I need to replace the aft cushion foam

[Gint]

So I'm assuming this foam we are sleeping on in the aft cabin is over 30 years old now. There is a big dip in the center that my wife and I uncomfortably sleep in, unless we grip the sides of the mattress and hold ourselves to each side. This doesn't last too long and we find ourselves pressed face to face throughout the night in this grand canyon which is our bed. The covers are totally fine so I just need to cut new foam. I could just buy new ones from Catalina Direct, but I don't really want too. I prefer to do things the hard way, it (always) seem. Does anyone have a recommendation for the type of foam I can use, possibly the original grade. We like it firm.

[WTunnessen]

I've been replacing the foam in various cabin cushions over the past 2 years and have using this open cell foam https://www.thefoamfactory.com/opencellfoam/LUX-R.html

There are lots of foam options, such the firmness, etc. The one I used is quite firm but we put a 2" memory foam on top of it for sleeping which together works great for us.

Cutting the foam is easy - use an electric carving knife.  Also easy to glue foam pieces together.

This definitely is a DIY project!

[waughoo]

I took my old foam to the local canvas and boat upholstry shop and they cut me a new one and put the dacron padding on the top.  It was noteably expensive but it was done in a hot second and they cut the funny diagonal on the aft port side cushion where the bunk liner follows the hull.

[Holger Dieske]

... I had the same problem (though in the front cabin, we sleep there).

I bought 2 really good mattresses (in German that means 7-zone cold foam) 17cm thick and used the old ones as templates. Then I cut the new ones out with an electric carving knife. That worked really well.

The next problem is that the new mattress is 17 cm thick and the cover for the old one is 10 cm. A friend who is good at sewing then cut open the covers all around and sewed in a 7cm strip. Everything fits and the sleeping comfort is extremely good.

Holger

[LogoFreak]

If you're ok doing it yourself why don't you wait for a sale at the many retailers on foam mattresses? They often blow them out at very low prices! I didn't foam shops charge an arm and a leg for foam. I purchased a queen size foam mattress at Jysk for $160 a couple of years ago.

[Ron Hill]

Gint : A memory topper won't help you if the foam is so compressed that you are in a valley (Grand Canyon)!  You can go to almost any upholstery repair and they can get you some replacement foam to get you back to level surface!!  I'd get the 4 or 5 inch memory foam which is the same foam that the custom VBerth mattress are made out of.

A few thoughts

[rmjohns]

I got my last foam from Sailrite, and they do claim theirs is antimicrobial, which I'm sure means something.  If I were to do it again, I'd go to a local upholstery shop just so I could get a feel for how soft/firm the foam is.  With sailrite I layered in firm/med/soft and even with the soft on the top it was exceedingly firm. I ended up taking out some of the firm foam and putting on a memory foam layer.

The other advantage to a local shop is you might be able to get them to cut it to shape, at least with the vertical cuts. They have the fancy saws.  You can cut it with a electric knife, but I never got a really clean cut with that. My most recent foam I cut in my band saw and that was a lot cleaner but kind of a pain to work with floppy foam in the saw..

[Ron Hill]

Gint : Rob has some good points.  That foam is somewhat difficult to cut with an electric knife.
Infact you'll want it to fit inside the same original cover - which means that it will have to be cut at an angle on the outside edges to contour the shape of the inside of the hull like the old inside stuffing!!

I'd take it to a cushion shop !

A few thoughts

[Holger Dieske]

... no, it's really not difficult to cut this foam with the electric carving knife. I just did it 2 weeks ago. if you use the old pads as a pattern/template and mark it neatly you really get an exact cut!

Holger

[WTunnessen]

Normally I'm one to never question Ron Hill but this time I have to disagree about cutting foam! It's super easy to cut with a basic 2 blade electric carving knife- or at least with $20 carving knife I got on Amazon. Honestly compared to most of the other projects I have done based on advise from this forum, foam replacement is one of the easiest ones.  Even shaping the v-berth cushions was not too hard. Redoing the cushion buttons is pretty straight forward too but you need a 10" upholstery needle. For under $200 in less than 3 hours I've replaced the v berth cushions and several salon cushions.

[tvorgitch]

I disassembled my settee cushions and washed them as I could not get them clean any other way. Using a crochet needle hook I was able to tie the button loops in advance. I used a couple of different tool sockets to get the proper length. With the hook, you simply push it through the cushion and then grab the loop with one button attached. The latch on the hook allows you to put it back and then snap on the other button. After a bit of practice, I was able to replace a button in about 30 seconds.

https://www.amazon.com/OPount-Pieces-Different-Crochet-Plastic/dp/B06XR46LFR