One of my upcoming projects is setting up a dedicated “Boat Office” on board SY Colette. While we have the navigation station and the salon table, I want to integrate a proper office space into one of the aft cabins or the V-berth. To me, an “office” means a stable seat and a compact workspace with enough room for a keyboard and mouse, plus a mounting bracket for at least one large external monitor.
It sounds simpler than it is. Fortunately, thanks to AI, searching for specialized hardware has become much easier, even when you don’t know the exact technical terms.
The Seating
I am currently torn between two different concepts. The first is a swing-out stool mounted to a vertical surface that can be tucked away when not in use. I first saw this design on a Sirius Yacht. Unfortunately, the shipyard wouldn’t reveal their source and showed little interest in selling me the part separately, I guess they aren’t interested in “small fry” business.
However, I’ve tracked down several international manufacturers and suppliers. Interestingly, many of these “swing-away” seats are actually designed for high-security environments like correctional facilities. I had no idea that was such a huge market, particularly in the US.
One of the best sources I found is Crown Ltd.
It’s close, but not quite what I’m looking for yet. I also explored some DIY approaches using pipe fittings, but the leverage forces (torque) on the mounting point are enormous. For safety reasons, I’d prefer a professionally engineered solution.
Race it!
The second concept involves a bucket seat—similar to a racing seat—mounted on a base that both swivels and tilts. Thinking about it, it’s basically a high-end office chair. I would install a flush-mount socket in the floor for the pedestal so the entire seat remains removable for passage making.
Seating Alternatives
Of course, there is always the simple route: a minimalist office stool that isn’t too bulky and can be easily stowed away. Something like the Aeris Muvman chair comes to mind, it’s ergonomic and takes up very little footprint.
Some actual Sources:
- Aeris Muvman Chair
- Vinsetto Chair
- Springfield Base
- Wall Mount Swing Out
- EWD Chair
- Freeflow Chair
- Many Telescope Shaft tubes
Hier ist die Übersetzung des zweiten Teils für deinen Segel-Blog, wobei ich den technischen Fokus beibehalten und maritime Begriffe (wie „Locker“ für Backskiste) verwendet habe:
PC Boat Office Desk
Once the seating is sorted, we need to talk about the workspace itself. My goal is to avoid cluttering the cabin entirely, a real challenge on a 40-foot boat. Larger vessels usually offer “nooks” that make it easy to install a standard desk, but here we have to get creative.
Why not just use the Nav Station? Mostly because it’s usually too cramped for a 4K monitor with proper viewing distance, and the seating ergonomics are rarely suitable for long working hours.
I’ve found a few interesting solutions, though I’m skeptical about their durability in a salty, marine environment. The keywords here are “Wall-mounted workstation” or “Mobile PC workstation.” While monitor mounts are a dime a dozen, my focus is on a high-quality fold-away desk.
To be honest, most of these off-the-shelf solutions look a bit flimsy for use on a boat. I’m leaning towards a custom plug-in solution or a permanent built-in fixture. Most aft cabins follow a similar layout: you have to manage headroom carefully because the cockpit lockers (Backskisten) often protrude into the cabin space. However, looking at the measurements of a Jeanneau SO380, it’s surprisingly spacious.
The Vision
To illustrate the setup: the cabin door will be replaced by a fabric “curtain” door. The bed and the existing interior structure will be removed. Depending on which side we choose (starboard or port), the diesel tank is usually located there—it’s coming out anyway. Instead of the bed frame, I’ll install a dedicated storage system to the left of the workstation. Exactly how that will look remains to be seen.
You see a aft cabin of a Jeanneau SO380. Why? Because I have the meassures. In the second picture you see the Corner Desk, on the left the swinging Desk with foldable stand and the chair. The dotted line is the limited cabin height based by the cockpit locker. The dotted line on the desk shows the second layer under the desk to store the laptop or PC or beer cans. And last but not least the total view, enozghg space to work!
The page is added to SY-Colette projects.