soggy cockpit cushions

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paul I
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soggy cockpit cushions

Post by paul I »

Here in my part of the country, it’s the end of another boating season. I pulled my :macx: out yesterday and she is now sitting behind the house in her winter home. For the fifth time now I removed the cockpit cushions and had to lay them across an opened step ladder in the garage to drain them. They drain for days and days. Eventually I will remove the vinyl covers, and the foam will continue to drain for weeks. Less than that if I wring it out a few times. This is in spite of taking them each spring and wrapping the inside foam with thick, industrial strength, black plastic debris bags. I use two bags to fully wrap each large side cushion by sliding one bag over each end. I then fold the edges over to lock the open ends inside themselves, and tape up the seam in the middle with several layers of duct tape.

But still every year they get loaded with water. You don’t notice it much in everyday use. It’s not like they leak or squirt water out when you sit on them, but at the end of the season the inside foam is saturated. The outer covers are vinyl with a fleece like inner side and zippered closures. It only happens to the large seat bottoms. The helm cushion and the seat back cushions are always dry as a bone.

I thought this time I’d ask in the forum to see what others do or have done to solve this. I know I can get closed cell foam. I know I can get new cushions. But except for the water problem, the cushions are in pretty good shape. Do you have this problem? What do you do deal with it.
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Seapup
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by Seapup »

Sounds like we have the same cushions, I am not sure if there is much of a solution.

I generally flip them on edge zipper side down on the cockpit floor (dry weather) or in the cabin (wet months) when not in use.
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cptron
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by cptron »

Sorry can't help with a solution however I am also interested in this thread as I have the same problem and was wondering if there is a fix short of replacing with closed cell foam.
C Buchs
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by C Buchs »

I've got the same problem. I usually put the cushions in the cabin, but once I left them out expecting to come back the next day. Didn't make it for a week and the cushions were soaked. Had to open them up to get everything dried out. One of them had a stuck zipper. I soaked it with liquid wrench, but it still broke. We've replaced the zipper with velcro, but still have the getting wet problem.

Jeff
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Seapup
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by Seapup »

One of them had a stuck zipper. I soaked it with liquid wrench, but it still broke.
I had that issue with another set of cushions, all the zippers were froze, but the cushions were otherwise perfect. I am not a seamstress and didn't want to pay one to replace the zippers so I measured the teeth per inch and then ordered replacement pulls online at about $1 each. Once they came I broke the old pull off, cut the zipper at an end and slid the new pull on. Only took a few minutes and works like new!

Along the cockpit cushion lines I will say I was very impressed with the sport-a-seat at the boat show last weekend. I am 6'2 and was able to completely lean back in it on any angle without it feeling unstable, if they were not $100 I would have bought one. They are waterproof sunbrella so supposedly fine to leave out, but would store easily inside. I think if I were in the market to replace the cushions I would try them first.

Anyone else have experience with them or the knock off ones?

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Sumner
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by Sumner »

I realize you aren't ready to go to new cushions but if you do consider using DryFast from one of these places (same place one is lower priced bigger sheets you cut and the other they cut to size---easy to cut with an elect. carving knife)....

https://www.smicarburetor.com/products/ ... oductID/18

http://www.foamdistributing.com/

You could put this foam in your cushions but for it to work the cushion has to breath so to really make it work you use a material for outdoor furniture like Phifertex Plus that you can buy from Sailrite....

http://www.sailrite.com/easearch#!&ea_q ... tex%20Plus

We made all....

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...new cushions for the Mac and the Endeavour and love them. They dry extremely fast and in fact even if it rains when it stops you can almost sit on them right away by just putting a towel on top of them. No more soggy cushions!!

More on the materials and making your own cushions down the menu here...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... index.html

Cushions are ...

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... not hard to make and Sailrite has videos (CD and YouTube) showing you how and they make a good sewing starter project,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

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Russ
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by Russ »

So do you guys leave cushions out all the time in the rain?

We replaced the stock cushions (vinyl?) with sunbrella and that dry lock foam Sumner used.
No plastic to keep water in. The idea is to let water run through. The foam is very comfortable and stays dry. We don't leave them out in the rain. However dew doesn't soak in. So glad we used the drylock foam.

The stock vinyl was so hot in the sun. Burned bare skin. We put towels over them to keep from burning. Sunbrella is a magical fabric. Stays cool and durable.

--Russ
hschumac
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by hschumac »

I followed the video on sailrite and made my own cockpit cushions this last season. Followed all their instructions with Sunbrella for top / sides of cushion, dry fast foam, and phirtex (spelling?) for the bottom of the cushion. This is a mesh kind of material that allowing water that enters the cushion to pass down through the foam to pass to the seating surface (rather than Sunbrella on the bottom holding the water inside the cushion).

I leave the cushions out whenever I'm out (the pile of seat and back cushions is quite a bit). When I'm at the marina, I put the seat cushions inside the boat to prevent bird deposits, but I leave the back cushions on since the threat is limited.
bobbob
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by bobbob »

I tip the cushions vertical inside the cockpit when I put the boat on the hard, and that seems to prevent any water retention (and mold growing underneath the cushions)

I also bought a couple of sport-a-seats and like them quite a lot. I'm considering replacing the cushion set with them, but they don't quite fit right to the cockpit dimensions.
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WASP18
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by WASP18 »

Remove the foam, fold in half and hang up to dry on a clothesline. Hang the vinyl also. Once dry, place them indoors in a basement, garage or barn.
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Sea Wind
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by Sea Wind »

Yes, the Mac sponges. Once dry put the foam inside large trash bags (avoid the temptation of throwing them away at this point) and close them with duct tape before putting them back inside the covers. Rub some hand soap on both sides of the zippers and enjoy the dreaded cushions for many seasons.
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DaveB
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by DaveB »

I used 1 inch close cell foam with sunbrella covers and Velcro fastners.
Easy to store below deck as is 3 times less thick than stock and water proof.
Notice the Helm seat, click to enlarge photo. This is 4 inch reg. foam with 1 inch close cell foam on top, gets the person on the wheel higher .
Best comfort seat on the boat.
Interior cusions are the same,high desity 3 inch foam with 1 inch close cell foam for those who go below with wet cloths.
Dave
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cptron wrote:Sorry can't help with a solution however I am also interested in this thread as I have the same problem and was wondering if there is a fix short of replacing with closed cell foam.
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Don T
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by Don T »

Hello,
Lynn and I got rid of the stock foam years ago. We replaced with 1.5 lb 2" Ethafoam that I got from a friend of mine from his shipping dept. We kept the vinyl covers. Whether it rains or dew settles we just towel them off and sit down. Always dry and can be used as emergency flotation as well.

Don T
Three Gypsies
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by Three Gypsies »

We tried wrapping the foam in plastic and duct tape , that only help the foam hold water better .
This year we gave up and went bare .

We have several small pillows aboard and we just sit on the them .
I mounted a boat chair at the helm .
This all works better than the two ton mac cushions .
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NiceAft
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Re: soggy cockpit cushions

Post by NiceAft »

Our approach is simar to DaveB. We used Sunbrella, and closed cell foam, but our cushions are at least twice as thick. I made templates of the seating area by taping together brown paper shopping bags and tracing the outline of the seat and back areas. I then went to an upholsterer to have them made. No where near the cheapest way, but I do not have the time or patience to sew the cushions.

We used closed cell because they are a firmer and thus better seating filling than open cell. The seats are box seats, and the back cushions are knife edge.

The boat is eleven seasons old, and the cushions are nine or ten. In all that time there has never been Soggyness problem.

Ray

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