What would you like to sit on?

[Greg Diver]

Hi, I bought a Catalina 42 in August knowing that it would need work. One of the projects was the upholstery which is stained and tired. The question is really what type/fabric would you use to recover the cushions. The foam seems to be ok.

[bcboomer]

We like Brisa. Easy to clean and doesn't get sticky in the heat since it breathes.

[valhalla360]

sunbrella or one of the decent quality knock offs. Also we like a busy pattern. You will get sunscreen, water and other stuff on it, with a solid or a striped material, it will be quickly obvious.

Check what the cost of new foam will be. When we did it, there wasn't a big cost difference compared to just redoing the existing foam and it allowed us to switch to a much more dense foam which we prefer since we sit at the dinette frequently.

[Greg Diver]

Thanks for the input.

[Terra Nova]

Terra Nova has denim-look Sunbrella cushion covers that I'm pretty happy with.

[zeehag]

the sofa onmy back cockpit lazarette is with 8 inch foam and sunbrella. works great

[exMaggieDrum]

I am sure there are other places to get the same information, but a very informative website is sailrite.com. They sell cushion materials to DIYers and have lots of discussion on the various types of material and foams. Also CDs and instructions on how to reupholster everything.

[CaptTom]

Having a comfortable place to sit is a priority if you're going to spend much time aboard.

The foam is a huge part of that. Dimensions are important too, and you do want to spend some time picking the right fabric. But without the right foam, the rest is a waste of time and money.

[hellosailor]

Greg-
While Sunbrella and some other synthetics can be great cloth, you might also want to try finding a local upholstery shop, a real shop that repairs automobile seats for the trade. This because they often have access to a wide range of fabrics including wools and wool blends, which are naturally fire-resistant, no chemicals added to make them do that. Not to be paranoid, but upholstery foam tends to be very flammable and produce toxic vapors vapor quickly, so a fire-resistant cover isn't totally a bad idea. (And they tend to wear like iron.)

[donradcliffe]

Leather seat cushions, of course. Sunbrella is a mistake I made once and will not repeat.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Leather seat cushions, of course. Sunbrella is a mistake I made once and will not repeat.

Don, would you please write specifically about what you don't like about sunbrella below decks?

We use it above decks, and have not had trouble with chafe on those cushions; however, it is difficult to remove grease borne stains from.

This boat has leather in the saloon. I do not like the stickiness of it in the heat. Maybe Ultrasuede???

Ann

[Sandero]

Below I have a plush which is rich, soft, wears well and is easy to maintain. Sunbrella for the cockpit cushions as they take more UV abuse and walking on type of abuse. Cockpit are taupe on one side (hot sun in summer) and navy on the other... cool days in autumn and spring.

[Vasco]

I would think more about the foam than the fabric. A tired boat probably has tired foam. Get a good quality high density foam. We prefer something akin to Naugahyde for the covering. Durable and easy to clean. The fancy fake leathers such as ultra suede stretch too much and soon lose their shape.

[hellosailor]

Well, you could be like some of the high-end car makers. They use leather seating, perforated by thousands of needle holes to allow air circulation.


But that stuff even makes expensive leather look cheap.

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by Vasco

I would think more about the foam than the fabric. A tired boat probably has tired foam. Get a good quality high density foam. We prefer something akin to Naugahyde for the covering. Durable and easy to clean. The fancy fake leathers such as ultra suede stretch too much and soon lose their shape.

high density closed cell latex