New Cabin Cushions

[Dan B]

Anyone have a recommendation for new cabin cushions for a 26x? I am looking to replace all the interior cushions. Just can't stand the factory covers anymore. The covers look like the carpeting in my first apartment during college.

I searched the archives and found lots of info on cockpit cushions and foam selection for cabin cushions. But very little on replacing the cabin cushion covers. I might have to learn how to sew!

[Idle Time]

check your local yellowpages and see if you have a seamstress in your area that makes drapes or furniture covers. You might get a better deal. Keep your old covers for patterns.

[Night Sailor]

First thing is replace the awful, cheap foam the factory used with open cell, medium firm grade for the seats, medium for the back rests. Next get a breathable tight woven acrylic fabric like Sunbrella or it's copies. This will increase comfort, make cleaning easy and retard mildew from condensation. Use welt cord in the cushion seams, contrasting color if you like solids. Use marine grade thread. Two good sources for supplies are Rochford Uphostery Supply at www.rochfordsupply.com, and SailRite at www. sailrite.com. Good choices, great prices, fast service and friendly people at both places.

If you don't sew, you can do all the work except sewing and then take the peices to an upholstery shop for the sewing.

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Hey Dan...We've liked the blended colors with blue in our 1999 X. Our blue curtains, and new darker blue carpet look nice. As a matter of fact, the cushions have been comfortable so far...and have held up well. No signs of stretch, bumps, sags, or rips.
Happy Sailing...

[Moondance]

Hi

Just to let everyone know....we plan on having new cushion covers available by next year for the 26X at www.boatbimini.com

We had hoped to get something ready for this year, but businees is to busy for us over the summer and we don't have the time right now to get them ready.

We plan to offer the whole set for the interior of the X in 2007.

We'd like to get an idea what colors or patterns people might like. We won't be able to offer them all..but will offer a few different patterns or colors

You can check out www.sunbrella.com and go to " furniture fabrics " to see all the patterns available.

Let us know what you'd like to see.

Bob

[Frank C]

Moondance Bob,

REplacement cushion covers - what a great product idea! Also noticed your banner ad earlier this week and thought I'd commend BoatBimini.com for your ad support of Heath's site.

[Dan B]

Moondance,

That would be great. I was about to either teach myself to sew or find someone local.

I just purchased the replacement carpet from you and put them in today, look great. The problem is they now make my cushions look bad so I need to replace them with something that looks nice with the new carpet.

Let's see - I need to get a cat to get rid of the mouse, but now I need a dog to get rid of the cat, ,,,

[Captain Steve]

I also installed my new carpets today..they are great!! The boom tent fits perfectly, providing shade in the cockpit.Great material in its construction. Looking forward to other creations you guys may be making. Looking for a dodger and a flap to fit under the sliding hatch to keep weather and spray out of the gap between the hatch board and the sliding hatch. It could have elastic loops on each end to go over the winches and tuck up under the hatch.

Thanks

[Dubraque]

Two good sources for cushion material and boat fabrics in general have benn Perfect Fit-McDonald of Seattle at www.perfectfit.com/ and Sailrite at www.sailrite.com. The former offers Sunbrella at a little over $12 a yard for the 60", the latter has a variety of materials, backings, and open and closed cell foam.
BTW, many years ago in frustration over absurd quotes for boat canvas replacement, we started doing our own with great success using an old 1940s vintage Singer machine. Since then we graduated to a walking foot machine from Sailrite, which is like the old Singer on steroids, sewing through mutliple layers of canvas and vinyl. Nifty.

[hiram6]

Can't wait to see your offering of cabin cushions, I have been very pleased with the boom tent that I purchased for you a month or so ago. Good workmanship!

[argonaut]

Ours looked like a trip back to the seventies too...
Second problem was the old cushions stunk. Literally!
We found foam at a discount upholstery supply place, they let us try different foams for "feel", and then cut chunks to match our cushions.
For the covers, my mate did the heavy lifting & I helped. She bought sunbrella and we used a seam ripping tool to tear the old cushions apart, labeling them as we went. She pulled a neat trick and bought fabric that would work with the plastic leather stuff on the zipper panels, that way we didn't have to sew new zippers in, and you only need material for the other 5 sides. The blue leather stuff cleaned up well & didn't reek like the cloth did. Then she used the disassembled panels as patterns, cut out new pieces, and sewed them on a regular machine with a heavy denim needle. Nothing fancy, just basically make an inside-out box. The upholstery store also sold us thread. Took about two weeks of "project time" working, and I love 'em. A great project.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I'm interested in these replacement carpets from boat bimini, mine are worn out. One thing I'm curious about is how well they avoid slipping on the floor? Is there any sort of rubber backing to keep them firmly in place?

[Captain Steve]

I installed the carpet kit from BoatBimini. They are great looking and do not slip. The back has a non skid surface that does not move against the nonskid deck underneath. The carpets are kinda captive in the wells of the deck they lay in. Great product.

[Dan B]

I put down plywood panels (covered in the type of non-skid stuff you put on the back of carpets at home) on my cabin sole to give additional rigidity. So, when I put new carpets on top of them, they stick like glue.

[Night Sailor]

I use shallow plush carpet with a plastic back from Home Depot or Lowe's. Cut to fit with the old peice as a pattern, I use a torch to melt the edges so strands cannot unravel. Feels nice on the feet, doesn't hide debris, dries fast. Inexpensive. I even lined my head with it.