full cockpit cushions needed

[rszobel]

where is the best place to get fabric cockpit cushions (with snaps) made -- i know that there are places out there that have the templates for macs and i want to use somewhere that has done lots of macs. any info is helpful -- thanks.

[Russ]

I could not find decent cushions made out of the fabric (Sunbrella) that I wanted for sale anywhere.

So, I bought Sunbrella (pattern approved by the admiral) and foam (dryfast) and had them made. They came out great.
The factory cushions were awful. That beige Naugahyde got so hot in the sun you could fry an egg. Could not sit on them in shorts else get burned.

So good luck. You might be better having them custom made like I did.

--Russ

[rszobel]

I could not find decent cushions made out of the fabric (Sunbrella) that I wanted for sale anywhere.

So, I bought Sunbrella (pattern approved by the admiral) and foam (dryfast) and had them made. They came out great.
The factory cushions were awful. That beige Naugahyde got so hot in the sun you could fry an egg. Could not sit on them in shorts else get burned.

So good luck. You might be better having them custom made like I did.

--Russ

what did custom made cost you? did it include seat backs too ?

[March]

Softopper $399.00for the whole set (without the foam core). Quick sertvice, color brown. Better than the original cockpit cushions. The snaps are attached on tags that allow a little movement. They come with an extra set of snap-ons that can be attached to the boat where you need them.
I would have opted for sunbrella because they still get waterlogged in the rain, but my sewing skills are lacking, along with an admiral who might tackle this noble project. Until I find a proper source, these will do. The original cushions quickly disintegrated, I had replaced them with a locally custom made set (a disaster!) so now I am tolerably content.

[Captain_Kirk]

This is on my to do list too.

You should definitely check out Joann.com, they have quite a lot of outdoor fabrics, including Sunbrella, and they always have 50% off coupons that you can use towards the purchase.

I'm planning to buy all my new foam from them at 50% off and then buy some type of outdoor fabrics from them, not sure if I'll go with Sunbrella due to the price, but I'll have a better idea of what to go with once I measure all my cushions out and figure out how much fabric I'll actually need.

The Sunbrella fabric they offer:
http://www.joann.com/search/_sunbrella/

Sign up for their newsletter and you'll get the 50% coupons fairly regularly, at least once a week.

[Lvoight]

This is on my to do list too.

You should definitely check out Joann.com, they have quite a lot of outdoor fabrics, including Sunbrella, and they always have 50% off coupons that you can use towards the purchase.

I'm planning to buy all my new foam from them at 50% off and then buy some type of outdoor fabrics from them, not sure if I'll go with Sunbrella due to the price, but I'll have a better idea of what to go with once I measure all my cushions out and figure out how much fabric I'll actually need.

The Sunbrella fabric they offer:
http://www.joann.com/search/_sunbrella/

Sign up for their newsletter and you'll get the 50% coupons fairly regularly, at least once a week.

I got there Duck fabric:

http://www.joann.com/duck-canvas-/prd23683/
and they have held up for 2 seasons and going strong with little fade. I too had a coupon and it was about 100 bucks for 16 yards. So I had enough to do the inside also. The only thing is I don't leave the cockpit cushions out in the sun when I am not on the boat so your mileage may vary.

[Russ]

what did custom made cost you? did it include seat backs too ?

I bought Sunbrella material from Sailrite. I think I spent about $200 on fabric, but the admiral wanted an expensive design.
http://search.sailrite.com/category/Sun ... QgodgRIAAA
Prices seem about the same everywhere. Sunbrella is the fabric others compare themselves to. It really is the best fabric for this in my opinion. The stuff is magic. It never fades and lasts a long time. I didn't want to cheap out on the fabric.

Dryfast foam was another $170. This stuff is great. It will not absorb water and it drains right out. Soft to sit on and not that nasty closed cell foam that is like sitting on a rock. Some people prefer closed cell, I don't. We have those square throwable cushions that are made of that stuff and hate to sit on those things.
http://www.foamdistributing.com/D/dryfast-foam.html

We paid a local seamstress to sew it all together for $125.
So we have about $500 into these, but she also made us seat cushions for the aft stern rail seats that match. I'll get some pics next time I'm on the boat.

I measured wrong and didn't have enough fabric for the backrests. But that's a good thing because I also was going to use the 4" foam which is way too thick for that. So I'll get some thinner (2") foam for the backrests and have her make those next. In the meantime, we bought some outdoor throw pillows that work very well.

I considered the Softtopper product. They don't make them for the M according to their website. But they also use Bolta-Soft upholstery fabric which looks too much like the factory cushion fabric. Too hot in the sun! Search this forum and you will see the same. Those who have used Sunbrella (even the black color) have found they don't get hot in the sun. So far we are extremely pleased with our new cushions. I sprayed them with 303 protectant to hopefully shed some water off them. But they can't soak water up and should dry fast if they do get rained on.

--Russ

[Captain_Kirk]

Thanks for posting that. I didn't realize how cheap, relatively, Sailrite sells Sunbrella, it's even cheaper there than it is at Joann's with a 50% coupon. I receive e-mails from them, but usually they are trying to sell me a $1,000 sewing machine or something. haha

How comfortable is that dry foam? The price for it is actually fairly reasonable.

[Russ]

There is a lot of debate over what kind of foam to use. I researched this a lot before pulling the trigger.
For some people, the closed cell is the right choice. The foam doesn't absorb water at all, it sheds it off. The cost is a very very firm foam. It does float and some use it for for that. I don't want to sit on stuff that has been floating in the lake with me swimming on it.
Traditional open cell foam (from Joanns) is a sponge and soaks up water. Not suitable for our application. The open cell Dryfast foam is what is used for outdoor patio cushions. The manufacturing process bursts the cells open before they cure and it's very porous. Water runs right through it yet it stays fairly firm.

Now comfort was my other concern. The Dryfast foam is firmer than standard open cell foam, however it's softer than closed cell. Somewhere between the two. Initially it's pretty firm, then gives when you sit on it. I find it very comfortable for seat cushions.
When we first got the stuff I was afraid it would be too firm for my liking. After covering it with Sunbrella and laying on it, I find it very comfortable. YMMV.

--Russ

[Captain_Kirk]

I've been reading that some people take the regular foam and wrap it in plastic to seal it from water exposure. In one thread someone suggested using plastic similar to that from the dry cleaners, but you can also buy special "quiet" plastic that is made for this particular purpose:
http://www.sailrite.com/Cushion-Wrap-Si ... er-Fold-54

Also, I'm reading a lot of people will use regular foam for always dry places like v-births and then use the marine foam for places that will probably get wet like the seating area.

Looking at marine foam it would cost me about $500 to do the cabin, yikes.

Also, I'm curious about something. Since these boat don't have drains, what do you guys do when you get some water accumulated from people entering the cabin after swimming or something? Just take a sponge and sponge up or do you guys have pumps in place?

[Russ]

Interior cushions are a different matter. I would probably opt for the wrap and use standard foam. Then spray them with some repellent. Kevin turned me on to this stuff http://www.amazon.com/Products-30650-Fa ... ywords=303
I bought some and it works good. Spray it on, let it dry and water runs off.

I would not use the wrap on cockpit cushions. Water will get in and you won't get it out. I think it's best to use the repellent and if it gets in, let it run out and dry out.

Water in the cabin? We use beach towels to catch most water. What little drips on the cabin floor will evaporate.
Now these boats have lots of stuff through the deck that often leak from rain. Water gets in and settles to the lowest part of the boat. My boat has no holes or drains in the bottom. I don't get much water and what little does come in a sponge takes care of. My boat is in a slip all summer floating and stays pretty dry. Others have resorted to bilge pumps. The problem is there is no real bilge in the Mac. So that takes creativity. Honestly, I'd probably just use a hand pump to a bucket unless a lot of water got in.

--Russ

[rszobel]

Thanks for all the info. I think I am going to go with sunbrella. That said, does anyone have templates for cockpit cushions including backs for a 2001 ?

[Captain_Kirk]

Ah, I thought you were talking about all cushions on a boat. 303 is awesome stuff, I use 303 to shine up my fiberglass kayak.

That's probably true about the wrapping, if any got in it would become pretty much trapped.

[Divecoz]

We have done this in the past and used large black garbage bags.. Duct tape comes in several thicknesses/ quality , I used some pretty thin duct tape to seal the bag.. when it was all folded up like a Christmas Present I used the hair-dryer on the tape and it lasted longer than I owned that boat..

I've been reading that some people take the regular foam and wrap it in plastic to seal it from water exposure. In one thread someone suggested using plastic similar to that from the dry cleaners, but you can also buy special "quiet" plastic that is made for this particular purpose:
http://www.sailrite.com/Cushion-Wrap-Si ... er-Fold-54

Also, I'm reading a lot of people will use regular foam for always dry places like v-births and then use the marine foam for places that will probably get wet like the seating area.

Looking at marine foam it would cost me about $500 to do the cabin, yikes.

Also, I'm curious about something. Since these boat don't have drains, what do you guys do when you get some water accumulated from people entering the cabin after swimming or something? Just take a sponge and sponge up or do you guys have pumps in place?

[K9Kampers]

We recently bought the Softopper cockpit cushion covers to use with our 14 year old original foam and love them so far!