Cockpit cushions

[SailingJerry]

I have a 1990 Catalina 34. The admiral is no longer satisfied with with small cloth cushions. Any advice on manufacturer, foam, and covering material for new cockpit cushions? Do any cushions drain if they get wet?
Jerry

[KWKloeber]

I invested in "C Cushions" (google it) and like them.  The foam (vs vinyl or sunbrella) is a trade off, but they stood up well.

-kk

[Ekutney]

I bought one of these to try it out, it works great.  I've used it at the helm and also in the cockpit, I plan to get more. 

http://www.sportaseat.com

[patrice]

Hi,

We have the catalina cushion with that vinyle cover.
We made a nice fabric cover for them, so no more sticky vinyle.

And for comfort, we had bought the same seat as Ekutney.
There nice, you can brigh them on the front deck for the morning coffee or after sail drink

[Stu Jackson]

We have the Catalina cushions with that vinyl cover.

We do, too, have stood up to 30 years !!! of use.  Pretty darn good in my estimation.

During our trip up north, we found they absorb moisture like a sponge, and had to stow them down below when it rained, using throwable cushions which also got soggy.

I'm on the lookout for ideas from our brethren who have experience in rainy conditions.

I also believe full length cushions are not completely necessary.  I don't use the port cushion when underway, needing easy access to the port locker for docklines and the boat hook.  The helmsman's seat is very nice.

[KWKloeber]

Here's the C cushions I got for the C-30  -- very nice and functional -- no major problems with them. 
http://www.ccushions.com/products.htm

I cut kraft paper patterns and mailed them to C because I added a help mump and the seats are 3 sections-- locker top, and smaller ones fwd and aft of the lockers.  Having the smaller pieces is real nice if you want a backrest to lounge against the saloon bulkhead with your morning coffee. 
My sizes were EXACT and to do it again I would change two things:

-- size them a little shy of "full" -- in heat they expand and hang over the edge of the seats.
-- The locker cushion needs to be about 2 -3 inches wider than the locker top (I made it identical width) -- when I lower the lid, it pinches down on the cushions on either side (especially when it's HOT and they expand) -- with a couple inches clearance that would be minimized/non existent.

They held up well (except for large canines with long nails) and C has a liquid brush on repair kit for touchups.  I chose light gray as a cross between being cooler in the sun and not showing as much dirt.  Ain't cheap but over 20 years they were well worth the investment.

Oh, I would modify the helm hump next time -- a regular cushion and a separate hump --having all-in-one is "ok," but unwieldy as well as bulky to store, and leaves no options.

-kk

Note the helm hump that C sells -- that was my design from my cushions (back in the late 1990s) !!! 

[KWKloeber]

Stu,

When I had the OE vinyl cushions (from CTY ?) inherited from the PO, it would drive me crazy if in a blow they got soaked, or if we just ran to dinner or whatnot and a storm blew in.  I removed the foam, wrapped them in thin poly and duct-taped all the poly seams weathertight.  Tent seam sealer might have worked to watertight the stitching/cording seams -- but I wasn't that ambitious.   

Also the Rustoleum NeverWet for outdoor fabric is absolutely fantastic and might waterproof the seams.  I use it on ski parka/pants/gloves (sometimes I have to work rain of shine) and it WILL NOT let water through - that might work on seams -- I've never tried it on vinyl, but I've held a glove under a running tap and it never took on a drop.

--kk

[patrice]

Mine must be closed fell foam, they don't absorbe water.

[kwaltersmi]

We purchased cockpit cushions from Seawizard Marine (http://stores.seawizardmarinecanvas.com/cockpit-cusions/) 3 years ago and have been very happy with the look, construction and durability.  They aren't as comfortable as a squishy foam cushion like BottomSiders, but they hold up well and the price is very good. I particularly like the closed-cell foam that makes them essentially waterproof.

Per the Seawizard website, their cushions are "Textilene Sunsure Fabric, 2" thick waterproof closed-cell foam, and Sunbrella trim piping, stitched together with UV resistant thread".

[Jim Hardesty]

I have the original and sportaseat.  If you mostly sail with one other I think the sportaseats are the way to go.  They are much easier to store than full cushions and more comfortable.  If you fill up the cockpit then the full cushions are the way to go.
Jim

[SailingJerry]

Thanks for the input. I also have one sportseat but I believe a closed foam cushion is the way to go for me. Didn't love the look of the c cushions but the seawizards look promising.  Gotta make the rounds at the boat shows.

[SPembleton]

I ordered mine from catalinaowners.com.  The cushions are dense closed cell foam, but are covered with a woven material where each thread is teflon coated. Very comfortable I made a template for my Mk1 which was not hard, and they now offer it to others on their site.  I have used the cushions for 2 years now and love them.  They wash and drip dry perfectly. I think they were about $900 for the set of three cushions. The helm cushion is shaped to fit the rise in the helm seat.  Cant say enough positives.  Easy people to work with. They will send samples of the fabric if you wish.