Interior cushions

[bcooke]

As a treat to myself I thought I might outfit my boat with interior cushions for the upcoming summer cruise.

I have a couple of brain cells from the memory department saying that "Dry Fast" foam was highly recomended at one time. I am assuming it is considered pretty good because laying it throughout my interior (V-berth and saloon settees and settee backs) is going to run me about $800.

So the question, or rather questions, are... Is "Dry Fast", as sold by Sailrite, really that good? Are there comparable or better and cheaper products? Am I being silly and soft and should just use a cheap packing foam or be really manly and go it on the hard plywood?

I prefer to use the best materials available but I don't want to break the bank over cushions either. What are my options?

-Britton

[Tim]

I don't really think you need the dryfast foam throughout the interior. It's a great choice for cockpit cushions, but regular old foam will be fine for your interior. I know very little about foam and upholstery. You want something that is dense enough to prevent "transfer" of the plywood through the foam, but not so hard that it is uncomfortable and unforgiving either. 4" is a good thickness for most cushions, but 6" makes for nice sleeping in the v-berth.

[bcooke]

A third brain cell chimed in rather belatedly and I searched the back issues (online) of Good Old Boat where I found the recomendation. It came in the form of a editor's reply to a letter so keeping the advertisers happy could have played a role in that comment.

I am thinking I can knock together a mock up of my planned interior in a day with a couple of sheets of half inch plywood. Good cushions might make the rest of the place look bad so maybe the cheap stuff is the way to go. It won't hurt me too much to toss them later if I decide my wallet is getting too heavy.

On the other hand my back can't take the abuse like in the old days.

-Britton

[dasein668]

How about lots and lots of chocolate glazed donuts? Comfy and tasty for those long summer cruises...

[Tim]

You don't have to use dryfast in order to use "good" foam. Dryfast is an open cell foam that is totally different from most upholstery foams; it's designed to quickly drain water through, and is meant for outdoor use.

You can support your back and other areas very well with regular foam in the interior. Unless your interior is going to be open to the elements (in which case "interior" is a misnomer), you don't need the pricey Dryfast for all your cushions. I honestly see no reason to use it there.

We used the dryfast foam, along with a layer of ensolite, on our cockpit cushions, and it is fantastic in that application. The cushions live outside all season and never come below; they will be entering their third season this year.

http://www.triton381.com/projects/small ... shions.htm

[bcooke]

Unless your interior is going to be open to the elements (in which case "interior" is a misnomer), you don't need the pricey Dryfast ...

You mean you have never forgotten to close your forehatch and had water pour down into the V-berth? If you had you would have wished your cushions were a little quicker drying :-)

-Britton

[Tim]

Nope...never. Sounds like something to avoid! hehe

[RobA]

Do you all have a source for these various types of foam?


I will try to find the proper spot on this forum to introduce myself after this post.

I just purchased a Triton a week ago. My first boat. I am not near the boat at this time, so I was going to start by making cushions since I don't have to be at the boat.

I brought the old ones home with me.


For inside, what type of fabrics are recommended? Can I purchase heavier canvas type fabrics from typical fabric stores? Do they need to be mildew/water resistent or add a spray? Neither?

Any info, or a link to some info would be great on this subject. Sources for fabric and foam would be super.

The old open cell foam seems usuable, its pretty dirty but in solid condition. Depending on price I might or might not replace it.

Any more info such as approximate yards of materiel etc. would help me estimate costs. (for someone who has made cushions for a triton)


Thanks in advance,

Rob

[bcooke]

Hi Rob and welcome to the forum. There isn't a place for introductions so just jump in wherever you want.

Since I started this thread I am not the one to ask what the "best" cushion is but I can say that Sailrite would be a good supplier to start with.

So where is your Triton, what's its name, and which hull number is it?

-Britton

[Noah]

The only thing that I will add is that I have 4" cushions in my Hinckley, but they have a 1" layer of "fiberfill" (or something like that) on top of the foam. They are made out of regular old foam, and work just fine.

The bottom of the cover is made out of a plastic material, but the top side is velvet. Pick a pattern and color that won't show dirt, but still looks nice. The best I have seen is a herring bone gray and white pattern.

Noah

[Tim]

We used a regular upholstery fabric from a local fabric supplier. You can use any fabric you like, though it's best to choose something on the tougher side because of the harsh environment they'll be used in. I don't remember how many yards we used.

We have not found a need to treat the cushions or foam with any sort of spray or other treatment. If you boat leaks and is damp inside the cushions will become damp and mildewy; if the boat is dry, the cushions will be dry. We used regular upholstery foam for the interior--4" in the saloon, 6" in the v-berth.

If your old foam is truly in good condition, you can reuse it, but don't cut a corner here that you might regret later; if there is any damage, or odor, or compression of the foam, you'll be happier in the long run to just replace it. You can buy foam from Sailrite, or from a local supplier if you have an upholstery or fabric shop. Old foam can be awfully nasty.

The DryFast foam mentioned earlier in this thread is a great choice for cockpit cushions, if you go that route.

[RobA]

My newly purchased Triton is in Florida. The name on the stern is Honi Hanta. So far I can't figure out a meaning, all I google is a girl scout camp.

I was not sure how to find the hull number until I returned home. The last owner did not know the #. So hopefully I can find it when I return to the boat.


She is an east coast Triton built in 1963.

It's my first sailboat, other then a hobie cat I had 10 years ago. It's also my first ocean going boat.

It's large to learn on by most recommendations but it will serve the purpose of intended use perfectly. I have several months every winter off from work. I intend to sail and scuba around the Bahamas/Keys.


I didn't buy it to do a big restoration on. I am on a low budget and want to do whatever work I can myself and enjoy sailing her instead of spending months making it a show piece.

This website and forum is an incredible source of information. I had been here a few times before purchasing the boat, and really missed not having internet once I was down there.



I have a million questions and much to learn, but I'll make a best effort to read and search for the answers that I am sure are already here on this site.



Rob A

[bcooke]

The DryFast foam mentioned earlier in this thread is a great choice for cockpit cushions, if you go that route.

According to Sailrite, DryFast is the best route for ALL cushions; interior and exterior. I am sceptical. And even Sailrite's least expensive open cell foam is about $2 an inch. That price made me put my energies into other endeavors for a bit. I was going to check a local fabric shop and see what they had. Is that a reasonable price?

I still think Sailrite is a good resource and have used them for other things.

-Britton

[Tim]

My experience with dryfast shows that it is outstanding outside, but because of its extremely open-cell nature, it becomes permanently compressed ("squashed") when in heavy use. The starboard cockpit cushion on Glissando shows noticeable compression where we constantly sit and walk when we're going between cockpit and sidedeck. The rest of the cushion area is in better shape. We should have replaced the foam this winter, but never got around to it. That said, it's still fine for all intents and purposes.

I would still choose regular foam for the interior; ours has held up and might as well be brand new after 4 seasons. I have no clue what a fair price is; I don't do upholstery and have not been party to what the various materials actually cost.

[Tim]

I have a million questions and much to learn, but I'll make a best effort to read and search for the answers that I am sure are already here on this site.

Ask away! Unlike some sites, we don't mind when the same questions are asked over and over, and I (and others) are happy to answer.

[RobA]

Well, a tad more back ground, then a few questions that are on my mind atm.



I had been trying to save money and find a boat for about 2 years now. Lack of knowledge and sailing experience really makes that a chore rather then fun. Each time I thought I got closer I usually ended up deciding I would need to increase my budget etc. After realizing a more minimalist approach would be much better for me, and offer a smaller easier to sail boat I chose the Triton.

From the first article i read about buying boats, it was get a survery....Well, somewhere in "downsizing" I decided I would ommit such an expense. (mistake) Looking mostly at a investment that was a fraction of my original plan. So my thought was, save the money, look it over, and use that money towards fixing stuff on the boat.

That last owner had a survery when he bought it last year, he put it on the hard, and moved away never sailing it after the survey. Anyway, my point of all this is: I have reallized already that getting the survey would have been money well spent. At the least it would have created a list of things for me to fix, but more importantly created some sort of safety factor.

That being said, whats done is done, I own the boat. ( I feel good about it too!)I can still have a survey of course. For what I gave for the boat and "extras" I really can't get hurt financially unless I dump more money into it. I could probabley sell items off it to recoup my initial expense. That was my view on not getting a survey.

I lost or got stolen my digital camera while down there: So my photos are not very extensive and are more on the lines of "look what i got myself into". I really wish I had taken dozens of photos of every nook and cranny so I could compare things to how many of the boats are on this forum.


Sorry to dump so much info, let me try to sneak in a few questions here:


(feel free to correct any terminoligy, i do want to learn)

1. There is a thru hole, perhaps original on the stern above the waterline. It's made of glass, or glassed in. Its about 6-12 " above the waterline I guess. Someone told me to get a rubber cap and clamp it off, Is this ok? West marine sells such caps? on the inside its kind of "raw" and would be difficult to put a sea cock on.

2. It has a newly rebuilt engine installed. The old univiersal got water in it from the exhaust. Part of the new install was to redo the exhaust. I really don't think its adequate, but I don't have the photo's i need to compare it to the installs here. To me it looks like the wet exhause runs to the stern and tilts down about 45 deg. No loop unless its looped in the cockpit locker and I didnt notice. Can i remove the current hose, use that to create the loop, then "extend" the hose with an inline shut off valve and run the new piece, back to the stern again. (limited info, just something I need to check so I don't ruin a good engine)

3. The old engine was mine to aquire, like it or not. The engine builder for the new one, has offered me 300.00 + he pays shipping. Is that a fair price? the engine is half dissasembled atm, and includes transmission and just about everything from installation.

4. The boat had a plastic hatch installed on the cockpit sole. The engine installer much have removed it, someone at the boat yard suggested I use 5200 to place it down again, the hatch has holes for hardware but none are drilled through the sole. Was 5200 a good choice? Is it ok to leave it without hardware? Would I need to create some kind of wood backing for the plate so the bolts don't pull through the fiberglass?

I also bedded the shifting linkage in this 5200 goop. I used stainless steel bolts/washers and lock nuts to secure it.



Well, I threw a lot at you guys, but you asked for it :)


I have lots more concerns, I am not sure when I will go down to the boat again, but hopefully soon. I'll get more photos then.


Rob A.

[Tim]

1. There is a thru hole, perhaps original on the stern above the waterline. It's made of glass, or glassed in. Its about 6-12 " above the waterline I guess. Someone told me to get a rubber cap and clamp it off, Is this ok? West marine sells such caps? on the inside its kind of "raw" and would be difficult to put a sea cock on.

More details needed. When you say "on the stern", do you mean on the transom, or in the counter, or on one of the quarters?

You can plug it temporarily with a rubber or wood plug, but if it's an unnecessary fitting I would recommend removing it completely and filling in the hole. Good time to learn some basics of epoxy and fiberglass repairs.

2. It has a newly rebuilt engine installed. The old univiersal got water in it from the exhaust. Part of the new install was to redo the exhaust. I really don't think its adequate, but I don't have the photo's i need to compare it to the installs here. To me it looks like the wet exhause runs to the stern and tilts down about 45 deg. No loop unless its looped in the cockpit locker and I didnt notice. Can i remove the current hose, use that to create the loop, then "extend" the hose with an inline shut off valve and run the new piece, back to the stern again. (limited info, just something I need to check so I don't ruin a good engine)

You can extend the hose if you want. It's definitely a good idea to have a loop run as high as possible immediately before the transom exit. A shutoff valve is good for serious sailing work, but you really don't need one; if it's a means to an end, go for it, but you'll never close it.

There should be a waterlift chamber somewhere too, if your new system does not use the old jacketed copper exhaust. The waterlift also helps prevent backflow into the engine during normal use, but they are not infallable either.

3. The old engine was mine to aquire, like it or not. The engine builder for the new one, has offered me 300.00 + he pays shipping. Is that a fair price? the engine is half dissasembled atm, and includes transmission and just about everything from installation.

I'll let someone who likes A4s answer this one. Old ones can be worth amazing quantities of money on the open market for some reason, but I don't have a solid enough handle on their going values to say.

4. The boat had a plastic hatch installed on the cockpit sole. The engine installer much have removed it, someone at the boat yard suggested I use 5200 to place it down again, the hatch has holes for hardware but none are drilled through the sole. Was 5200 a good choice? Is it ok to leave it without hardware? Would I need to create some kind of wood backing for the plate so the bolts don't pull through the fiberglass?

I also bedded the shifting linkage in this 5200 goop. I used stainless steel bolts/washers and lock nuts to secure it.

Well, I hope you like both of those installations, because they are now essentially permanent. 5200 is an excellent product, but it is a quite permanent adhesive, not a sealant, and it can be terrible to remove. It is a good choice when you are truly looking for the adhesive qualities, but never as a sealer.

Since you have no bolts in your hatch, perhaps the 5200 was the right choice, since in this case you are relying upon the 5200 as the sole means of securing the hatch. Hopefully you won't need to remove the hatch.

[RobA]

Too bad about the adhesive, I think the hatch is installed "ok". So hopefully I won't be needing to remove it. I should have asked at West Marine before I "stuck" it in place. What is best to use in that situation, silicone and then bolt it down?


I'm going to guess the un-used thru hull is in the port quarter? Here is a picture, its the hole with the 1-2 " tube extending out. If you can explain to me the counter/quaters etc, I'd appreciate it.
http://home.comcast.net/~rwek/11.jpg



The engine is not an atomic 4, it had already been refit with a Universal M4-30 engine and transmission. Supposedly it was flooded with seawater and removed in the first of May for the rebuilt Universal M-25XP. I have a photo of the m4-30 in its current condition (in pieces)

http://home.comcast.net/~rwek/12.jpg


I wish I had used the right caulk for the hatch. It was something I felt i could do and make use of my time while down there. Figures I'd get it wrong...





Thanks for the replies,

Rob

[dasein668]

Too bad about the adhesive, I think the hatch is installed "ok". So hopefully I won't be needing to remove it. I should have asked at West Marine before I "stuck" it in place. What is best to use in that situation, silicone and then bolt it down?

I recommend never using silicone?it's a bear to remove, and will prevent paint from sticking properly. For non-plastic items it's best to use a polysulfide sealant like 3M 101, or Boatlife. For plastic (including plexi or lexan) I recommend butly rubber sealant, which has the added benefit of being available at the local hardware store for about 2 bucks a tube...

I'm going to guess the un-used thru hull is in the port quarter? Here is a picture, its the hole with the 1-2 " tube extending out. If you can explain to me the counter/quaters etc, I'd appreciate it.
http://home.comcast.net/~rwek/11.jpg

That's the original engine exhaust (did you say that earlier?) and would be considered in the counter?the counter is the flat-ish section underneath the overhang on the stern of a boat.

I wish I had used the right caulk for the hatch. It was something I felt i could do and make use of my time while down there. Figures I'd get it wrong...

The 5200 will be fine for the hatch as long as you don't plan to remove it. And, if you do need to remove it, it is possible. Just very difficult and unpleasant. Patience, lots of putty knives, and a can of the 5200 Anti-bond stuff will get it done.

[Tim]

The engine is not an atomic 4, it had already been refit with a Universal M4-30 engine and transmission. Supposedly it was flooded with seawater and removed in the first of May for the rebuilt Universal M-25XP. I have a photo of the m4-30 in its current condition (in pieces)

Take the $300 offered and run! It's worthless to you, and that's a pretty fair price for an engine scattered into various parts.

I just assumed it must have been an Atomic 4 when you said "Universal".

I'm going to guess the un-used thru hull is in the port quarter? Here is a picture, its the hole with the 1-2 " tube extending out. If you can explain to me the counter/quaters etc, I'd appreciate it.

So which one of these is currently attached to the new engine exhaust, if they didn't reuse the original location? And I wonder why they didn't reuse the original? And I wonder why, given that, they didn't remove the old and fill it?

Cut that ugly thing off and fill the hole! I hate those protruding fiberglass Triton exhausts! hehe

[RobA]

I don't have any answers for the exhaust. I have a better idea of how it should be, so when i get back down there, i can give it another look over.

I am certain its not attached to that original exhaust.


A question I have is, if its routed to one of the plastic thru-holes, will the heat melt it? (i use the word plastic out of assumption, im sure its made of some fancy material)


Rob A

[Tim]

Assuming it's a wet exhaust, and the through hull is actually Marelon (not truly plastic or nylon), then the setup will not melt the fitting.

Plastic or nylon would be too weak for this application.