Reupholstering my boat. How to prevent waterlogged cushions in the future?

[natemoore]

Granted, my Four Winns Horizon 170 Fish 'n' Ski is a 1986 model, but I was surprised by how waterlogged all the foam was on the vertical cushions in the bow, given that I've never let it get rained on and keep it covered up. Don't know about the previous owner, though.

I replaced and sealed all the plywood and am getting ready to reinstall a couple of the vertical cushions. How could I get the water to drain behind the cushion, not wick into the vinyl and foam? I'm imagining some sort of plastic mesh that would hold the cushion away from the bulkhead just enough to let the water drain along the fiberglass and create an air space.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[briangcc]

Re: Reupholstering my boat. How to prevent waterlogged cushions in the future?

How do the cushions attach to the bow? Screw? If so, why not try a plastic washer between the hull and the seat cushion back? It would give a little offset between the two for drainage and since it's plastic it won't mar either surface or rust. Rubber washer could do the same thing but I think it'd be a little thicker.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Reupholstering my boat. How to prevent waterlogged cushions in the future?

I'm an upholsterer and here are the ways to keep water out of the cushions:

~ The vertical cushions require a drain at the bottom. The basic method is to have a canvas or upholstery shop punch in a few small grommets at the bottom edge, just in front of the wood. This allows any water that has gotten into the cover to drain out. You can do this yourself with one of the many available kits. The best way is to have a vinyl meshing (about 1" wide) sewn into the bottom of the cover. Higher end boats have this from the factory. Trade named PfiferTex.

~ The seat portions require vent holes drilled into the bottom of the wood and the bottoms covered with the same vinyl meshing. Water out and air in equals dry cushions.

~ In both cases, the foam and wood need to be covered with a clear plastic prior to being wrapped with the vinyl seat cover. This allows the vinyl to slip over the foam easily and any water that finds it's way in will not come into contact with the foam or with the wood. You can get it cheaply from a local upholstery shop. Trade named Slip-eze.

Remember to use SS staples or you'll be restapeling in a couple of years and dealing with rust staining on your gelcoat. Behind the cushion (between the back of the wood and the gelcoat), you should have a bead of welting cord. Some people call this cording or beading. If you don't have the original, go to a shop and have them sew some up for you. It will be inexpensive. This keeps the wood from resting completely against the gunwale and gives a finished look to the cushion, taking up that minor uneven space between the cushion and the gunwale. Just run it about 3/4 of the way around, leaving the bottom of the vertical cushions open. This is the air/drain space you need.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Reupholstering my boat. How to prevent waterlogged cushions in the future?

I'm an upholsterer and here are the ways to keep water out of the cushions:

~ The vertical cushions require a drain at the bottom. The basic method is to have a canvas or upholstery shop punch in a few small grommets at the bottom edge, just in front of the wood. This allows any water that has gotten into the cover to drain out. You can do this yourself with one of the many available kits. The best way is to have a vinyl meshing (about 1" wide) sewn into the bottom of the cover. Higher end boats have this from the factory. Trade named PfiferTex.

One of the posts in this thread shows how I did this with Nautolex underlining mesh material (polester mesh with vinyl coating; tough as heck, and it cuts, sews, and sticks with vinyl-glue like HH-66 perfectly):
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=397623&highlight=nautolex+underlining

Been over 2 years and the cushions are still good as new.

 

[natemoore]

Re: Reupholstering my boat. How to prevent waterlogged cushions in the future?

These are great ideas. I've already completed a few side cushions. I thought about drainage grommets. I also thought about drainage planes, as in a building. Here's what I did. I sealed the wood with a couple of heavy coats of conversion varnish sealer. That should help protect the wood. I also sealed the bottom and sides of the vinyl on the back side, which will create a drainage plane for water to run down, as opposed to being sopped up by the vinyl and into the foam. When I install, I'll make sure the welting is tight against the gunwale, and put some sort of spacer at the bottom to hold the cushion off the bulkhead.

I did us SS staples and hardware.

I'll integrate your recommendations into the seats.

 

[jkust]

Re: Reupholstering my boat. How to prevent waterlogged cushions in the future?

One of the best things I think about the newer boating technology is the seat material. My sig boat's cushions are made of some sort of plastic instead of wood and flow through foam with drains underneath each cushion. I've got to think at the minimum the plastic material isn't hard to come by.