# Interior cushion material choices



## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

We are finally getting around to updating the upholstery in my Catalina 30. For a long time in my rebuild plans I've been looking at high quality multi layered foam and Sunbrella fabrics to cover them with. However, I'm starting to look at other options before I commit to anything. Looking at newer, high quality boats, they are using a combination of a leather or leather like material on the cushions in the saloon. We really like this look and think it would really add to the luxurious feel in the cabin. What are some experiences and opinions of going this direction as opposed to Sunbrella? I would think that a treated leather would be easier to keep clean and would be less likely to hold odors and stains. Thoughts?


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## biohead (Dec 18, 2010)

Hi guys,
I have an older Catalina 27 and am also looking into interior upholstery. The previous owner may some dramatic reupholstering decisions...using natural leather. Maybe it worked up north but in Charleston the leather is a mildew factory. If you like the leather look definitely get something synthetic.

John


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

I just re-uphostered the interior cushions myself, using Sunbrella upholstery fabric. I like the fabric. I used a fairly light colour, Heritage Papyrus, so it can show marks, but they come off very easily thanks to the fabric treatment. If I had used some kind of leatherette, it would have cost a lot more - and as it is I spent about $500 on materials.


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## WharfRat (Aug 4, 2015)

The Sunbrella Marine Grade fabric seems like the way to fly.


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## bob77903 (Nov 10, 2008)

Leatherette!


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

We used Ultraleather on our Hunter after having Sunbrella Navy blue for many years and I will never use any fabric again for the salon or interior cushions. It does not sweat, mildew, stain, or fade. I used the FAA certified product...

Finally a chance to get to the computer to upload the before photo of the cushions in Sunbrella and the stark difference the Ultraleather in Shell color has done to upgrade our interior... we also removed all the carpeting on the hull and used 1/2 insulation covered in white marine vinyl and this interior looks like a new boat... Admiral is very happy!


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## Hudsonian (Apr 3, 2008)

+1 Ultraleather


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Ultraleather. That's what I was thinking about. A leather material designed for the marine environment. There is nothing wrong with sunbrella, I just thought their was another option out there. I like leather in my cars for the same reasons; it is easy to clean and smells nice. I'll look into ultraleather. Thanks


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## Livia (Jul 20, 2006)

We have been very happy after 5 years of cruising with Crypton Ultrasuede. We used it for slip covers inside but I would do cushions with it in a heartbeat.

Sewing Project: Pardey Pillows | Estrellita 5.10b


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Hello Liv: That's another option. For some reason I couldn't come up with those trade names on my own....kept finding cheaper stuff. I've never had anything but sunbrella in my boats. Well, not including the factory Bee Gees sanctioned print that came stock in my 70's boats. I like leather upholstery, but I couldn't wrap my head around how to do it in a marine environment. So this stuff is a synthetic polyurethane fabric. Has it held up well to wet swimsuits, sweat and salt abrasion? I'm doing something different in my V berth and quarter berth (due to sleeping requirements) but I want to do the saloon in the leather type material. Obviously high traffic as I sit at the table often and take naps on the starboard sea berth daily.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

We have Ultrasuede and it has stood up really for us with near continuous use for most of 10 years.


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

Alan, 
There are different types of UltraLeather. You can see the catalog online here with the caveat that the online color samples aren't very accurate. Order swatches before picking a color.

We went with UltraLeather Brisa (breathable) in 2009. It still looks brand new after six seasons where we're aboard most weekends spring through fall. Don't be afraid of light colors, we haven't had any problems with stains so far.

Go with dense or "firm" foam so the cushions won't bottom out when you're watching TV or reading.

A couple of things we did right in retrospect:

We got rid of the buttons from the original cushions. 
We added a "lumbar roll" for a little better leg support, it has the added bonus of holding you in place when sitting longways reading.
We browsed the boat show before picking a color. Fabrics looked VERY different in a boat than on a swatch. We were leaning toward a tropical pattern in a different fabric until we saw something similiar on a show boat and it looked busy to us. We ended up going with a solid color.
We made the narrow port settee wider by about six inches. That made it a lot better spot to sit and read.


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Kill: thanks, that's what I needed to hear.

Jim: we are looking at solid colors in the light tan to off white range so protection from stains is important. I'll obviously be ordering swatches given the cost. We are shooting for making either the Newport or Annapolis show this year so hopefully I'll get some eyes on and some ideas. Good idea with the leg support! I hadn't thought of that and it sounds like a great idea!


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

Alan,
This will give you a better idea of what I'm talking about.










And this shows the wider port settee. The black line is where the original cushion ended. We used high density foam for all the settee cushions with 3/4 ply for a base.










We used a material recommended by the woman who did our cushions for the berths. It's soft by very durable, I can't find the brand name right now, I'll post it later. They're medium density foam which is better for sleeping. This season we added the Froli sleep system under the berth cushions. It's definitely worth the money.










Doing the interior cushions really made it feel like a new boat.


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## georgemci102a2 (Feb 8, 2015)

Being that my sailboats are small, and the cushions are square shaped,i went the fancy way and purchased (blue) furniture moving blankets from the home box store.Wrapped them and accented with some Mexican blankets,and red pillows from the dollar store.Less than a 100 dollars.The guy 4 slips from me spent 2800 on his recover.Im not cheap by no means,that's just what worked for me, and it is very comfortable....George


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Jim: I showed that to my wife and wow, we really like how you set that up. To extend the depth of the seats, what did you do, take plywood and build an extension and then glass it in? Seems like a nice way to add extra storage space as well.


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

alanr77 said:


> Jim: I showed that to my wife and wow, we really like how you set that up. To extend the depth of the seats, what did you do, take plywood and build an extension and then glass it in? Seems like a nice way to add extra storage space as well.


Alan, It was actually very simple. When the woman doing our upholstery mentioned that the lumbar support would require a plywood base I asked about extending the port settee. We talked through how the seams would run and came up with what you see in the photo.

The plywood is required because the lumbar roll is "tucked" and secured to the plywood. To trim the teak fiddle, I just scribed the back while it was screwed in place and ran it through the table saw.

It's a great place to settle in with a book, even if your husband is annoying you with a camera :wink


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## dilligaf0220 (Jul 29, 2015)

Next boat interior I'm going to do I've been mulling over taking a flyer and redoing it in something called MBTex, the same vinyl faux leather used in Mercedes Benz interiors. Even more durable & UV resistant than Ultrasuede, at half the price ($50yd). Can even come perforated for even more breath ability.


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## Matt (Aug 11, 2015)

The main thing I remember from when I had the interior done on my old boat was to use open cell foam or else the foam will eventually grow mildew


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Jim: Oh Ok, I see what you're saying. You extended the seat cushion with the plywood backing, not the entire molded seat liner...wow, can't believe I missed that. LOL. Anyway, that's a great idea that I hadn't thought of. Did you have to modify the table to still be able to use it as an insert or did you do away with that option? 

Dill: The only concern I would have would be if it is suitable for the high humidity marine environment. Have you had any issues with mold or water damage?

Matt: I've used the foam from Foamsourcedirect and cushionexpress in the past, they have foams designed for boat cushions. I would hope they took that into account when recommending them. It's actually unreal how expensive cushions are when you really look at what your getting for your money. Niche market for sure.


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## dilligaf0220 (Jul 29, 2015)

I haven't used it, or heard of anyone using MBTex, on a boat. But its essentially a high end vinyl that looks and feels almost indistinguishable from leather.

Buddy had some leftover from reupholstering an old Benz that his GF made into patio cushions, and that got the hamster turning the wheel. 

Available from Gahh.com.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

dilligaf0220 said:


> I haven't used it, or heard of anyone using MBTex, on a boat. But its essentially a high end vinyl that looks and feels almost indistinguishable from leather.
> 
> Buddy had some leftover from reupholstering an old Benz that his GF made into patio cushions, and that got the hamster turning the wheel.
> 
> Available from Gahh.com.


My Jaguar has Connolly leather. You can definitely tell the difference between that and Mercedes' vinyl. You can also tell the difference between the bookmarked walnut dashboard, and the plastic on the equivalent Mercedes.


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

alanr77 said:


> Jim: Oh Ok, I see what you're saying. You extended the seat cushion with the plywood backing, not the entire molded seat liner...wow, can't believe I missed that. LOL. Anyway, that's a great idea that I hadn't thought of. Did you have to modify the table to still be able to use it as an insert or did you do away with that option?


Hey Alan, if you look back at the first photo you can see that there's a notch in the cushion to take the table when it's up on the bulkhead.

Ironically one of the projects for this winter is to make a two part folding table mounted on the bulkhead similar to what was on the Catalina 375. The factory table is too heavy and awkward for my wife to set up.

Jim


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

killarney_sailor said:


> We have Ultrasuede and it has stood up really for us with near continuous use for most of 10 years.


We're going on 19 years after reupholstering with Ultrasuede and are still impressed with how well it has held up. It has not stained and is easy to clean when there are the inevitable spills. Not cheap, but worth the price if you intend to keep your boat for a while.


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## aloof (Dec 21, 2014)

Sunbrella is good outside, but too coarse for interior fabric. In my opinion. Ultra suede, or the like, is very good. Like sunbrella they are urethane so very washable...stain proof. Darker colors are better than the off-white I got stuck with.


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Aloof: What was wrong with the off white you used? You have my attention because an off white is exactly the direction we are going. Tan/sand/off white ect...

Jim: I see, yeah that table is a beast isn't it? I have an older version of your boat and I can't believe they still use that heavy, cumbersome thing. And they expect you to be able to tilt it up and hang it on the wall as well. Can you imagine that thing crashing down on you in a minor knockdown? Good god, it might end someones day. I'm in the process of recovering all my "1970's wood grain" counter tops and I'm considering replacing that table before wasting the Formica on it. I am toying with the idea of either Starboard or 3/4" Hydrotek ply. The trick is to make it look nice and not a sheet of 3/4" Hydrotek....

I'm really sold on the Ultra leather, I can't seem to find any real downsides to it and it would really class up the boat. I agree that Sunbrella is a little harsh on the butt for interior cushions. I'm really trying to get away from fabrics due to moisture sustainability and odor. Thanks for the replies so far, they have been helpful.


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

alanr77 said:


> Jim: I see, yeah that table is a beast isn't it? I have an older version of your boat and I can't believe they still use that heavy, cumbersome thing. And they expect you to be able to tilt it up and hang it on the wall as well. Can you imagine that thing crashing down on you in a minor knockdown? Good god, it might end someones day. I'm in the process of recovering all my "1970's wood grain" counter tops and I'm considering replacing that table before wasting the Formica on it. I am toying with the idea of either Starboard or 3/4" Hydrotek ply. The trick is to make it look nice and not a sheet of 3/4" Hydrotek....


Alan, I've been redesigning that damn table in my head for seven years now.

I played around with the idea of the fold down style that's used on Island Packets and Cabo Ricos. But then I lose the bulkhead space where we mounted a flat screen. As much as my wife wants a better table she'd mutiny if I took away the TV.

What I'm thinking is a two section table that folds up from the bottom instead of down off the wall. Fold one section up for a snack table, then flip the top back for a full dining table. I'll mock it up in plywood first to work out the details. That will be one of my winter projects.


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

alanr77 said:


> I'm really sold on the Ultra leather, I can't seem to find any real downsides to it and it would really class up the boat. I agree that Sunbrella is a little harsh on the butt for interior cushions. I'm really trying to get away from fabrics due to moisture sustainability and odor. Thanks for the replies so far, they have been helpful.


OK Alan, let me give you another boat project :wink

We got rid of our vinyl cockpit cushions and replaced them with Sunbrella cushions with dry fast foam and Fifertex bottoms that snap in place and stay on the boat all season.

Water drains through them. They clean up with a brush and a little boat soap and best of all you don't have to put them down below every time you put the boat away and they don't soak up water like the old vinyl ones did. I even added a break in the port cushion to make it easier to get in and out of the cockpit locker.

They're comfortable when sailing and the Sunbrella doesn't mind being walked on. After six years they basically still look new after a quick wash.

Hey I can spend your money !


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

Jim: Don't worry, I have wife constraints to deal with as well. I proposed the idea of a smaller, square table with leaf's that would sit on a stainless pedestal but she threatened to mutiny if she lost the ability to convert the table into a full bunk. Damned if ya do....I'm actually sitting at this thing as we speak and I don't see any way to change the size and yet keep the bunk convertibility. A lighter but stronger material seems to be valid but I'm open to idea's. 

I like those cushions, we will likely do the cockpit before the saloon, again on the Admirals "suggestion".

A little background: I restore Catalina's. I really like Frank and Gerry's designs and have done three complete boats from the keel up and worked on/modified many more. This 30 is the biggest of the bunch and I really got in over my head on this one. She was destined for the bottom when I found her and at the time, my skewed eye saw the potential. Her bones were good and she had dry decks. So almost five years ago I stripped her down to a bare hull. I mean all the way,bulkheads and all. Two years into it I got badly injured and had to take a break. Fast forward and now I'm at the point where we are looking to step the mast in about a month. If it could be unscrewed it's new or rebuilt. She's not pretty on the outside because I haven't painted the exterior yet but she's incredibly sound at this point. The Admiral insists that we start sailing her so therefor the cockpit cushions are of high priority. I'll tell you what, I am NEVER doing this again. I finally reached a point where the reward was not worth the cost. I do all my own work but the parts alone made it a bad decision financially. But I could not live with myself if I walked away. Not my style. Needless to say, I will cry when ever I decide to sell this boat. None of my others were this far gone and any sane person would have walked away in the beginning. But then again,the injury damn near killed me and I was at the brink as well. So me and this old boat have a lot in common. Giving up on her would have been giving up on myself. 

This is why I have no problem installing expensive UltraLeather in a 39 year old sailboat. No problem buying $6000 worth of winches to finish her off. I'm already so far in the hole as far as getting a return on this thing that it makes no difference anymore. So spend away because I was going to spend it anyway.  

Thanks for the help so far, the pictures have been helpful to us. If a light bulb suddenly breaks upside my head regarding the table redesign, I'll let you know. AR


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

I use Sampson. Its 3 oz loose weave dacron, saturated with PVC. The dacron reinforcing is far tougher than the fine cheese cloth used on moat leatherettes. It is also much cheaper , and comes in a 60 inch width. I use it for my berth cushions, sail covers , windvane,etc. It comes in a variety of colours. It lasts much longer than leatherettes.


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## JimMcGee (Jun 23, 2005)

Alan it sounds like you're close, and it sounds like you're overdue for some good luck.

Hopefully you'll get to savor that first perfect sail soon.

Best of luck,
Jim


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## oldfurr (Dec 25, 2012)

Alen, regarding lighter weight table/berth material you might find useful ideas in the honeycomb core panels if you haven't looked into them yet, they range from "plywood" types to the more commonly thought of aluminum core/face and aluminum core/FRP face types etc.

Honeycomb Plywood | Honeycomb Panels Plywood type, use woodworking tools and techniques.
Finish Options | Aluminum Honeycomb Panels Some of the finish options at one supplier
Fiberglass honeycomb panel, FRP honeycomb panel, FRP composite panel Example of FRP faced panels


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## alanr77 (Jul 24, 2009)

OldF: Thanks for thee insight. I hadn't given that material consideration. Lightweight and easily covered by a finishing material. My concern would be the edges. On the stock table, the corners are open to allow; possibly draining? The edges of a honeycomb material would leave open the possibility of creating a nice nesting area for insects.?. Though this could be easily remedied with an edging material. Great idea though! I'll look into it for sure. Man, that is whats great about these forums, the introduction of new ideas. Have you used this material yourself? How did you cut it into shape and apply a finish to it?


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## oldfurr (Dec 25, 2012)

Alan, sorry I have never worked with the material myself, just looked into it a little after reading about the carbon fiber types used in some race car structural tubs some time ago and was impressed by the strength and weight of the less exotic materials too. I do know that there are lots of stock edge treatments though ( example Edge Enclosures | Customize Your Honeycomb Panels ).


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