Bench Settee Alternatives

[LoudMusic]

For those of you blessed with boats large enough to have a bench settee opposite your dining settee, do you find it useful? Or is it just a catch-all for whatever was in your hands when you walked into the salon?

Would you be happier if that space was used for something else like more functional locker and shelving space? Maybe if it housed equipment or a workbench? Or better yet, a big screen TV and entertainment system?

As an example, here's a 50' Hunter layout with a bench opposite the dining.

[ctl411]

I like ours, nice place to stretch out and read in the evening. Good sea berth underway also have a pilot berth above it. The pilot does sometimes become a catch all.

[toddster8]

Same issue on a smaller boat, depending on crew size. I've already whittled my port settee down to love seat size by extending the chart table, and might at some point make it more of an easy chair by extending the galley. In a pinch, it can still be used as a berth by opening a door in the chart table, and sticking one's feet in there. But the issue has never come up.

The reciprocal issue is why would one or two people on something like a 36-er need that huge circular dinette on the other side, taking up half the boat?

But one does need to retain sufficient sea berths and lounging areas. As far as TV mounting, an HD projector and a pull-down screen might offer more flexibility. For example, you could reverse them, depending on which side of the boat you want to lounge on. VR goggles might make all of that obsolete anyway.

[LoudMusic]

Originally Posted by toddster8

Same issue on a smaller boat, depending on crew size. I've already whittled my port settee down to love seat size by extending the chart table, and might at some point make it more of an easy chair by extending the galley. In a pinch, it can still be used as a berth by opening a door in the chart table, and sticking one's feet in there. But the issue has never come up.

The reciprocal issue is why would one or two people on something like a 36-er need that huge circular dinette on the other side, taking up half the boat?

But one does need to retain sufficient sea berths and lounging areas. As far as TV mounting, an HD projector and a pull-down screen might offer more flexibility. For example, you could reverse them, depending on which side of the boat you want to lounge on. VR goggles might make all of that obsolete anyway.

Hey, I may be a nerd, but I'm not nerd enough to be caught wearing VR goggles

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by ctl411

I like ours, nice place to stretch out and read in the evening. Good sea berth underway also have a pilot berth above it. The pilot does sometimes become a catch all.

Our previous boat had pilot berths port and starboard. When we started cruising full time, they were re-purposed as PILE-IT berths!

Jim

[hafa]

I installed a lee cloth on the bench, which dramatically increased its usability. It now can be used as either additional stowage for crew gear or as a sleeping berth while underway.

[Scott Berg]

We removed the bench and replaced it with two marine swivel chairs; much better for sitting and reading/watching a movie/etc. Granted it's a larger boat but we really prefer them to the sittee and didn't need the extra berth