How to Choose a Barka Chair Pedestal
Barka chair pedestals come in fixed and adjustable versions and with a considerable range of heights and mounting systems. This document should explain the various options, so you can work out what’s best for your project.
Why adjust the height?
We offer both fixed and height adjustable seat pedestals. A fixed pedestal is inexpensive and ideal for many applications but an adjustable height pedestal can make a huge addition to your enjoyment of your boat. For example, it will let you adapt your helm position to the height of different crew members, you can set it high to improve close quarters visibility or lower it for better protection behind the coamings when you’re offshore.
How adjustable are they?
We have a pedestal that adjusts from as low as 220mm (from the floor to the seat base), to a maximum of 410mm. At the other end of the scale we can offer a huge range of 380 to 800mm, with many option in between.
What is the “stroke”?
“Stroke” is often mentioned in the world of pedestals and it’s simply the range of adjustability from the minimum to maximum height setting (or the horizontal distance in the case of a slider). So if a seat has a minimum height of, say, 400mm and a maximum of 600mm, the stroke is 190mm.
Manual, gas or electric adjustment?
A manually adjusted pedestal a requires you to lift the seat into position. A gas adjustable pedestal, like an office chair, uses the pressure of gas in a piston to raise the seat for you. The piston has a lifting force of around 25kg, which is sufficient to lift most seats when unoccupied. Both have the same end result but as a manual pedestal requires a little more effort to operate, gas is probably the choice if you expect to adjust your seat on a regular basis.
Barka electric chair pedestals are used on high-end luxury yachts and commercial vessels and they come with a 12V or 24V power supply. Typically with a larger post diameter, they have the capability to lift up to 250kg – enough for bigger, heavier seats and with the occupier in situ. They can be stopped at any position within their stroke range. You’ll need a 3 position switch (up/down/return to zero) which is not included.
Single handle or two-handle?
Some of our manual chairs come with a single handle which locks or unlocks the height and swivel function at the same time. Other manual chairs and all our gas versions have one handle for the height and another for the swivel function, with the swivel handle on a long spindle so it can be operated while seated. A two handled version will add to the price but also adds convenience.
Do they swivel?
With the exception of our electric versions all our helm pedestals, even the fixed height versions, have the ability to rotate 360 degrees. This makes great use of space by incorporating a helm seat into a social zone. When fishing, the swivel function can be invaluable.
Can I adjust the reach to the helm?
A Barka seat slider option will enable the seat to move up to 190mm (depending on the model chosen) for precise adjustment of your reach to the wheel – or your dining table!
Can my chair pedestal be easily removed or relocated?
A stowable chair pedestal is not permanently attached to its base, so you can reposition it into another base elsewhere on board, or simply remove it altogether.
Do pedestals absorb shock from the waves?
Many gas pedestals have spring loading which provide some extra comfort in lumpy conditions: please check the product description of your chosen pedestal for more details.
How do they fit to my boat and what are the options?
Mounting to the floor or the deck
The simplest option is a conical shaped base, permanently attached to the bottom of the pedestal and fitted to the floor with 5 large screws.
Removable chair pedestals usually come with a recessed base which needs a hole cut into the deck of approx. 100mm width 70mm depth. Please check the relevant diagram for current specifications. When fitted with a blanking plug (available as an option) the base sits almost flush with the deck, so it won’t be a trip hazard.
Pedestals with protrusions are a special design that provide a particularly large stroke or a particularly low minimum setting. To achieve this, space will be needed below deck to allow part of the pedestal to project downwards. Again, please check the specifications that we provide against the relevant models.
Fitting to your pedestal your seat (top plate)
Principally, you need to decide whether you want your seat to be in a fixed fore and aft position or you’d prefer it to be adjustable, in which case you’ll need a slider. Some pedestals only come with a fixed plate but many others have a choice of fixed or sliding versions. Make sure the plate you choose fits the underside of your chair. Barka moulded chairs need a special rectangular plate or slider, which we supply, and we also carry universal fit plates and sliders for other chair brands. Dimensions and hole patterns are provided for every option.