Trojan Boat Forum

I am 5 foot 7 1/2 inches [used to be 5 foot eight but the forward force of my gut has pulled me shorter... ] , recently on an evening cruise while piloting from the inside steering station , F36 ,[usually I'm up on the fly bridge, but had some guests in the aft cockpit], while [properly trimmed, I think], I was momentarily startled, coming too close for comfort, by/to a small run-about. I had thought I was keeping a sharp eye out but I guess the visibility [from so close to the cabin floor ] is less than adequate. I had thought about perhaps putting together a small maybe 12 inch x 14 inch, by 4" high cherry or teak platform to stand on [which I could stow when not in use]. I have also thought about purchasing some sort of platform or directors chair, but I don't want it to take up much space.

Anybody have any bright ideas? [besides telling the middle aged guy with a receding hair-line and expanding waist-line to lose weight and pilot from the fly bridge ]

Edited:

It's always harder to see from inside the cabin, that's one reason other than the solitude of being up top that I always pilot from the bridge. The visual from inside the S/B side doesn't give an equal view from all over. Besides, you may fall off a step and injure yourself.

Don't worry about your height, be a MAN and pilot from the bridge!

Edited

I never use the lower helm , ok once in 5 years .hate it can see much at stand still I would never see anything on plane .(I am 5'11" )

I have the same problem, Im 5 foot 5, and I thought about doing the same thing your thinking of, I was thinking about buying one of those director type chairs as well, but I always drive from up top unless its rainning or something like that, but a stool is a good idea, the visability is horrible when your short. I did a hundred mile trip from down below when I bought my boat along the NJ coast, and it was not fun. My boat is suppose to have foldable seating that you can use , it puts you higher than the normal height, but somewhere along the way someone removed everything, I suppose due to room. So maybe next year Ill get something like a stool but it would have to have some type of rubber mounts as everything else slides around

A stool will put you on tail end , what ever you use it better be bolted down .

6' here and visibility from inside just don't get it.

short or tall the lower helm sucks for us all .

I love the lower helm, it's great during late fall Rockfishing season when its cold out!

willietrojan wrote:I love the lower helm, it's great during late fall Rockfishing season when its cold out!

Thats why I have heat up top

After getting used to piloting from the fly bridge, the lower helm won't cut it. Don't think it has anything to do with height, I'm 6'4" and don't like the limited view from the lower helm. I use it only when necessary, like in the rain, the only cover up top is the bimini, great for sun not so great for rain...........John

I agree with everyone... I took the wheel from down below a few weekends ago because the rain was crazy and we don't have a canvas for our bridge... I hated it! Felt blind, or like... i don't know..... just blind, even though I had full visibility. I finally put on my slicker and ran from the bridge in the rain! And yet, I know that the previous owner of our boat ran almost exclusively from down below. Go figure

I agree the lower seems to now be a waste of space. I was out on the Chesapeake bay Labor day and it was nasty out went to the lower helm after getting hit buy a 4/5 footer that i couldn't see back up top I went.