This is a little like magic. We start with a picture of the starboard settee.

And below is the table that can be made to appear in this spot.

There is more to this table than is immediately obvious. This picture is taken from the forward cabin. In the foreground to the left is the locker containing shelves that used to be the hanging locker. The life jacket bag is sitting on the starboard quarter berth and forms the seat back for the person facing forward. More agonizing details follow.

Normally, I do not single hand with flowers and wine glasses out. This particular occasion is at a mooring (more on the Marionette Traveling Mooring System in another story) in Nantucket Harbor awaiting the Admiral's arrival by ferry. The table is actually the top of the starboard settee seat locker which originally was hinged to the back part of the top of the locker. It is now hinged to a custom made table panel you can see laying against the backrest of what otherwise is the settee back rest. The fiddles have integral small wood pins that press fit into holes drilled into the sides of the table.

Now the tricky part. In the first picture above, the afore mentioned table panel is folded back up underneath and against the settee seat. In the second picture it is nearly vertical with its outer edges resting on the inset edges of the seats. This panel forms the very sturdy 'back legs' of the table. The front leg is that mahogany post you can barely see at the front. It has a 'peg' that locks into the underside of the front edge of the table.

A press fit wood pin with a mahogany knob locks the leg to the front panel of the seat locker. Another of these pins lock the aft starboard edge of the table into the edge of the vertical panel you can just see aft of the VHF radio. In the first picture these pins lock the settee seat back into this same verticle panel. That mahogany filler board at the back just fits neatly in the gap made by the hinged table and the panel.

This set up gives cozy seating for two, generous dining for one or a chart table. But, suppose you are having 1 or 2 guests. Now what?

 You might have noticed the two white tabs sticking out below the panel? So, now we will set up the table for 3 or 4! Behind the removable mahogany filler there are cutouts in the seat backrest just the size of these tabs. You remove the pin holding the table to the vertical panel below the radio, remove the fore and aft fiddles, and the mahogany filler at the rear. Lift the table top, flattening out the hinged panel so you now have a larger table top. The front table leg peg fits into another hole in the bottom of the extended table. Replace the pin in the vertical panel under the radio so it now holds the edge of the larger table. Replace the short fiddles with longer fiddles which also serve to stabilize the hinge joint - you can see the holes in the edge of the hinged panel that will accept the pegs from the longer fiddle. (NOTE: I never do do this in real life but I like to know I can. Because I never do it I don't have a picture, but stay tuned - I will get one)

Now you have Dolphin style cozy seating for 3 - 2 in the original seats and one on the port side end sitting on the single settee seat on the port side. For 4 people, 2 sit in the original seats, one sits on the lower step of the companionway and the fourth sitting on the life jacket duffle bag placed on the sole and facing aft! 

Normally, I do not single hand with flowers and wine glasses out. This particular occasion is at a mooring (more on the Marionette Mooring System in another story) in Nantucket Harbor awaiting the Admiral's arrival by ferry. The table is actually the top of the starboard settee seat locker which originally was hinged to the back part of the top of the locker. It is now hinged to a custom made table panel you can see laying against the the backrest of what otherwise is the settee back rest. When being used as a settee/seat locker this table panel folds up underneath and against the backside of the table and together they form the top of the seat. The fiddles have integral small wood pins that press fit into holes drilled into the sides of the table. Now the tricky part. In the picture above the table panel is nearly vertical with its outer edges resting on the inset edges of the seats. This forms the 'back legs' of the table. The front leg is that mahogany post you see at the front. It has a 'peg' that locks into the underside of the front edge of the table. A press fit wood pin with a mahogany knob locks the leg to the front panel of the seat locker. Another of these pins lock the aft starboard edge of the table into the edge of the vertical panel you can just see aft of the VHF radio. I'll get a picture of these 'pins' and their set up soon. The fiddles have integral wood pegs that press fit into the table top and hold them in position. That mahogany filler board at the back just fits neatly in the gap made by the hinged table and the panel. This set up gives cozy seating for two, generous dining for one or a chart table. But suppose you are having 1 or 2 guests. Now what? You might have noticed the two white tabs sticking out below the panel? There are actually 3 with the third tab out of view at the forward edge of the panel. So, now we will set up the table for 3 or 4!

Behind the removable mahogany filler there are 3 cutouts in the seat backrest just the size of these tabs. You remove the pin holding the table to the vertical panel below the radio, remove the fore and aft fiddles, and the mahogany filler at the rear. Lift the table top, flattening out the hinged panel so you now have a larger table top. The front table leg peg fits into another hole in the bottom of the extended table. Replace the pin in the vertical panel under the radio so it now holds the edge of the larger table. Replace the short fiddles with longer fiddles which also serve to stabilize the hinge joint - you can see the holes in the edge of the hinged panel that will accept the pegs from the longer fiddle. Now you have Dolphin style cozy seating for 3 - 2 in the original seats and one on the port side end sitting on the single settee seat on the port side. For 4, 2 in the original seats and one sitting on the lower step of the companionway and the fourth sitting on t