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Removable Bow gate seat...do you use it?

Benni Newbie

Benni Newbie

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In the beginning stages of purchasing a 22 S series Bennington. Do you use the extra bow gate seat? Can you move it to the side of the boat if you want to use the front gate without it getting in the way?
 
Ours is kept in front of the port gate, blocking its use but we board from the bow. If we not not pulling tubers etc. we sometimes move it to the stern position useful for meals etc.
 
Yes we do use it ! Also for storage. It came with our boat. Kinda figure how many people you will have on board and go from there on this one. Not really needed !
 
We have had it on 2 boats and wouldn't have one without. We leave in the front for wrap around seating and love it!
 
We got one and had it on the boat our first season. We rarely had enough people on board to fill EVERY seat, and then need it. Since it blocks one of the two doors, we took it off the boat this past season. We didn’t notice its absence.

However, only you know how many people you will typically have on your boat. If you are worried about being short on seating, its a great option. However, if you don’t think you will need it 90+% of the time, it might not be worth the costs.
 
My wife use's it for a foot rest . I would order another on a new build
 
We liked the look and idea of the bow gate seat, but we were worried that it would be in the way at times and kind of big to move around or take on and off the boat. My wife wanted something to put her feet on, so we ordered the smaller ottoman/cooler instead. It will work as a small seat in a pinch and she also likes to use the cooler as her own storage space.
 
Our lab and son love to be up front when underway. When the boat is on the lift I leave the aft and port gate open for air flow. We currently have plenty of seating for the three of us so for us it is not needed.
 
Love our bow seat that we use on the port side door!
 
I have had it on my last three boats because we use it. I will also concede the fact that from a appearance standpoint that it completes the bow look. But at $800 net,if you are not sure yet price it into your deal as an option and tell your ordering dealer that you are going to wait a season and let him know. They sell them as add on routinely.
 
Jack M said:
My wife use's it for a foot rest . I would order another on a new build
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That’s how ours is used. The wife uses it for storage, and for an ottoman right in front of the co-captain’s chair. It does look nice when it’s up front, creating the wraparound seating. We can’t leave it there as that is the main gate used for boarding the ship. ;)
 
We keep ours in the bow gate. Makes for a nice seating area, less cramped in the corners.
 
We have a bow seat really like it. I hardly ever need to get at the stern on the pontoon so we moved it there. I like how it now looks like a wrap around seating area, instead of two separate areas to sit. Our bow door gets used as our main entry because of the dock shape so we couldn’t put it there. The seat also looks nice in front of the port side door, which we also never use. I’m really glad we purchased it with the new pontoon because a new seat added later might be a different color due to fading. It also has storage under the seat, bonus.
 
Our bow seat came with our 2007 2575RL when we bought it last year. My brother always had it in place, but he stored the boat in a boathouse and everyone boarded through the port gate. I took the seat out and haven't missed it.
  • We trailer everywhere, so access to the boat via the front ladder/gate is mandatory.
  • It doesn't fit snugly in the port door (6" gap) and we use that door often when docking
  • Doesn't fit in the stern door.
  • When my wife and I are fishing (which is admittedly rare) we will often go through the bow or stern gates to stand on the front platform or rear ski deck - so the seat would be in the way (our boat isn't really configured for fishing - casting over the side seats is not effective)
  • This summer we had 16 people on the boat (8 adults, 8 grandkids ages 2 to 13). Since the grandkids were happy everywhere but the seats, we didn't need more seating (try telling 8 grandkids "I need everyone to sit down!" They just sit on the floor.). Anyway, all three gates were used constantly for wild leaping into the water!
  • We've occasionally had a half-dozen adult friends on for sunset cruises. Might have been nice to have a bow seat I guess, except we boarded in a slip and most of them boarded through the front gate.
  • I can see it would be nice to have 3 seats around the front table - if only we ever used the front table!
  • If we ever have a more crowded adult sunset cruise, I might put it in...
But all in all, for my uses as outlined above, I don't think its worth it, but I'm OK with having it just in case.
 
Ours looks really good in the boat barn on the shelf. Was not a good decision for us. Would love to find it a new home!!!!
 
CapKaz said:
Ours looks really good in the boat barn on the shelf. Was not a good decision for us. Would love to find it a new home!!!!
Click to expand...
Put it in the "for sale" section with a picture.
 
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