trashing the SM because something I didn't like about it. Just my five cents. Joerg Esdorn A55 #53 Kincsem Currently in La Rochelle
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Bruno COTTE
Agreed totally I am a little bit more than 6 foot and no problem at the wheel of my A 55#63
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
As Sup up I consider the 54 better than the super maramu and the 55 better than the 54. With the A 60 and A 60 there is a change of global philosophy so it is almost impossible to compare …. Envoyé de mon iPhone
Le 24 nov. 2021 à 17:54, Joerg Esdorn via groups.io <jhe1313@...> a écrit :
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
I am sure that Judy and I are not alone with what we did on passages. Most of the time we were not in the SM helm seat, rather we sat elsewhere in the cockpit. That said, we appreciated the design and engineering of the SM helm seat in heavy weather and especially a cyclone. That basic design is the foundation of the helm seat design for the SN, 54, 55, 64, 50, and 60. The 50 & 60 have the added features of an adjustable and swivel helm seat. The progression from the SM to the 50/60 helm seat is very clear to me. Each new Amel model improved the original helm seat from the previous models. Some unique and especially beneficial designs and features in all Amel models are not immediately understandable. In fact, some of them took me years to completely understand. This is the helm seat on an Amel 54. This photo says much about the Amel Helm Seat. 
On Wed, Nov 24, 2021 at 9:08 AM Bruno COTTE <cotte.bruno@...> wrote:
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Hi all,
The support of the seat on the photo is a cheap improvisation and will be exchanged for a more solid model, also of course adjustable in height. After a lot of fiddling we have fixed the original table with a single central table support (stainless steel) on the hatch of the engine compartment. The counter base of the screw connection consists of a larger aluminium plate below the sandwich of the engine compartment hatch. Table and table leg together are removable after loosening a clamping screw. We were able to continue using all elements of the original Amel 54 table: aft support, side extension and side extension support. To be honest we will replace the original table top with a lightweight top by opportunity as the whole construction is quite heavy. The hatch to the engine compartment can be opened with the table folded down, whereby the opening angle is somewhat smaller than originally: the table will hit the mast at a certain angle. Alternatively you can take away the table and the hatch will open as usual. Mago del Sur - 54#40
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Justin Maguire
Nice! Great work.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
And we love the seat on the 50… it super comfortable. I’m 6’1”
On Nov 29, 2021, at 04:50, Martin Birkhoff <mbirkhoff@...> wrote:
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Hi Martin,
Your helm seat solution looks great. I particularly like it because you have chosen original Amel parts. With the 55 the helm seat is fitted on top of the extended cockpit port bench. So we can fit a seat pedestal but have to look for a low adjustable swivel or something. Do you know the exact model of your Besenzoni chair (the one used on the 50)? Thanks, Joan - Caconano A55#5
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
PAOLO CUNEO
Well done Martin.
I am trying to visually adapt your 54 cockpit arrangement to my SM but probably is feasible. It is not entirely clear to me from the picture how you manage the table stand and the table itself when not in use. Is the stand permanently in place behind the seat and the table top resting vertical against it? And, is the stand mounted off center in respect of the table top? Many thanks Paolo Cuneo SM 454 Whisper Inviato da iPad -- Paolo Cuneo SM 454 Whisper
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Hi Joan, hi Paolo, the model is Besonzoni Pilot Seat P 246 Amel (meaning special width) fabric: silvetek graphite Logo: Amel If you look to the catalogue you will not find exactly this helm seat. It is a variation of the Helm Seat P 246 Smile. The armrests of the P 246 Amel have been positioned a little further out by means of some spacers. We ordered ist via info@...
The table stand and the table is permanently in place behind the seat and the table top is resting vertical against it. The stand is mounted off center in respect of the table top. Folded up, the table top is in the same position as originally, currently Marina di Ragusa, Sicily
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
PAOLO CUNEO
Hi Martin,
Many thanks, a very comprehensive explanation. If I am not asking too much of your patience, how do you manage helming in the stand up position? Has the seat a back-folding bottom cushion or there is enough space left to stand at the wheel? Bests Paolo Inviato da iPad -- Paolo Cuneo SM 454 Whisper
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Hi Paolo,
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
PAOLO CUNEO
Hi Martin,
Now everything is clear. Many thanks once again and fair winds Paolo SM 454 Whisper -- Paolo Cuneo SM 454 Whisper
|
|||||||||||
|
|
