Tech Talk - Magnetic Cushions & Converting To Sandbar Mode On Heritage 251

Our Series of Boats
Resources
Discover Sportsman Design Studio Pricing Compare Store Find a Dealer →
Series

Open

9 Models • 21' → 40'

Built for families who want serious offshore capability, premium comfort and the freedom to fish, cruise or entertain.

Sportsman 402 center console boat with tower, white hull, and outboard engine in side profile view

Open 402

White center console fishing boat with hard-top canopy and outboard engine shown in side profile

Open 352

Blue and white Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, tan seating, and outboard engine shown in profile view

Open 322

Sportsman 302 center console boat with hard-top and outboard engine in gray and white hull

Open 302

Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, tan seating, and Yamaha outboard engine shown from starboard side

Open 282

Light blue Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, tan seating, and Yamaha outboard engine

Open 262

Sportsman 252 center console boat with turquoise hull, hard-top, and outboard engine in profile view

Open 252

Sportsman open center console boat with hard-top, outboard engine, and tan seating in blue and white hull design

Open 232

Blue and white Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, side profile view against white background

Open 212

Series

Heritage

4 Models • 23' → 32'

A refined crossover lineup designed for coastal cruising, ample seating, family days and some fishing when the moment calls for it.

Turquoise and white center console boat with hard-top and outboard motor, shown in side profile

Heritage 321

Turquoise and white center console fishing boat with hard-top, Yamaha engine, and tan seating viewed from the side

Heritage 261

Blue and white Sportsman center console boat with hard-top and outboard engine shown in profile view

Heritage 251

Sportsman Heritage 231 center console boat with hard-top, outboard engine, and tan seating in light blue and white

Heritage 231

Series

Masters

6 Models • 22' → 28'

Shallow-water performance, fishing-focused layouts and everyday comfort built for family life and fishing.

Hybrid Bay 1 Model

Perfect blend of offshore capabilities with inshore conveniences.

Side profile of a blue and white center console boat with hard-top and outboard engine

Masters 288

Traditional Bay 5 Models

Shallow-draft bay boats built around casting space, livewells and skinny-water fishing.

Blue and white Sportsman bay boat with Yamaha outboard engine and T-top against white background

Masters 267

Blue and white Sportsman center console fishing boat with Yamaha outboard motor and T-top shade structure

Masters 267OE

SportCraft Masters 247 bay boat with hard-top, Yamaha outboard engine, and tan seating viewed from the side

Masters 247

Sportsman center console bay boat with hard-top, Yamaha outboard engine, and tan seating viewed from the side

Masters 247OE

Sportsman 227 bay boat in turquoise and white with T-top, center console helm, and outboard motor in side profile view

Masters 227

 
Blog > Tech Talk - Magnetic Cushions & Converting To Sandbar Mode On Heritage 251

Learn how to set up sandbar mode on the Sportsman Heritage 251, position the aft bench cushions, and use magnetic cushions throughout the boat.

October 13, 2026
Tech Talk
Sportsman Heritage 251 boat docked in calm water with tan quilted seating visible
Michael Cheser
Marketing Content Supervisor
  • •
    The Heritage 251 replaces the previous independent pipe-and-receiver setup with a slide-in, slide-out mechanism that makes turning the aft seating toward the water quicker.
  • •
    When converting to sandbar mode, turn each cushion around and swap it to the opposite side so the port cushion ends up on starboard and the starboard cushion ends up on port, which keeps the bench aligned straight across the stern.
  • •
    Every horizontal cushion on the Heritage 251 is held by magnets instead of individual snaps, so you simply set each cushion in position and it stays secured even while underway.

A day on the water often includes more than one kind of boating. After reaching your favorite sandbar, the seating arrangement that worked for the ride out may need to change. On the Sportsman Heritage 251, the aft bench converts to sandbar mode, turning the seating toward the water behind the boat.

The Heritage 251 introduces an updated mechanism for making that change, along with magnetic attachment for all horizontal cushions throughout the boat.

A new way to turn the aft seating around

The Heritage series previously used independent pipes that fit into receivers on the deck to reposition the aft seating. The Heritage 251 replaces that arrangement with a slide-in, slide-out mechanism designed to make turning the seats around quicker.

The purpose remains the same: give the aft seating a second configuration for time at the sandbar. The change is in how you move between those configurations, with the updated mechanism simplifying the transition.

Getting the cushions in the right position

There’s one detail to remember when converting the bench: the port and starboard cushions switch sides.

Port is the boat’s left side when you’re facing the bow; starboard is the right. To arrange the cushions for sandbar mode:

  1. Remove the port-side cushion, turn it around, and place it on the starboard side.
  2. Turn the starboard-side cushion around and place it on the port side.
Group enjoying a Sportsman boat at a sandbar with dual Yamaha engines and mountains in background

That side-to-side swap keeps the cushions aligned straight across the back of the boat in the reversed configuration. Simply turning each cushion around and returning it to its original side misses an important part of the setup.

Magnetic cushions throughout the boat

Magnetic attachment extends beyond the aft bench. All horizontal cushions on the Heritage 251 use magnets to secure them in place, eliminating the need to fasten individual snaps. Position a cushion in its intended location, and the magnets hold it in place.

The convenience extends beyond setting up at the sandbar. These cushions are designed to remain secured during underway travel, making magnetic attachment part of the boat’s everyday seating system.

Woman in bikini relaxing on the bow of a boat in shallow turquoise water near a sandbar

Together, the updated seat mechanism and magnetic cushions make the aft seating easier to reconfigure. When it’s time for sandbar mode, the key detail is the cushion swap: turn them around, move them to opposite sides, and keep the bench aligned across the stern.