boat cushions

[Larry1234]

I am looking to replace my interior cushions on my Capri 25. I have contacted Catalina and they quoted me a price between 2000 -1600 dollars.Almost what the boat is worth. Looking for ideas. I know I can buy materials from Sailrite but I do not have a sewing machine nor do I know how to sew.
Thanks,
Larry1234

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Larry1234

I am looking to replace my interior cushions on my Capri 25. I have contacted Catalina and they quoted me a price between 2000 -1600 dollars.Almost what the boat is worth. Looking for ideas. I know I can buy materials from Sailrite but I do not have a sewing machine nor do I know how to sew.
Thanks,
Larry1234

PM me as I have a full set of cushions for Capri 26 in very good condition. I was going to use them on another boat but junked that boat and a replacement boat came with it's own good cushions.

[Larry1234]

how much are looking for them ? you know the Capri 26 and Capri25 are quite different

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Larry1234

how much are looking for them ? you know the Capri 26 and Capri25 are quite different

I paid $300 for them so just looking to get my $$ back. They were in dry storage when I got them and I kept them inside for about 2 years.

I have no idea how different 25 and 26 are but I figured it would be easier to refit from a larger size to smaller one than the other way around.

[Island Time O25]

I just checked with sailboatdata and it seems that the Capri 26 my cushions came off of was the older Chris Craft version not the later one by Catalina. But not sure either way.

I will try to get and post some photos and/or measurements as soon as I get to my storage bin.

[Geek_Guy]

We had new covers done for our boat. It was very reasonable. We got the person from our sail loft buddy. Also check with a marina or other sailing location for references.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Larry1234

I am looking to replace my interior cushions on my Capri 25. I have contacted Catalina and they quoted me a price between 2000 -1600 dollars.Almost what the boat is worth. Looking for ideas. I know I can buy materials from Sailrite but I do not have a sewing machine nor do I know how to sew.
Thanks,
Larry1234

You don't really need to know how to sew. Sailrite has videos online which demonstrate the entire process of making cabin cushions.

A sewing machine that can make interior cushion covers does not need to anything special. You can get a new one for $150 that will do it, or a used one for less.

I made mine for about $500, which includes foam, fabric (Sunbrella interior fabric), zips, thread, etc. You could do it for even less with a cheaper fabric. The Sunbrella is nice quality, though.

If you need new foam, the best place to get it is Foam Factory.

[UNCIVILIZED]

There's quite a bit of info on this topic in this thread http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ss-175125.html
And included in the thread is a link to the CF sub-forum on sewing, & boat canvas projects. So between the two, many of your questions will likely get answered, including some that you haven't yet thought of Like what type of foam(s) is best, & why, etc.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Larry1234,

Sewing is not hard to teach yourself, and some of us find it rewarding to make *stuff* for our boats. It helps not to be OCD about perfection in the product.

Jim once bought a used Singer from a Chinese lady, and sewed a spinnaker with it. The chute wasn't his first project, but it is an example of being determined and figuring it out as he went along.

If I were going to attempt your project, first measure the spaces the foam will go, and go to a foam store and buy it. In Oz, we use Clark Rubber for a source, but there are lots of foam places if you're in the US.

For your fabric, you want something washable, that will not shrink. Since you want to be able to wash the covers, you'll want to make openings. I prefer to run all plastic zippers around 3 sides of the cushion, because otherwise it is a struggle to get the foam in, but if you don't mind coercing the foam into place, all you need is a zip that goes the length of the outboard side of the cushion. Some people use velcro for this, my using zippers is just my personal preference, velcro will work fine. I just like pulling the fabric closed with the zip.

Buy about a yard of some remnant cloth, and learn to adjust your tension, and to sew straight seams. It is not cheating to mark your seam lines on the fabric till you get the feel for sewing straight.

You can watch SailRite's videos on how to make cushions. I suggest your first one not be the one you want most to be perfect.

Go for it. It is really doable.

Ann

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Hi, Larry1234,

Sewing is not hard to teach yourself, and some of us find it rewarding to make *stuff* for our boats. It helps not to be OCD about perfection in the product.

Jim once bought a used Singer from a Chinese lady, and sewed a spinnaker with it. The chute wasn't his first project, but it is an example of being determined and figuring it out as he went along.

If I were going to attempt your project, first measure the spaces the foam will go, and go to a foam store and buy it. In Oz, we use Clark Rubber for a source, but there are lots of foam places if you're in the US.

For your fabric, you want something washable, that will not shrink. Since you want to be able to wash the covers, you'll want to make openings. I prefer to run all plastic zippers around 3 sides of the cushion, because otherwise it is a struggle to get the foam in, but if you don't mind coercing the foam into place, all you need is a zip that goes the length of the outboard side of the cushion. Some people use velcro for this, my using zippers is just my personal preference, velcro will work fine. I just like pulling the fabric closed with the zip.

Buy about a yard of some remnant cloth, and learn to adjust your tension, and to sew straight seams. It is not cheating to mark your seam lines on the fabric till you get the feel for sewing straight.

You can watch SailRite's videos on how to make cushions. I suggest your first one not be the one you want most to be perfect.

Go for it. It is really doable.

Ann

Ann, thanks for the good post. On the shrinking thing (denoted in blue above), have you ever tried washing the fabric prior to sewing the cushions? I know that you'd first need to throw a quick line of stitching into the fabric prior to washing it, to prevent it from unraveling. But my theory is that perhaps by washing the fabric first, before making the covers, you'd head off most of the problems which come from washing them long after they're made.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Ann, thanks for the good post. On the shrinking thing (denoted in blue above), have you ever tried washing the fabric prior to sewing the cushions? I know that you'd first need to throw a quick line of stitching into the fabric prior to washing it, to prevent it from unraveling. But my theory is that perhaps by washing the fabric first, before making the covers, you'd head off most of the problems which come from washing them long after they're made.

Quite right, I always used to pre-shrink my fabrics. It is not necessary with acrylic fibers, howeveer.

Ann

[Sea Dreaming]

Regarding putting cushions in the covers...

Sellers of upholstery material sell what is essentially very thin plastic to wrap the foam in before sliding it in a cover. This very thin plastic is usually left in place. Even tight covers slip on like you have a magic touch. It is not cheap when added to costs already accrued in the project though.

I found the solution is to use very cheap grade garbage bags wrapped around the foam. It works like magic! Promise! But you will want to remove the garbage bags before closing cushion because the bags make a lot of noise. TO get the bags out, just tear where needed. It makes the whole job so much easier!

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Sea Dreaming

Regarding putting cushions in the covers...

Sellers of upholstery material sell what is essentially very thin plastic to wrap the foam in before sliding it in a cover. This very thin plastic is usually left in place. Even tight covers slip on like you have a magic touch. It is not cheap when added to costs already accrued in the project though.

I found the solution is to use very cheap grade garbage bags wrapped around the foam. It works like magic! Promise! But you will want to remove the garbage bags before closing cushion because the bags make a lot of noise. TO get the bags out, just tear where needed. It makes the whole job so much easier!

+1

BTW the thinnest such plastic bags are the ones your dry cleaned clothes come back in. The dry cleaning places usually have them in a large roll and they can be asked to spare a few for a long time customer.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Sea Dreaming

Regarding putting cushions in the covers...

Sellers of upholstery material sell what is essentially very thin plastic to wrap the foam in before sliding it in a cover. This very thin plastic is usually left in place. Even tight covers slip on like you have a magic touch. It is not cheap when added to costs already accrued in the project though.

I found the solution is to use very cheap grade garbage bags wrapped around the foam. It works like magic! Promise! But you will want to remove the garbage bags before closing cushion because the bags make a lot of noise. TO get the bags out, just tear where needed. It makes the whole job so much easier!

This sounds like a good tip, thanks. And it's a guess on my part, but I'd imagine that sheets of newspaper, or butcher paper might work for this also. It should provide a slippery surface between the foam & the fabric, while being easy to tear for removal once things are assembled.

[Larry1234]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Hi, Larry1234,

Sewing is not hard to teach yourself, and some of us find it rewarding to make *stuff* for our boats. It helps not to be OCD about perfection in the product.

Jim once bought a used Singer from a Chinese lady, and sewed a spinnaker with it. The chute wasn't his first project, but it is an example of being determined and figuring it out as he went along.

If I were going to attempt your project, first measure the spaces the foam will go, and go to a foam store and buy it. In Oz, we use Clark Rubber for a source, but there are lots of foam places if you're in the US.

For your fabric, you want something washable, that will not shrink. Since you want to be able to wash the covers, you'll want to make openings. I prefer to run all plastic zippers around 3 sides of the cushion, because otherwise it is a struggle to get the foam in, but if you don't mind coercing the foam into place, all you need is a zip that goes the length of the outboard side of the cushion. Some people use velcro for this, my using zippers is just my personal preference, velcro will work fine. I just like pulling the fabric closed with the zip.

Buy about a yard of some remnant cloth, and learn to adjust your tension, and to sew straight seams. It is not cheating to mark your seam lines on the fabric till you get the feel for sewing straight.

You can watch SailRite's videos on how to make cushions. I suggest your first one not be the one you want most to be perfect.

Go for it. It is really doable.

Ann

I viewed the video from sailrite and that is way beyond my ability. Also I live in a small apartment.