The chair that we describe here is a “moder­ately soft bottom chair. The fabric used is acrylic cover cloth. Lengths of two-inch and 1 inch nylon webbing, V-69 thread, #3 D-rings, Velcro, binding tape, and apiece of 1/2-inch thick closed cell foam padding are also needed. Bosun’s chairs do not have to be carefully fit, but you must be sure to make them big enough. The dimensions provided below will create a chair large enough for anyone under 230 pounds. If you need to hoist someone bigger than that, make up a test chair to determine proper dimensions. Construction Start with a length of two-inch webbing 80 inches long (see Figure 1). Cut it with a hotknife(which can be improvised easily by using a soldering iron or gun or even a wood burning tool) to seal the ends and to keep it from raveling. Fold over three inches at each end. Place the straight side of a #3 stainless D-ring in each fold and then sew the loops of webbing with a box of straight stitches and two diagonal straight stitches (the Box-X stitch - See Figure 1). This webbing will be the primary support strap.

Figure 1
The Primary Support Strap

Figure 2
Seat Panel Pattern

The seat assembly will be added to this strap. It is comprised of two pieces of fabric cut in accordance with the pattern (see Figure 2). Cut these out now. Fold over 1 /2-inch of cloth at all four 4-inch ends and sew these hems in place with a single row of straight stitches.

Figure 3
Securing the Primary Support
Strap to One Seat Panel
 

Place one of the fabric parts with its end hems down over the primary support strap so that one side of the strap is 1/2-inch inside the long edge of the fabric. Sew the two together with arrow of straight stitches down each long webbing edge (Stitch #1 in Figure 3).Then hem the two sloping sides of the fabric seat panel attached to the webbing. Fold 1/2-inch of the material over onto the webbing side and sew it in place with a single straight stitch (Stitch #2 in Figure 3).

Place two 22-inch lengths of 2-inch webbing at the center of this first seat panel and the attached webbing. These two lengths of webbing will form leg straps. They should be placed 90 degrees to the webbing support strap. Two inches of each should protrude forward beyond the webbing (see Figure 3). Do not sew anything yet.

Figure 4
Attaching the Second Panel

Now lay the other fabric seat panel directly on top of the panel/ webbing assembly. Turn this “stack” over carefully. The webbing should be on top with the seat panel to which it is attached next in the stack. Then there will be the webbing leg straps and, finally, the second seat panel on the bottom. Place a row of straight stitches 1/2-inch inside the long edge of the two seat panels (Figure 4). This will, of course, mean that the stitches will be right next to the webbing. A neater job will result if you use a zipper foot on your machine—which will enable sewing right next to the webbing edge.

Note that the leg strap webbing will be sewn in place with this strip. Separate the two layers of fabric and fold the two-inch lengths of the leg webbing down onto the primary strap. Sew them in place there with a Box-X stitch (see Figure 5).

Figure 5
Second Panel and Leg Straps
Folded Out of the Way to Secure
Ends of Leg Straps

Fold the bottom fabric piece all the way up and over the primary support webbing, sandwiching it neatly inside the two fabric pieces. Run two straight stitches from the corners of the 16-inch long sides of the panels to the longest edge as shown in Figure 6. Those stitches, as you will note, are perpendicular to that long edge.

Now secure the leg straps to the sides of the seat assembly. First slide a #3 D-ring onto them and down to the root of the leg straps at the center of the seat. This can be used as a downhaul tie point to keep the chair steady in a breeze or at sea. Rip the stitches for 3 inches along the edge just in front of the primary support webbing at a point 9 inches outside of the two straight stitches on each side of the center of the seat (see Figure 6). Insert both of the leg straps 2 inches into each one of these openings and stitch the seam shut again.

Figure 6
The Seat Back Installation

The seat back is installed next (see Figure 6). It is a 38-inch length of 2-inch webbing sewn inside the two fabric seat panels. Secure it at right angles to the long leading edge of the seat panel assembly using two rows of straight stitches along each webbing edge and sew through all the fabric layers with a Box-X stitch as shown in Figure 6. Locate the webbing so that it overlaps the ends of the leg webbing straps. Leave the last inch or so before you reach the open, sloping edges of the seat assembly unsewn so that a proper finishing hem can be installed when that edge is closed.

Try the chair for size now and make any necessary adjustments.

Slide the piece of 1/2-inch thick closed-cell foam into the seat bottom pocket. The foam should be a rectangle roughly 11 inches by 14 inches. Then sew the open side of the seat assembly shut with a row of straight stitches just 1/8-inch inside the two edges with their last 1/2-inch folded inside (see Figure 7). The sloping sides of one panel will already have been folded. You may find it easier to sew this final edge shut after carefully basting it with staples or pins.

The basic bosun’s chair is finished at this point. You may, however, want to embellish it with tool loops and pockets. The normal location for such additions is just under the back strap.

Tool loops can be made of 1-inch wide webbing. Cut an 18-inch length and sew its ends to opposite edges of the seat sides with several over-laid straight stitches. Then fasten the webbing at from four to eight points along its length, allowing it to hump up between stitches to form loops of a size appropriate for the tool you will be using (see Figure 8).

Pocket Assembly

Pockets are fashioned separately and then secured to the chair.

1. First cut out a piece of fabric using as a guide the dimensions in Figure 9.
2. Fold the material along line “A” and sew 1/2-inch inside each open edge “B”with straight stitches (Figure 10).
3. Measure 1” up from the folded edge and in from each stitch 1-inch. Make a small “X” on the fabric where these two measurements intersect on both sides of the pocket in each corner (Figure 11). Pull the sides of the pocket apart at the “X”marks opposite one another and run a row of straight stitches from “X”to “X” across the corner of the pocket (Figure 12). Do this at both corners.
4. Now turn the pocket inside out so that all hem allowances are hidden. Use a length of binding tape to protect the edges of the mouth of the pocket. Simply fold the binding in half along its length and use it to sandwich the raw edges. Sew the tape in place carefully with a zigzag stitch, if possible.
5. A short strip of Velcro tape can be separated and sewn to the pocket and to the flap of cover cloth to provide a closure (Figure 13).
6. Finally, sew the pocket to the bosun’s chair with several overlaid straight stitches, each roughly 1” long, running 4 or 5 inches down either side of the pocket under the edges of the flap. A row of straight stitches at the hinge line of the pocket will also help to secure it.