Association Forum - Interior cushion advice needed.

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Interior cushion advice needed.

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Page: of 2

Unsinkable2
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
273 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 08:03:55

I had new cushions and coverings professionally made at a local marine upholsterer when I bought Unsinkable2 last year. We switched out the old open cell foam for closed cell foam, which made a big difference in comfort and durability.

We used sunbrella fabric, and were advised not to use a striped pattern due to the amount of material that would have to be wasted in getting all the stripes to line up.

We also used vinyl on the backs/bottoms for two reasons - vinyl is better at repelling moisture and is cheaper than sunbrella. I discovered a small water leak coming out of my anchor locker late last summer, which sent a trickly of water running under the vberth cushions for several weeks before I found it. The vinyl held up beautifully to this leakage.

Only mistake I made was in choosing the color. A 2" swatch simply is not big enough to really see what something is going to look like. Rather than post a picture, let's just say my boat is a 70's era boat and I unintentionally achieved a "period feel" with my retro-decorating... (ok, it's not that bad, but I should have asked some more artistic folks for their help.)

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 08:45:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by StSimon
 Dave,... Do you remember the Sunbrella you used and did you reuse or buy new the backs and bottoms?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I just looked at their site, and I think it was "Linen Champaign". (Linen is the texture.) It had a soft but substantial feel, and wasn't starkly plain. I used the same texture and different color in Sarge. The bottoms were new vinyl, and the seat backs were fabric on both sides.

We added an inch to the thickness of the foam bottoms, and had a fiber mat put on top of the foam for a little more of a furniture feeling. The foam was medium-firm, open-cell. IMHO, closed-cell is too hard for sleeping on--it's more for exterior cushions to keep the water out and to serve as emergency flotation.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/25/2009 08:55:15

glen
Captain

Members Avatar

359 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 09:56:02

Mike is right about the 2” swatch. One solution (a bit pricey but you will be living with your color choice for years to come) is to purchases one yard of material in the color you think you want. You can place the fabric over the existing cushions, and look at it for a few days. This will help you to determine if it is right for you.

Edited by - on

Unsinkable2
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
273 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2009 : 16:28:00

Glen, I wish you had said that one year ago when I was squinting at my 2" swatch of hidden nostalgia...

Dave is right about the closed cell being firmer than the open cell, but that's what I prefer. You can try laying on a section of the foam at an upholstery shop.

The fact that these closed cell cushions float might actually give my Catalina 25 positive buoyancy in the event of the unthinkable. For the good of the group I am willing to lend them to anyone who wants to test that theory with someone else's boat :)

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

Members Avatar

359 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 08:56:40

Mike for my boat, with all the STUFF I have on board, I would need very thick closed cell cushions to keep her afloat. Very thick, very very thick
As far as someone testing the feel of the closed cell foam. If they can get one of those small stadium cushions (the ones that usually have a sports team on maybe a John Deer logo painted on them), or find one of those pads sold for when you are kneeling in the garden, these are typically closed cell. But testing the comfort level with one of them, would probably be like judging your entire interior design from that 2 inch fabric swatch

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 10:59:42

Glen,

I think there are differences between closed cell pads. I think I was the last holdout for closed cell pads in the canoeing world. Everyone else went over to self-inflating "thermarests"

Anyway, these closed cell foamies: http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442629338&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302701645&bmUID=1238082581793 are super comfy.

These ones, not so much: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___41312

I guess it depends on your measure of comfort. We use the Z-rest on top of Catalina's stock cusions.

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

Members Avatar

359 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 13:54:38

Chris you right, there are different grades of closed cell foams, as well as applications for there use. Some of these foams are quit comfy, but they tend to get pricy. The ones we have for our cockpit (I would have to look up what desisity they are) are 1.5” thick, and I find them comfortable but they can’t compared to the softness of the original open cell ones. If you laminate a thin layer of closed cell foam to the original open cell (assuming the old original cushions are open cell, and have worn down, or bottomed out), it probably will add a considerable amount of firmness and comfort to them. However this lamination would most likely not be buoyant, and would absorb moisture if left out in the rain. For the most part we put our cockpit cushions below, but when we are cruising they will often be left out.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2009 : 20:35:27

I thought I would finally drop in with our non-Sunbrella fabric choice. I has held up well so far. edit: the pattern is the same color as the rest of the fabric, but the weave is different.

Edited by - Dave5041 on 03/26/2009 20:37:37

Page: of 2

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.