New comfort item

[bgary]

I'm about to head to the San Juans for a couple of weeks, and while I've replaced most of the cushions in the boat, I have yet to replace the V-berth cushions. And since the foam is 40 years old (I'm assuming they're original based on the fabric).... they don't provide much support to sleep on.

No time to get new ones made, so I went to a local mattress/upholstery/whatever shop that advertised sheets of foam. Found one I liked - 3" thick, a composite of memory foam and a slightly firmer substrate - and when the guy was done pounding keys on his adding machine he told me a sheet of that foam would cost $650, plus $75/hour to template the v-berth and cut it to shape.

Nope.

Turns out, Amazon sells 3"-thick king-size mattress toppers out of (what appears to be) very similar foam. For 89 bucks. Delivered to my front door. (well, lobbed toward the door from halfway down the driveway, but... I digress)

Today I templated the v-berth platform, and just finished cutting the foam to shape (*). Probably not professional-grade work, but no one will ever see it but me, and it's more than good enough for purpose. I even tapered the edges to match the inside contour of the topsides.

(*) pro-tip from the young lady who made my other cushions: cutting foam with an electric carving knife is easy and clean. It would have taken me daaaaays to do this with scissors or an x-acto knife.



Currently has a little hump down the middle, an artifact of having been shipped in a very tight roll, but I'm told that'll go away after it has had a chance to breathe for a few days.

Now...anyone need a template for the v-berth of a 32-III? Kidding, mostly, but if anyone local wants it they can have it, just need to pick it up before next week's recycle-day.



Bruce

 

[bsangs]

We did this exact same thing for our 35-3 v-berth last year - including the electric knife. It has made a world of difference, especially for my wife, who had a difficult time sleeping on just the cushion. We also had some fitted sheets custom made. Enjoy the new comfort Bruce.

 

[Loren Beach]

We also had some fitted sheets custom made

That would be quite nice compared to dealing with the excess material in the "foot" of a sleeping bag. How did you find a shop/person for that work?

 

[bsangs]

That would be quite nice compared to dealing with the excess material in the "foot" of a sleeping bag. How did you find a shop/person for that work?

My wife found it online. I’m pretty sure this is the site, though she‘s not here right now for me to verify. V-Berth Sheets

 

[Christian Williams]

On the bedding topic, let me vouch for polyester sheets on boats, as recommended here long ago by Guy Stevens.

They don't get damp, stay wrinkle free, and in cool climates (not sure about Florida) provide a smooth, warm feel. Major success for me.

 

[shard7]

This sounds like a great option. Can you please share a link to the foam you bought on Amazon?

 

[bgary]

This is what I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/Maxzzz-Mattress-Ventilated-CertiPUR-US-Certified/dp/B0CTBH1W5K/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=U5SGTGF710S3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ip7fD0OgPgJGUFObzdhajCnEBH8wZNkOV_WuCCquhogX_LJUtK7OoHMijT_tLnQ8H62S5mCvh7kd08irlmQPbXq2poWEthRDDYITt1W4C4JPp93_-btk1lrf-OnWQGOtT0mKydX4w49wwyy38sYcRmOm2c2_IWUJmC9DfB982EytJgnuLVx4hl5FMs6A73ek2-idHnWyWinDX1mI-MHjhQ.zRrxidZIsYx9-1rqq7PfnL3Wrt7jhc4o0vouC-hMsk8&dib_tag=se&keywords=maxzzz+mattress+topper&qid=1722660327&sprefix=maxzzz%2Caps%2C361&sr=8-8

I have to say... I'm pretty pleased with how it came out.

 

[AdventurousAnton]

This is what I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/Maxzzz-Mattress-Ventilated-CertiPUR-US-Certified/dp/B0CTBH1W5K/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=U5SGTGF710S3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ip7fD0OgPgJGUFObzdhajCnEBH8wZNkOV_WuCCquhogX_LJUtK7OoHMijT_tLnQ8H62S5mCvh7kd08irlmQPbXq2poWEthRDDYITt1W4C4JPp93_-btk1lrf-OnWQGOtT0mKydX4w49wwyy38sYcRmOm2c2_IWUJmC9DfB982EytJgnuLVx4hl5FMs6A73ek2-idHnWyWinDX1mI-MHjhQ.zRrxidZIsYx9-1rqq7PfnL3Wrt7jhc4o0vouC-hMsk8&dib_tag=se&keywords=maxzzz+mattress+topper&qid=1722660327&sprefix=maxzzz%2Caps%2C361&sr=8-8

I have to say... I'm pretty pleased with how it came out.

View attachment 50669

How's your "comfort" level on the 3-inch foam? Have you slept on it yet? I'm doing the same thing for our (my wife's!) E30+, but going with 6 to 8-inch memory foam since plan on doing weekends around the Bay aboard Andiamo! at various moorings, islands, cities, etc.

Oh, LOVE the idea of tearing up cardboard boxes to make a template. Super-innovative, and I'm stealing that idea for our foam!

 

[Loren Beach]

One thing to remember about 40+ year old foam cushions.... the foam slowly breaks down over time and use. In 1995 we bought high-density foam to replace the OEM softer (and in our situation) moldy foam that came with our boat. Ours still sit and sleep without bottoming out, decades later. The higher density foam doesn't flatten out like the softer versions.
It's been a while, but I believe that our foam is 4" thick, and 2.6 density. It was more costly than the softer versions, but highly recommended by the professional upholsterer that did the work. I found a site that explains the grades: https://foamsuperstore.co.uk/a-beginners-guide-to-foam-grades-and-their-uses/

 

[Christian Williams]

And there is the issue of cushions that are too hard. Perhaps I am the princess who feels every pea, but in any case there is a solution:

E381 - Improving Foam Mattresses, Teak Repair, Binocular Box

I was glad to find all new foam on the new boat--until I took a nap on it. Oh dear. Hard as a rock. I said I'd get used to it, after hauling all 16 cushions home and back for new fabric. I didn't get used to it. The princess and the pea? Maybe...

ericsonyachts.org

 

[AdventurousAnton]

For a princess is a delicate thing, delicate and dainty as a dragonfly's wing. You can recognize a lady by her elegant air, but a genuine princess is exceedingly rare!


We're redoing the salon and cockpit cushions, and know from experience that those are two different types of foam. But both need to be thick enough to pad our ancient derrières.

 

[AdventurousAnton]

For V-Berth, I ordered Andiamo! this 6-inch mattress, which was on sale ($120):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2NMYWR3

Laura knows how to sew, so (heh) she'll fit the original mattress cover on after we cut it up, and then linens will go on with those stretchy/snappy/clip-y things to hold sheets on. We have four sets.

 

[bgary]

How's your "comfort" level on the 3-inch foam? Have you slept on it yet?

Yes, and loved it! I spent 10 days in the San Juans last month and slept great.

Since this was an experiment, I tried a couple of different things before leaving - laying on just the foam (not enough thickness), laying on a hybrid with the foam sheet sitting on top of the original cushions, (okay but a little squishy) and laying on a hybrid with the cushions sitting on top of the foam (perfect!) In all cases I tucked a queen-size flat sheet around and under to keep things tamed.

The original cushions are nominally 3" but don't have a lot of firmness, so my guess is the best combination comprised 5" total of foam, with the layer I was laying on (the original cushions) made slightly more firm by virtue of being compressed within the covers. Now I gotta figure out if there's some standard way to quantify the amount of "give" in the stack, so that I can get a 5" sheet with the right characteristics....

The other question I need to resolve is whether to do one piece or two. The original v-berth cushions are two piece, with the split down the centerline, and I have to say I am *really* tempted to have the new cushion made one-piece just to avoid that split. Yes it'll mean a big ungainly cushion when I want to move things around or get into those storage spaces under the v-berth, but... I think that's manageable.

Bruce

 

[AdventurousAnton]

Yes, and loved it! I spent 10 days in the San Juans last month and slept great.

Since this was an experiment, I tried a couple of different things before leaving - laying on just the foam (not enough thickness), laying on a hybrid with the foam sheet sitting on top of the original cushions, (okay but a little squishy) and laying on a hybrid with the cushions sitting on top of the foam (perfect!) In all cases I tucked a queen-size flat sheet around and under to keep things tamed....

That's really good to hear...we plan on testing the foam with it's cover in place for a few nights, and then if that works, having our canvas company doing the saloon cushions cover the v-berth foam as a one-piece cover. The fabric we've chosen is plush-ish, and sort of velvety, while still being very tear-resistant and wear-resistant (I've forgotten the name of the fabric). So, I'll keep everyone posted here about all that.

 

[Loren Beach]

Polyester Cushion Wrap 30"x 75'

Polyester Cushion Wrap 30"x 75'

www.albrightssupply.com

One feature worth mentioning is that the pro upholsterer that re-stuffed our cushion covers wrapped each piece of new HD foam with (his terminology) "poly wrap". It does not add any real thickness but provides a soft surface with no wrinkles, and I have seen lots of wrinkles in other boat cushions with only the foam blanks on the inside. He also put in new button-tufting on the settee cushions and backs. He had a little press that would encase each button with a little piece of the cushion fabric.
Watching him do some of his cushion and dodger work was a glimpse into a totally different world of skill and experience.

 

[Nick J]

The first night we spent on our boat, we found out the hard way my daughter's stomach does not agree with shell fish. That sent us down the worm hole of cushion construction. the polyester cushion wrap listed above is great, but it makes it much more difficult to put the cover back on once it's been added. Thankfully there's much more intelligent people out there that have had the same issue and they discovered the use of Silk Film:

Using Silk Film to Shrink Foam

Learn our tricks on how to use silk film to shrink foam before inserting it into a cushion cover. It's easier than you think with just a couple of supplies.

www.sailrite.com

I tried it and it ,made the whole process so easy. It really doesn't affect the feel of the cushion either and it provides an additional layer of protection.

 

[bgary]

my daughter's stomach does not agree with shell fish.

Heh. for munchkin's 8th birthday we did a birthday party and let her pick the menu. She decided on tuna-fish sandwiches, gooey chocolate cake and cinnamon gummy-bears. About an hour after the party her stomach decided to repel. Suddenly and impressively. I'll spare you details, except to note that we went shopping for a new couch the next day.

 

[jtsai]

For those who sail and live in the warmer/moist climate, it may be worthwhile investing the extra money on latex foam. I have tried both 3" memory foam and latex foam placed on top of the boat cushions. The memory foam seems to retain body heat and I woke up in the middle of the night feeling clammy as the relative humidity rises. The latex foam topper seems to dissipate body heat better.

The downside of the latex foam is the higher cost, it is heavier, and the hint of sweet latex smell.