A LOOK AT SELECTION, CONSTRUCTION, INSTALLATION, USE AND MAINTENANCE OF FIGHING CHAIRS
by Jeff Merrill
Depending on who you talk to, what Web site you visit or book you read, most sportfishing historians credit John Rybovich with inventing the fighting chair back in 1933, when giant bluefin tuna were cruising regularly through Bimini and Cat Cay in the Bahamas. For decades the company bearing his name produced some of the most coveted fighting chairs on the market. Rybovich’s vision and design has also influenced the look, style and function of many of today’s fighting chairs.
Fighting chairs of today have evolved significantly from those produced in the pre-WWII era. Chairs built from marine plywood, aluminum and chrome-over-brass have given way to models of solid teak with stainless steel hardware, space age pedestal bearings, no-bolt rod holders and pedestals, and high-tech coatings that resist damage from salt spray and the sun’s harsh ultraviolet rays. Today’s larger sportfishing vessels with huge cockpits have even spawned the need for offset pedestals to allow rod tips to clear the corners of the cockpit. These improvements in materials, design and construction techniques now allow chair manufacturers’ to produce a quality product that’s not only functional and looks sharp, but one that also lasts for years in the brutal marine environment.
“The chairs we produce today are completely different from those we built just 15 years ago,” says Jim Dewberry of Release Marine, a company that has been building fighting chairs for over 30 years. “We’ve re-tooled almost all of our stainless steel hardware and added a no-bolt look. We also try to hide as many fasteners as we can,” adding Release Marine was the first company to offer a no-bolt pedestal. Mike Murray, whose company Murray Products has been building fighting chairs for nearly 40 years, says the chairs coming out of his shop today are indeed improved as well. “Back in the early ‘90s we used chrome-over-brass hardware. Today, all of the hardware is cast stainless steel for strength and durability.” Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Blue Water Chairs has 20-plus years in the chair business and Tom Ackel also acknowledges a switch from chrome-over-brass to stainless steel hardware and notes the finish used on their woodwork has improved as well. “The finish we apply now lasts substantially longer than what we used years ago.”
Though manufacturers we spoke with acknowledge a switch to stainless steel hardware and/or improvements in finish coatings as being the most significant changes in their chairs over the years, John Thiebeaud of Nautical Design says recent design modifications have been the most noteworthy difference in their chairs in 23 years the company has been in business. “We’ve really keyed in on compactness because there is a large market of big center console boats for which we have a unique application with our knock-down footrest, which saves space.” Thiebeaud also notes the economy is, indeed, having an impact on their business but not the impact that one might think. “With the downsizing of boats today people need to be concerned with getting as many features as they can in their chair,” he explained. “One of our key areas that we cater to is a compact chair that doesn’t sacrifice the features of a full-feature chair.”
Fighting chairs of today have evolved significantly from those produced in the pre-WWII era. Chairs built from marine plywood, aluminum and chrome-over-brass have given way to models of solid teak with stainless steel hardware, space age pedestal bearings, no-bolt rod holders and pedestals, and high-tech coatings that resist damage from salt spray and the sun’s harsh ultraviolet rays. Today’s larger sportfishing vessels with huge cockpits have even spawned the need for offset pedestals to allow rod tips to clear the corners of the cockpit. These improvements in materials, design and construction techniques now allow chair manufacturers’ to produce a quality product that’s not only functional and looks sharp, but one that also lasts for years in the brutal marine environment.
“The chairs we produce today are completely different from those we built just 15 years ago,” says Jim Dewberry of Release Marine, a company that has been building fighting chairs for over 30 years. “We’ve re-tooled almost all of our stainless steel hardware and added a no-bolt look. We also try to hide as many fasteners as we can,” adding Release Marine was the first company to offer a no-bolt pedestal. Mike Murray, whose company Murray Products has been building fighting chairs for nearly 40 years, says the chairs coming out of his shop today are indeed improved as well. “Back in the early ‘90s we used chrome-over-brass hardware. Today, all of the hardware is cast stainless steel for strength and durability.” Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Blue Water Chairs has 20-plus years in the chair business and Tom Ackel also acknowledges a switch from chrome-over-brass to stainless steel hardware and notes the finish used on their woodwork has improved as well. “The finish we apply now lasts substantially longer than what we used years ago.”
Though manufacturers we spoke with acknowledge a switch to stainless steel hardware and/or improvements in finish coatings as being the most significant changes in their chairs over the years, John Thiebeaud of Nautical Design says recent design modifications have been the most noteworthy difference in their chairs in 23 years the company has been in business. “We’ve really keyed in on compactness because there is a large market of big center console boats for which we have a unique application with our knock-down footrest, which saves space.” Thiebeaud also notes the economy is, indeed, having an impact on their business but not the impact that one might think. “With the downsizing of boats today people need to be concerned with getting as many features as they can in their chair,” he explained. “One of our key areas that we cater to is a compact chair that doesn’t sacrifice the features of a full-feature chair.”
