# Best way to get cushions



## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I have really only three places for cushions. Bed. Couch. Quarter berth. 

The boat came with a new bed but nothing else. Since I'm going to be spending so much time I can't think of a way around the settee. It's just second on my list of least sexy things to buy, right after the toilet. 

About how much do they cost and where do you buy them from? I assume there are specialty shops that make them. Are they boat specific or regular upholstery shops?

Are there any other options? I don't think I can see well. I do have a pretty heavy duty sewing machine though.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

The same people who make Biminis and dodgers usually do a good job making custom cushions. I tried to go cheap, by hiring an awning guy in RI to do my cockpit cushions and all I got was crap. There doesn't seem to be a cheap way around this, unless you can do them yourself. Good luck.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

As with sails they are almost always custom made. This makes them expensive to have them made professionally.

The cheapest source foam that I've found is buying foam mattresses and cutting them to fit the right shape. 4" thick for the bottoms and 3" thick for backrests is typical. Bottom cushion foam is typically denser than back cushion foam.

I'd probably use butcher paper or muslin to make patterns and make your own cushions. If you shop remnant bins you can probably find good material for a cheap price.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Want to know something funny? My mom and now it's my brothers', has a pillow furniture and futon store! Basically he orders bulk foam and big rolls of fabric and makes this weird custom furniture. 

When my mom owned it I got all the free furniture I wanted, and in hawaii I bought a Catalina 22 that had no cushions. So I picked a colour fabric and measured. It didn't turn out perfect but it was a nice micro fiber. It worked. 

However. My brother, for reasons unbeknownst to me, does not like me, so I won't be going that route. He actually won't even sell my mom furniture for less than full retail even though she always gave him free stuff, like furnishing his apartment in college. It's weird. 

I wasn't trying to derail my thread into an anecdote. I just think its ironic that my closest family has a full on foam and fabric workshop and I can't use it. 

About how much do you think going the pro route would cost? I'm guessing like $800 for the settee. The previous owner claims he paid $800 for the bed(did I already say that?) and I believe him. 

Alex. When you say you buy foam in mattress form and cut to fit, what kind of mattress? I have an old singer sewing machine from the 1920's that's built like a tank. It could sew think fabric. This might be a good DIY project the more I think about it. 

I really want this boat to be nice. I've never had a boat that I wasn't going to turn around and sell when I was done using it. But there are alot of things I want to do and they can't all be done this year. 

See, since I've only bought boats to use and resell, my mind isn't the same as yours in that every time you do a project you(sailnetters) feel ...something. I have always just done what needs to be done to get the boat where I want it for the time period I want it for and it's always been done quick. I've got to change my thinking that this is my boat and I have years to get things where I want them. And maybe then I will have the perfect boat. I've got the best start I could hope for. 

So yes. Doesn't all have to be done now. But my last two posts, toilet and cushions have to. I have to be able to relax below. The toilet I'm going cheap Pp. With pump out.


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## rbyham (Dec 25, 2012)

Order the foam from an online supplier. Several are recommended. Mended here on other threads. Then I advertised on Craigslist for a seamstress bought my own material and took everything to her. For two Vberth pieces a large settee bottom and a long quarter berth use on I was out $115 for cloth and $250 for swing.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

I paid about $2000 for a full set of cushions for my Catalina 25. Those were made with Sunbrella furniture fabric that I got on a big discount, but foam at retail prices. The sewing was done by a local store that sounds similar to the one in your family and was about half of the amount.

I bought the foam mattresses from "Foam Factory" and cut them up for my current boat. I used the HD36 foam shown here:
The Foam Factory, Mattresses, Conventional Foam

The cushion covers on my current boat are in great shape, so I haven't made new ones.

To make for a very comfortable bed I put a 2" or 3" memory foam eggcrate pattern topper on top of the cushions, but under sheets. This adds comfort, bridges the gap in the cushions, and the eggcrate helps the bed dry out. I bought these from Overstock.com.


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

I went with these guys, a little pricey but easy to cut with an electric knife. Basic sewing machine can make you covers. 
Open-Cell Foam - Poly, Acoustic, Dryfast, Lux, Color Foam & More


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

$2000 for a 25 foot boat with material you bought yourself, some of it on sale? That's what I was afraid of. I don't know why it costs so much. You could furnish an entire living room for that much. Why are boat cushions so expensive?

Foam by mail is pretty cool


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## azguy (Jul 17, 2012)

I think that when people provide services to people with boats they assume we are loaded. I think if you score your own foam and find your own fabric and then locate a good seamstress it'll be a lot cheaper.

In my area there are two large fabric warehouses and I was surprised that they both had pretty decent selection of Sunbrella furniture fabric. Keep in mind this is Phoenix and everyone has a pool with lounges and chairs and umbrella's.

This same question was raised on another site and this recommendation came up:

The Marine Supply Store for boat parts, hardware and sailing equipment in Tampa Bay.

Never hurts to get a quote......


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## mstern (May 26, 2002)

$2000 is actually a good price for new cushions for a 25' boat. When I got a quote for new cushions for my 23' boat over 10 years ago, it was for more than that.

If you can't or don't want to make them yourself, one other option is to get a quote from a "regular" upholsterer, not a marine canvas store. So long as you can make a pattern for the upholsterer to follow (use butcher paper to trace the outline of the spaces), they can do just as good a job as the marine guys, and they will probably do it for less. The marine guys will know what you want and what the options are (zippers, mesh or waterproof bottoms, open cell foam, etc.), but if you can convey exactly what you want to the land-lubbers, they can make it work for you.


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## zenithboy (Jan 27, 2014)

re cushions
I live in Western new york and we have an Amish community not too far away.
not that I've had cushions made, but I took my 1921 Model T ford bus down there and guy made me beatiful side curtains out of sunbrella a lot cheaper than an auto place wouldve charged me.
the Amish tarp makers also do boat covers and I'm sure cushions.
Check out the Amish if they are near u
Patrick


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

northoceanbeach said:


> $2000 for a 25 foot boat with material you bought yourself, some of it on sale? That's what I was afraid of. I don't know why it costs so much. You could furnish an entire living room for that much. Why are boat cushions so expensive?


You can't furnish an entire living room for that if you get custom shaped furniture, cut and sewn in the US, with fabric that can handle UV, getting wet, and other boat issues.

Labor is expensive. I shopped around quite a bit, $2000-2500 was consistent across multiple estimates.

If boats all had the same interior you could get cushions made overseas, mostly cut and shaped by CNC equipment, for a tiny fraction of this cost.


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## Multihullgirl (Dec 2, 2010)

Foam and fabrics are all made from petroleum, and oil prices are up

It's fairly labor intensive work, especially if done well

But there are sources for DIY

(shameless promo, I used to work there) Sailmaker's Supply/Mainland Canvas Sunbrella, Marine Canvas, Fabrics, Hardware and Supplies - Sailmaker's Supply Jean will be glad to sell you everything you need and has tips as well

(2d shameless promo) I've even got a Pfaff 138 sewing machine I'll be glad to sell to you to do the work with


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## Missingyou (Aug 16, 2013)

I recently bought a new boat and asked the dealer for Sun Deck pads. Two of them at about 2'x6' each out of Sunbrella were $750. I have since bought an old Juki Industrial Walking Foot Sewing Machine, and attended classes. I intend to make all of my own stuff now. Once you find a good source for fabric it's not so bad, and there are plenty of online folks. However if you can find someone locally that supplies the Canvas Shops and is willing to sell it to you at the price they sell to them it's even better.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Labor is expensive but how long does it take to make an $800 vberth mattress? 2 hours max? It's two triangles and a pentagram. It can't take that long. I'm all for American labor, but really. Even if they took 10 hours to make it at $20 an hour that's $200. What's the cost of materials for them getting it in bulk? $100?

I've probably spent 50 days of my life helping my mom make stuff. A custom foam matters for a Queen bed with 8 inches of foam and quality microfiber she sold for $350 and took her less than two hours. I can ask her how long it took to make everything for that Catalina 22. 

I'm not trying to turn this into an argument. I think it just struck a chord with me. I don't mind paying for quality but I hate getting ripped off. Sorry to rant and rave.


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## Multihullgirl (Dec 2, 2010)

northoceanbeach said:


> What's the cost of materials for them getting it in bulk?


Define 'bulk.'

A small canvas shop, the usual local canvas house, is by no means purchasing in 'bulk,' not by a long shot.

The prices you quote for your mom's shop are way below what my shop paid wholesale, I do believe. I didn't handle money, I just sewed, so I can't be sure, but I don't know of anyone in canvas on the Gulf Coast who's getting rich at it.

And as far as time&#8230;

A good canvas house is going to spend time going out to your boat, measuring exactly what your berth area is (and you may believe, that nothing is exact nor symmetrical on a boat), then patterning the work, bringing that to the shop, fabbing it up, and bringing that back to the boat and fitting/installing the work.

Yeah. it takes time. And skill. My boss forgot more things that I'll ever learn.


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## azguy (Jul 17, 2012)

northoceanbeach said:


> Labor is expensive but how long does it take to make an $800 vberth mattress? 2 hours max? It's two triangles and a pentagram. It can't take that long. I'm all for American labor, but really. Even if they took 10 hours to make it at $20 an hour that's $200. What's the cost of materials for them getting it in bulk? $100?
> 
> I've probably spent 50 days of my life helping my mom make stuff. A custom foam matters for a Queen bed with 8 inches of foam and quality microfiber she sold for $350 and took her less than two hours. I can ask her how long it took to make everything for that Catalina 22.
> 
> I'm not trying to turn this into an argument. I think it just struck a chord with me. I don't mind paying for quality but I hate getting ripped off. Sorry to rant and rave.


Hey, I agree, but try and get a "skilled" worker for $20 :laugher

Zippers are a fortune, maybe people should consider Velcro, high density, good quality foam is not cheap and Sunbrella material is not cheap. Then if you want nice corners, straight stitching and something that looks professionally done....yada, yada, yada it adds up.

As an owner of a 22 Catalina, I have what 12 pieces, you would think it could be done for less that $1,500, not that $1,500 is cheap.

I think someone in the actually markets should spend considerable time talking seamstresses, fabric shops, marine providers, RV shops, hotrod shops, etc.... and find the best labor rate and source the materials themselves.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

There are 11 cushions on a Catalina 25: 2 vberth, 5 dinette, 2 settee, 2 quarterberth. I think there was ~25 yards of fabric. ~3 hours of labor per cushion to measure/cut/heat seal edges/sew, add zippers, stuff, add mounting snaps gets you to 30-35 hours. That is close to a full work week, so $1000ish in labor isn't crazy. I don't see this as a ripoff, but if you do you can make your own and save on labor.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

northoceanbeach said:


> Labor is expensive but how long does it take to make an $800 vberth mattress? 2 hours max? It's two triangles and a pentagram. It can't take that long. I'm all for American labor, but really. Even if they took 10 hours to make it at $20 an hour that's $200. What's the cost of materials for them getting it in bulk? $100?
> 
> I've probably spent 50 days of my life helping my mom make stuff. A custom foam matters for a Queen bed with 8 inches of foam and quality microfiber she sold for $350 and took her less than two hours. I can ask her how long it took to make everything for that Catalina 22.
> 
> I'm not trying to turn this into an argument. I think it just struck a chord with me. I don't mind paying for quality but I hate getting ripped off. Sorry to rant and rave.


Well I think you found your answer, get some foam, fabric and borrow a sewing machine. Keep in mind if you use a solid fabric it will be a lot easier, just make sure the lay of the fabric is going the same way. It gets to be more difficult with patterns or strips as you waste a lot of fabric matching them up.

If it goes ok, you may have found a new business.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

northoceanbeach said:


> I'm all for American labor, but really. Even if they took 10 hours to make it at $20 an hour that's $200. What's the cost of materials for them getting it in bulk? $100?


I can't help but wonder what profession you were (are?) in if you think $20.00 an hour is reasonable pay for a craftsman. Even down here in the Caribbean, a good craftsman (sail maker or canvas shop) gets more than us$20.00 an hour, but you do get excellent work for much less than stateside.
You are going to get what you pay for on this one, and I believe if you try and do it yourself, you will have a new found respect for those who do it well.


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## dbruce85 (Aug 17, 2007)

Alex W said:


> I paid about $2000 for a full set of cushions for my Catalina 25. Those were made with Sunbrella furniture fabric that I got on a big discount, but foam at retail prices. The sewing was done by a local store that sounds similar to the one in your family and was about half of the amount.
> 
> I bought the foam mattresses from "Foam Factory" and cut them up for my current boat. I used the HD36 foam shown here:
> The Foam Factory, Mattresses, Conventional Foam
> ...


Was looking at the Foam Factory site to buy a mattress to cut up for bottom cushions, How do you find the HD 36 foam, is it firm enough at 4" thick?


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## CatMan22 (Apr 16, 2012)

My first Catalina 22 came with cushions that were pretty much ate up, in the course of updating the cabin I checked with Catalina Direct on new cushions and was surprised by the cost of a new set from them. I opted to chase down foam, ended up buying 2 inch thick and gluing 2 pieces together for seats and vberth, used 2 inch for seat backs and cockpit, bought bunting to keep fabric from sliding, material after a couple week search I wanted to use and had a lady that lives 2 houses down from me that upholsters furniture sew them for me. I spent roughly $500.00 on foam and bunting, $200.00 on fabric and $600.00 on sewing. I used velcro instead of zippers and liked how it worked. After all was said and done I only saved about $250.00, but I couldn't have gotten the fabric I used from CD. My cushions on current boat could use recovered, but I don't need to replace the foam, I purchased a sewing machine that I'm going to take a run at doing them myself this time.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

dbruce85 said:


> Was looking at the Foam Factory site to buy a mattress to cut up for bottom cushions, How do you find the HD 36 foam, is it firm enough at 4" thick?


I find it to be pretty firm. They do have a firmer foam if you think you will prefer that. If anything I find it a little over firm, which is one reason why I use a memory foam topper.

My receipt from them doesn't show me the foam type, so I don't remember for sure if I bought the 36lb or firmer foam.

I used 4" thick because I was reusing my existing cushion covers and they won't fit thicker foam. 4" thick foam appears to be fairly universal, at least on the boats that I've been on.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Ok. I will start with some four inch foam and try my handiwork on the settee. I can do this. If it doesn't turn out perfect it can be temporary. 

I was not trying to tell you you got ripped off. I think different people put different values on different things. I have more respect for the rigger whose skill will keep me safe or the sailmaker whose molded sails are strong and fast and light. Cushions are just not high up there for me. 

I don't think $20 an hour for an upholsterer is bad. That at forty hours a week fifty weeks a year is $40000 a year. Plus if they mark up the fabric and foam 100% that's maybe 80000. That's not bad. I think some of you are overestimating this craft. They aren't doctors or a Japanese sword maker who has been trained and in the family for thousands of years. 

I also think you overestimate what you are getting and how long it takes. It's not Gucci upholstery. Made by the finest seamstresses in the world. And it doesn't take three hours to sew a square. These people have done this so many times I'll bet a basic square or rectangle cushion takes 20 minutes.

-remember these are just my opinions and I'm neither right nor wrong. I'm not argueing or criticizing just discussing sailboat stuff.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

The 3 hours isn't for sewing, sewing goes quickly. It is for measuring (remember that there aren't any patterns), cutting, heat sealing, sewing, finish work (like zippers). Cushions that have corners cut look terrible. If you can do all of this in 20 minutes then you should also start doing custom cushions. You know what the market rates for them area.

Many of the cushions also aren't a simple rectangle. The sides of V-berth cushions shouldn't be at 90 degree angles to the top and bottom, they are supposed to taper along with the hull of the boat (so the top triangle on the cushion is larger than the bottom triangle). It's not hard, it just takes a bit more time. 

I could do them myself, and if I ever do new cushions for my Pearson 28-2 I'll probably will. At the time that I bought my Catalina 25 my work list was deep and making cushions was one of the less fun projects and more important for resale, so I hired it out.

I supplied my own fabric and the foam and seamstress work were quoted separately. The $1000ish was just the labor cost, not the foam or fabric. Your ideas on how much a basic craftsperson needs to make in Seattle are laughable though. $20/hr might cover someone working off of Craigslist under the table and using a spouses or parents health care. No store can afford to hire out labor that cheaply in this market.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I hope you're not taking this personally, since I like your replies as much r more as anyone on this site ad I'm not saying you got ripped off. You didn't. That's what they go for. 

I just don't feel like that cost is in line with the cost of other products. I think a lot of sailors might be surprised with what $2000 is worth to a lot of people in this country. I would bet that if you told non sailors how much 11 cushions cost they would be surprised by a lot. 

The amount of work people have to do to get and save $2000 exceeds the value of those cushions. My ranger 23 last year cost me $3800. That was a full sailboat with a nice engine and sails etc. It is not only worth less than double 11 cushions. 

Standing rigging for my entire boat, measured, cut, swaged and installed is $1500. How can standing rigging be worth less that cushions?

I don't know. We can just disagree. For me it's not something I would pay for. I just don't think its that hard what they do. Lots of people get paid $20 an hour or less. My best friend who lives in Hawaii an went to school for five years now works at a library for $13.50 an hour. Do upholsterers have to go to school for five years and pay back student loans? No yet there work is worth more than a librarian. I just don't think it's such a hard specialty that almost no one can do. Those are the people that get paid a lot. People with a skill others can't do. A lot of people can measure, cut and sew. The premium price they are charging is not because thy are that skilled but because they chose to do it for boats so it's a boat premium. 

Besides, how is $20 ridiculous? You estimated 35 hours for yours at $1000. That's $28 an hour. Not so far from $20 that my number is crazy. And you live in seattle, one o the most expensive cities. There are people on this thread posting from the gulf coast where the cost of living is half what is is in seattle. I would bet that the one guy who posted here from Mississippi that worked at a canvas shop did not get paid $20.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

dbruce85 said:


> Was looking at the Foam Factory site to buy a mattress to cut up for bottom cushions, How do you find the HD 36 foam, is it firm enough at 4" thick?


Right now I have 4" thick Lux-HQ in the salon, which is very firm. For the V-berth I have 4" of Lux-HQ, with 2" of HD-36 on top. This is very comfortable, but on the firm side still. I am thinking of adding an inch of memory foam on top.

If you only have 4" to play with, I think HD-36 would be ideal for most people if you are not too heavy. Please remember that you can always add a soft layer to firm foam, but you can't make soft foam firmer.

What I did for the V berth is put 4" of foam in the existing covers, then make a fitted topper with 2" of softer foam.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

northoceanbeach said:


> The amount of work people have to do to get and save $2000 exceeds the value of those cushions. My ranger 23 last year cost me $3800. That was a full sailboat with a nice engine and sails etc. It is not only worth less than double 11 cushions.
> 
> Standing rigging for my entire boat, measured, cut, swaged and installed is $1500. How can standing rigging be worth less that cushions?


Your Ranger 23 is an older used boat. You are looking at new cushions, not old ones. A new boat comparable to a Ranger 23 costs over $40,000 today. Actually the Zen 24 Zen 24 sailboat lists for $45,995 and any engine is an option - Yanmar diesel is $11,100.

As far as rigging, there is very little actual labor in installing rigging. With cushions there is a lot of labor as well as skill involved.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

northoceanbeach said:


> I hope you're not taking this personally, since I like your replies as much r more as anyone on this site ad I'm not saying you got ripped off. You didn't. That's what they go for.


I'm not taking it personally. I find it difficult that you realize that they would go for about $2000, yet believe that the market value is much much less. You also keep looking at a very small part of making the cushions when you bring up the times to make them.



northoceanbeach said:


> The amount of work people have to do to get and save $2000 exceeds the value of those cushions. My ranger 23 last year cost me $3800. That was a full sailboat with a nice engine and sails etc. It is not only worth less than double 11 cushions.
> 
> Standing rigging for my entire boat, measured, cut, swaged and installed is $1500. How can standing rigging be worth less that cushions?


There is a reason that I always suggest that people look for a good deal on a boat with a well maintained or new interior, sails, and motor. The price difference for a used boat with good vs bad versions of those three items can be fairly small, and the cost to upgrade them can be huge. Brand new sails (working jib, genoa, main) for a boat your size is also in the $4000 range (and that is from an overseas loft), but might only add $500-$1000 of value if the boat is being purchased used.

Standing rigging is pretty cheap stuff. Your boat probably uses 3/16" wire for standing rigging. You need about 150' of it to do upper shrouds, forestay, backstay, and lower shrouds. Raw material cost on that is $150 ($1/foot), 6 ends are about $10/ea, and 6 turnbuckles are about $45/ea. Labor to get them cut to length and swaged would be about $150 (from the local store). That adds up to about $660 by my calculator. So you are already willing to pay someone roughly $900 to drop your mast, replace 6 wires, raise it again, and tune the rig. That is much less labor than making 11 cushions.


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## deltaten (Oct 10, 2012)

DIY !!
Is it *that* long ago that folks did their own sewing and repairs? I came of age in a largely upper middleclass neighborhood and most everyone's Mom sewed. "Rich" people had stuiff made custom or hired work out. Regular folks bought off-the-rack or made do.

If your time is worth more thaan what it would ttake to buy custom; then, by all means, pay it. Using the avg. 50K/yr, post taxes/deductions is about $17.50/hr.. It might take 20 hrs to gin up simple covers. #$350 for (assumed) labor and $350 in material (est) makes it $700 of your time and effort(plus costs) to have the satisfaction of having DIY vs paying the current rates.
Now, bless yer heart if yer doing better than avg and can afford it. *Someone's* gottta keept the marine apholsterers in biz!  My time's my own and I can afford *me* 

I'm currently in process of making a tarp from a blown out main. While 6.5 oz Dar-sail is not a piece-of-cake; I'm doing just fne with a plain vanilla machine and thread./seam tape from Sail-Rite. I *may* be a handy guy and cheap to boot; but it's notrocket science to sew two ormore pieces of cloth together. Sure! It ain't perfect; or even purty; but I've learned scads about sewingand willdo quite well onthe new settee covers.

$2000 + fer store bought or half that (*including a new $300machine) for the satisfaction; let alone the added skill set of having done itone's self...priceless!


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

I DIY a ton. As an example I build my own bicycle frames, made all of my own fixtures for those frames. On the boat front I built my own NMEA 0183 wind instrument, made replacement sheaves for the masts on two of my boats, rewired two boats, made a lot of the canvas on multiple boats, made a skin on frame kayak, and made the boat cover for this dinghy:









I know the basics of sewing, but I'm no professional seamstress. You shouldn't assume that someone doesn't want to DIY just because they didn't DIY one project.

I also make a lot more than your average (which is actually a bit high) and can afford to hire out projects that I want to get done quickly. No cushions would have limited the use of our boat early on. I could afford to hire them out.

I don't know why we are having a discussion of DIY or not. If you have the time you should certainly DIY. I love DIY.

I don't know why we are having the discussion of what cushions should cost. There is an established cost for getting new custom boat cushions. It is hard to find them for under $2000 in the US for a full set of cushions.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

We are only having this discussion because I want really nice boat cushions but am too cheap to pay what they cost and too lazy to do it myself. 

I will try though. 4 inch foam. Start with the settee go from there. Like you Im going to be using the boat a lot and need something. I think I'm just wanting to prioritize these projects this spring. 

Head
Bottom paint
Sails or standing rigging
Repainting or reteaking interiors 

So I guess we learned from this that I'm cheap and have no respect for upholsterers. 

The guy that talks like a cowboy is my new favorite sailnetter

Alex is the sailnet version of the monopoly guy. Sitting at his computer typing in a monocle and top hat, lighting Cuban cigars with $100 bills that his manservant smuggled back from Vancouver. Meanwhile three sports illustrated swimsuit models are jello wrestling on a Siberian tiger rug behind him, in front of a fireplace fueled with the sweat of the common man.


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## socal c25 (Nov 1, 2013)

I want interior cushions BUT they aren't needed yet as the vinyl ones are still usable I do need cockpit cushions, the boat didn't come with any and $900 for vinyl cushions seems very high. we have a sewing machine but it's medium duty at best and pushing vinyl through it might mess it up, we could go with a light weight vinyl but would end up making a second set of covers as the light stuff would probably tear or wear out in a year or two


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## Minnesail (Feb 19, 2013)

socal c25 said:


> I do need cockpit cushions


Do you? I don't really like cockpit cushions. They seem to get in the way.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I have them now but last year I didn't. I kid you not it took a month after I stopped sailing to heal. Some boats just aren't comfortable.


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## Minnesail (Feb 19, 2013)

northoceanbeach said:


> I have them now but last year I didn't. I kid you not it took a month after I stopped sailing to heal. Some boats just aren't comfortable.


I guess I'll find out. I just bought my first boat last October and haven't even sailed it yet, but I've already tossed the cockpit cushions into the rafters in my garage and I intend to leave them there.

When I've been on OPB or charters I've always found cockpit cushions more of a pain in the *** than the other way around. Leave 'em in the lazarette and use a throwable if you need something to sit on has been my plan.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Probably so. I think I had a combination. Of two things wrong. One: I had no autopilot so had to man the tiller sometimes for 8-9 hours. Two: I think my boat had particularly in-ergonomic seats. I'm not a sit at home in my lazy boy watching tv all day comfort junky either but it had actual sores on my sit bones. Now I've got some basic cushions. 

I've never noticed uncomfortable on other boats, but also just was
Moving around a lot more, so I don't know how important they are. I'm thinking the more time at the helm, if you're going longer distances, probably very. I at least should have got one of those blue chairs from west marine for like $50. 

I'm going to be less stubborn this year. I haven't sailed my boat yet either. I used to have a Catalina 22 and had soooo much fun. It might have been the most fun I've had on a sailboat. I definitely like them. They are nothing fancy, just the perfect little fun daysailer weekender. Don't forget the swim ladder. Hard to get back aboard without a swim ladder. I found that out.


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## Minnesail (Feb 19, 2013)

northoceanbeach said:


> I used to have a Catalina 22 and had soooo much fun. It might have been the most fun I've had on a sailboat. I definitely like them. They are nothing fancy, just the perfect little fun daysailer weekender. Don't forget the swim ladder. Hard to get back aboard without a swim ladder. I found that out.


Yeah, I think it'll be fun. The size is new to me. I've sailed bigger boats (34' +) for ASA lessons and on charters, and I've sailed little dinghies like Lasers and MCs, but never this size. I think it should be good for teaching me bigger boat stuff, without the bigger boat price tag.

I've been following this thread because my cushions are, I think, the original 40-year-old cushions. They haven't been heavily used, but they do look really dated. I'm leaning towards re-covering them rather than replacing.

And I have two swim ladders! The boat came with a stainless and a plastic. It makes me wonder if there's something wrong with the stainless one that caused him to buy a plastic replacement&#8230;


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

Plywood bottom cushions are the easiest. Nothing to sew. Put your padding on top of the plywood ( I prefer several layers of carpet and underlay) Pull your covering over the padding and under the plywood, and staple it to the bottom of the plywood.
Done!


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## This Old Sailboat (May 21, 2013)

Northoceanbeach,

[Shameless self plug alert]

What I think you want is to go from something like the first picture to something like the second picture for a little over $300.

My cushion cover project is almost finished; Sunbrella, piping, zippers, breathable underlayment, and custom details.

There are still some details yet to be done like adding batting to fill out the wrinkles that you see below. It will probably be a couple of weeks yet, but when it's ready to reveal, you can see the final results and a rundown of their construction and cost on my blog at the link in my signature.

You CAN do this and save a bundle!


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

That looks great. Especially the before and after. It really lets you see how much of a difference it makes. I can't wait to read your blog to see how you did it.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

Since northoceanbeach doesn't want to do work or spend money please share how long it took for you to make the cushions too, not just what you spent on materials.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Alex W said:


> Since northoceanbeach doesn't want to do work or spend money please share how long it took for you to make the cushions too, not just what you spent on materials.


It took me three weeks to redo the cushions on my boat... mostly because I had to make new foam inserts, buy the materials, and get a sewing machine I could use on the boat... did everything in the boat, they look great compared to the old cushions with the 1980's fabric... I also reupholstered two Fiat Spiders... the first took me 3 months to do in solid leather... the second one shown here took me a month to do... the learning curve is getting used to the fabric/sewing machine.


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## This Old Sailboat (May 21, 2013)

Well, I haven't kept close track of the time spent. I haven't been in a rush with it; I have all winter to finish. And I've taken breaks from the project at times for the holidays and to work on other projects.

There are a lot of variables involved: how many cushions you're making, how complicated the construction (piping vs. no piping), prior experience, patterns available, a helper, etc.

The first cushion or two will take longer until you get the process down. Then in my case, for the average sized cushions, I was able to complete one cushion each evening after dinner, so 2-4 hours, about the same as Alex. The V berth cushions take longer because of their shape, size, and hull angles. There was also some up front time spent making a cutting plan to minimize fabric waste, making the piping, etc. There's definitely a lot of skill involved making them turn out right. Strong, straight seams, tight corners, no wrinkles, flat edges, no gaps between cushions, all take attention to details that comes with experience.

Many of us decide on whether we will DIY or not based on the effort and the cost. There's been a lot of emphasis in this thread put on the cost being unavoidable. I just wanted to throw in another example of what can be done to keep the cost commensurate with the value of the boat and its owner's budget.

It sounds like he wants this boat to be special, a keeper, and is willing to spend some more time on it. In the end, it's a personal decision whether you trust your abilities and are willing to commit to the project. For me, I wouldn't have it any other way.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

This Old Sailboat said:


> Northoceanbeach,
> 
> [Shameless self plug alert]
> 
> ...


Very nice work... I like the Catalina embroidery... I sprayed fabric adhesive on the foam and glued the polyester batting (1/2 inch thick) before sliding the covers back on... did the trick to remove the wrinkles I see on yours... no big deal it looks great... I used velcro instead of the zippers it had before... I'm sure many can do their own upholstery if they get past the fear they're going to do a bad job... this is why you pay upholsterers good money... they know what they're doing.


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## This Old Sailboat (May 21, 2013)

That's precisely what I'm going to do. Been waiting for the weather to warm up a bit so I can spray in the shop without an open flame to heat the space. We just climbed up out of the single digits around here and the first mate doesn't want 3M 77 floating through the house.

Another guitar guy, huh? Gives me an idea for a different thread ; )


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Northoceanbeach does try to keep things funny. It may not always come across right on the internet. I'm just going to get a spool for a table and sit on apple crates and sacks of hay. 

But no. It sounds like if you put the effort in you can get something pretty cool.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

This Old Sailboat said:


> That's precisely what I'm going to do. Been waiting for the weather to warm up a bit so I can spray in the shop without an open flame to heat the space. We just climbed up out of the single digits around here and the first mate doesn't want 3M 77 floating through the house.
> 
> Another guitar guy, huh? Gives me an idea for a different thread ; )


I used that 3M adhesive spray during my time in the winter months and got that tacky feeling all over my skin and hairs... had to wipe down all the surfaces because let me tell ya as you know it goes everywhere... it was 40-50 deg out and had the hatch open... really needs to be done in an open area or a large enclosed shop.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

northoceanbeach said:


> Northoceanbeach does try to keep things funny. It may not always come across right on the internet. I'm just going to get a spool for a table and sit on apple crates and sacks of hay.
> 
> But no. It sounds like if you put the effort in you can get something pretty cool.


I've never done any type of sewing or upholstering till I bought my son his Fiat Spider and took everything out of the interior and slowing took the seats apart and used them as patterns on the leather hides, I've never sewn leather before so I did test trials on the machine to get the feel for the machine, stitching lengths, etc... after I felt confident (can't fix leather after poking holes in it with the needle) I proceeded... here is a photo of my first sewing trial...



















Pick up a good White sewing machine or sail sewing machine and take a stab at it, it's fun and you may like it enough to make it a career.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

You really made those seats on your first attempt?


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

northoceanbeach said:


> You really made those seats on your first attempt?


Yes... my first attempt ever at sewing or making anything with a sewing machine... not only the seats you see there but the consoles, dash, door panels, convertible boot cover, etc... everything you see in the egg white leather was done by yours truly... this and the red Fiat Spider are show cars and my son and I take them to the Hilton Head, SC Concours De Elegance car show... many just can't believe I reupholstered these two cars with no professional training at all.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

Give it a go and see if you want to try your hand at recovering the cushions or making the cushions yourself... we're here to help you if you get stuck on something... there's also multitudes of websites to help you out... That is what I did when I saw the task in front of me having taken out the interior of the car the first time... after the first two cushions you get the hang of it... things like 'piping' are a pain and I avoided that on the boat cushions... but some like it... like others said make patterns with pattern paper on the boat/hull so you get the proper measurements before cutting anything. 
Sizing is most important for a good tight fitting cushion cover.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

Ok thanks. There will be no recovering since there is no foam at all. In college for one year I took fadhion design and one class was pattern making. I hope it comes back to me once I get started. 

Do they not really have local stores that sell foam? It's better to order it? I'd like to be able to see it. But it's not that big of a deal.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

You can buy it locally, but I have found that the Foam Factory has both the best quality, and price.


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## SkywalkerII (Feb 20, 2008)

My wife and I spent yesterday's snow day here on Long Island making new cushions for my Tartan 27. The PO lost or threw out the old ones, so I cut foam to fit. Got the foam from a buddy who had foam from his Pearson 10 M in the attic. The PO bought some fabric, not what I would have picked, but we went with it. We bought some additional fabric for the bottoms, on sale, for $6.99. We decided to use velcro instead of zippers. Total cost...$80.

Here are the three port settee cushions.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

JoAnn fabric stores stock the high density 4 inch foam and the medium density foam as well... mind you it is expensive as is any foam since it's derived from petroleum products... it has skyrocketed in prices which is why you see quotes in the thousands for custom cushions... there are places to find it as Mark SF suggests... you could try to find used cushions and sterilize them as I sterilized and dried some of mine... takes a day or two in the sun to dry... shape them with either a hot blade or nichrome wire.


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

I'll start by taking a look at Joann's. How much foam do you need for a settee? I wouldn't think too much. I'll figure out what I need and the difference in cost at Joann's vs. foam factory.


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

northoceanbeach said:


> I'll start by taking a look at Joann's. How much foam do you need for a settee? I wouldn't think too much. I'll figure out what I need and the difference in cost at Joann's vs. foam factory.


Do you have a similar layout to the Sailstar 26?

SAILSTAR 26 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

This has a similar layout to mine... it took me 22 yards of top fabric and 8 yards of bottom breathable fabric, if you do velcro over zippers (highly recommended) get the entire roll of hook and loop... it comes in 40 yard rolls and it cost me $28 shipped... way cheaper than buying it at fabric stores and they charge by the yard. I used Royal Navy Duck fabric on my settees and v-berth... it's a great contrast to the hull and wood panels. You have to measure correctly to buy the amount of foam you need... make a rough pattern and take it with you to the store this way you don't have to glue foam pieces together although that would work if you glue a 1/2 inch foam across the entire top foam cushion to hide the join.


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## This Old Sailboat (May 21, 2013)

And watch for one of the frequent sales at Joanne's. I bought new foam for one of our pieces so that I could make it longer than stock and hit a 40% off sale. Brings the price at least down to earth.

Follow my blog at stingysailor.wordpress.com


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

This Old Sailboat said:


> And watch for one of the frequent sales at Joanne's. I bought new foam for one of our pieces so that I could make it longer than stock and hit a 40% off sale. Brings the price at least down to earth.
> 
> Follow my blog at stingysailor.wordpress.com


They frequently have coupons to stack on top of that as well!


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

miatapaul said:


> They frequently have coupons to stack on top of that as well!


That's what I did when I bought all my items at JoAnns except the velcro, still walked away with $300 but the cost to get reupholstery on the cushions would have cost over $2400 and I wouldn't have the White sewing machine to repair sails or make all sorts of hatch covers, outboard/winch covers, and other neat items too many to name. Even my slip members asked me to make their covers... without thinking it created a business all its own.


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## This Old Sailboat (May 21, 2013)

For anybody who's starting or even somewhere in the middle of a DIY sewing project, Sailrite has two new series' of free online videos they're putting out right now, one series on learning how to sew and another on how to sew cabin cushion covers. The current video is on V berth cushions, specifically. I highly recommend them.

Check 'em out here.


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## ravinracin (Apr 21, 2010)

Sailrite is always extremely helpful. Cushions a project I must do soon. Not looking forward to it, but I DIY everything. Once I quit thinking about it and start, it seems I always enjoy the current project. I can't put my boat in the water for a while, so the project takes my mind off not sailing. Great therapy! To me that is worth a lot even above the money savings.


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## This Old Sailboat (May 21, 2013)

BTW, they also have a new cockpit cushion video there and they are having a 15% off sale that ends today that they claim will be the lowest price on Sunbrella this year. For example, $16.49/60" yd. So, this might be a good time to stock up even if you plan to do the project later. I might spring for fabric for a bimini.

Follow my blog at stingysailor.wordpress.com


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