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New interior cushions

ligolaiva38

Member II
My 1984 Ericson 381 needs new cushions: Does anyone know the interior manufacturer who made the interior cushions for the Ericsons in So. CAL.???

Or Does anyone know of an interior manufacture that does a good job at reasonable prices in SO.CAL??

--- I am in the Marina Del Rey to Long Beach area.

Thanks for any tips,
John Avots
E-381 LAIVA
 

bigtyme805

Member III
Hey got a great guy in Oxnard and he will probably come down and do it in Long Beach for you. His name is Cliff and he just did mine a month ago and it took him approximately 5 days to do all the work and the cost was around 1,900. I used my old foam because it was still good. Only 2 cushions needed foam. If you want his number let me know.
 

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Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
One bit of general advice: the original factory foam was probably about 1.8 density, and started to break down after about 5 years -- sometimes sooner. The original fabric used by Ericson was high quality and can go a *lot* longer.
Once your boat reaches 20 or more years, and depending on wear, moisture damage, and dirt and soil, it is normal to replace it all, in any case.
So, unless you yourself put in hi density foam within the last decade, it is usually unwise to reuse the old stuff. It can and will retain mold, mildew, smells, and lots of moisture-attracting dirt. :p

Go for something like 2.6 density, and then wrap it with dacron batting before inserting into the new or cleaned-up covers. You'lll still be sleeping "like a baby" a decade later, and never bottoming out when you sit down.
We cleaned, repaired zippers, and reused our factory ('88) cushion covers when we restored our "project boat" in '95 -- with all new 2.6 hi density foam. Still sits and sleeps like new.

Remember that almost all the labor ($$) is in cutting and stitching those covers, and the foam core is the expendable part of the cushion equation. Of course, YMMV, and whatever works for you is perfect for you...
:)

Loren

ps: as good as my intentions are, I must admit that I'm not Dutch and not your uncle... :)
 
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bigtyme805

Member III
Loren is right about the foam. When I bought the boat the cushions were only 3 years old but the sun had faded certain spots where it came in from the hatches and port windows. So I decided to replace all the fabric and change the color that I wanted. My upholstery guy agreed with my decision. I also had port shades put in as well as velvet hatch covers that match the cushions. I did this so the sun would not fade the cushions as long as I had the boat. With spending that kind of money I wanted to make sure fading was not an issue.

The one thing that I did not mention was that Cliff designed a new system so I would have no ripping of the snaps that secure the cushions in place. This was a great decision. Because if the snaps rip they can be easily replaced without damaging the fabric..

Cliff 805-746-7490 Upholstery
 

ligolaiva38

Member II
Thanks Don,
I got his number (thank you!!!!) so now I just want to ask how he did it?
Did he do it at the boat or take the cushions his shop?
Did he have material samples, suggestions on what can be done, different styles etc?
I need the foam also since they are flattened out and have no more resistance. Does he supply the foam etc. also?

I am thinking I could just bring him the cushions since I live in Port Hueneme and he could just duplicate their sizes and angles.

Your cushions look nice. What kind of material did you use? Howmany cushions did he do? My Ericson 38 has 17 cushions---wow $$$???

Thanks,
John
 

ligolaiva38

Member II
Loren,
Thanks for the foam tips! I have noticed that my original foam from Ericson is wrapped in some white stuff so I assume that is the dacron you are writing about. It's white, thin and airy.

About the foam now. When I put down the table and make it into a bed the edges of the seat and table stick through making lumps which make the bed uncomfortable to sleep on. I am wondering if you can give me an idea of what is the range of density of foam cushions. The original Ericson density is 1.8 and you got 2.6 so how much more dense and thick can they be?
I asume the denser they are the more they also weigh. Were yours much heavier than the originals?

I have learned more about my boat from the geniuses on these lists than any book or manual I have read. It is the value of this list that makes the Ericson values stay way up.
Thanks,
John
 

bigtyme805

Member III
I had all cushions redone. Total of 17. He just came and picked up old cushions and did the rest. If you bring him cushions that would be even better. Since you need foam, price is definitely going to be higher. He has hundreds of colors you could go with. I went with a velvet but he has samples. He will meet you even at your house. I called him and gave him a heads up that you may call. You will like his work and he guarantees everything. If something is wrong he will fix it. I would bring it to him and then have him install them so everything is right. Your probably looking at a weeks time.
That is unheard of in the marine industry but this guy is South African and their work ethic is unbelievable. Strong British accent.

Takes the cushions to his shop then calls you when he is finished.

You are welcome to come see mine if you want. I am at my boat a lot since I am on vacation.

Good luck John.
 

Chris Miller

Sustaining Member
Hey John,
You might also spring for really nice foam for whichever cabin you sleep in most often depending on how much time you spend on the boat overnight. I've noticed parts of me have started to bottom out the cushions up in our V-berth.
Just a thought.
Chris
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
A Resting State of Being...

Loren,
Thanks for the foam tips! I have noticed that my original foam from Ericson is wrapped in some white stuff so I assume that is the dacron you are writing about. It's white, thin and airy.

About the foam now. When I put down the table and make it into a bed the edges of the seat and table stick through making lumps which make the bed uncomfortable to sleep on. I am wondering if you can give me an idea of what is the range of density of foam cushions. The original Ericson density is 1.8 and you got 2.6 so how much more dense and thick can they be?
I asume the denser they are the more they also weigh. Were yours much heavier than the originals?

I have learned more about my boat from the geniuses on these lists than any book or manual I have read. It is the value of this list that makes the Ericson values stay way up.
Thanks,
John

If I uderstood the mini-lecture from the upholsterer that did our work, the number used for density is just the weight per cubic foot. Your cushion guy can probably explain it better. Now that you mention the wrapping, I also remember that our uphosterer told us that this fluffy wrapping is the mark of higher quality and comfort. I have not found this on cushions on "cheaper" production boats, over the years.
No one asked, but for a few more $, the really cool way to do the foam is two layers, glued together. This involves, for example in a 4 inch total, 3" of the stiffer foam for the bottom, and 1" of the less-dense for the top. Said to be the highest on the "sitability" scale.

As to lumpy lines where the welting is under you as you sleep, that might take some re-orientation of the cushion boundaries, and may not be practical. We have almost always slept on a poofy (is that a word?) sleeping bag. We tried sheets and blankets, but without sewing a custom set of sheets it was a hassle keeping them properly tucked in. The wad of blanket at one's feet in the forepeak was never much fun either. :p

As to the cushion edges, we have little problem because we have a settee interior. All boats with a dinette or offset table that drops down, will, to some degree.
I will never forget one overnight delivery where I spent most of my supposed sleep time trying to get the many pieces of loose-fitting cushion to stay under me on the dropped-down-dinette of a Catalina 30! :) Similar "adventures in resting" on several other boats, over the years.

Our boat has a fill piece that fits tightly to make up the small third piece of the forepeak area. The settees are just one long cushion. The aft cabin is two very long pieces that fit tight together -- and luckily the join point is outside the normal resting area for a hip bone.
:rolleyes:

Now that you mention it, yup, our cushions did indeed gain weight after being re-foamed.

As to "genius," everyone here has something to share based on their own experiences. Remember, to others reading questions, answers, thoughts, and solutions from the real world, YOU are one of those geniuses!
:egrin:

Loren
 

u079721

Contributing Partner
For anyone redoing the cushions for their V-berth, I have a suggestion.

When we bought our E38 in 1994 the boat was only five years old, but the condition of the two longitudinal V-berth cushions was already terrible. The edges were rolled and rounded, and you always seemed to roll towards the valley in the center where the cushions came together, and fall into the crack.

To fix this I had the two longitudinal V-berth cushions replaced with two transverse cushions. That is the V-berth area was now covered by a forward cushion that covered just the forward storage locker, and a much larger aft cushion that covered the balance of the bunk and covered the big center locker and aft port and starboard storage lockers. (We also replaced the cushion that covers the insert.) With this arrangement you never felt any seam underneath, and there was no valley to roll into. It also had the advantage of allowing you to store the bedding forward on the smaller cushion and still have ready access to remove the larger aft cushion to get into those aft lockers under the berth. And getting into the forward locker only involved removing one cushion, not two. True the aft cushion is large, but it was still easy enough to pick it up and temporarily store it in the aisle when you needed to get into one of the aft lockers.

This was a very successful modification, and (IMNSHO) a vast improvement over the original design.
 
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Bill Upchurch

Member II
Cushions

I have had alot of canvas work done by an excellent upholsterer. She does work for Kelly Marine in San Pedro and a number of boat owners in the Cabrillo Marina. She made a complete cover for my E35 which I keep at the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club as well as hatch covers. She also made five cushions for my Cal 20 which I keep in dry storage at CBYC. If you want to look at her work on my boats, let me know. I could meet you this weekend.
Bill Upchurch
 

bigtyme805

Member III
John I snapped some more pics today while at the boat.
 

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footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
For anyone redoing the cushions for their V-berth, I have a suggestion.

*snip*

To fix this I had the two longitudinal V-berth cushions replaced with two transverse cushions. That is the V-berth area was now covered by a forward cushion that covered just the forward storage locker, and a much larger aft cushion that covered the balance of the bunk and covered the big center locker and aft port and starboard storage lockers. (We also replaced the cushion that covers the insert.) With this arrangement you never felt any seam underneath, and there was no valley to roll into. It also had the advantage of allowing you to store the bedding forward on the smaller cushion and still have ready access to remove the larger aft cushion to get into those aft lockers under the berth. And getting into the forward locker only involved removing one cushion, not two. True the aft cushion is large, but it was still easy enough to pick it up and temporarily store it in the aisle when you needed to get into one of the aft lockers.

This was a very successful modification, and (IMNSHO) a vast improvement over the original design.

Thanks for the post, Steve. We don't have the valley problem with the 'Project, but I sure hate how hard it is to get to the storage below the v-berth when the bed is all made up. Something to keep in mind. We have a mattress that goes over the cushions that is very comfortable. We're thinking about modifying queen bedsheets and a thick quilt to get rid of the pileup at our feet.
 

u079721

Contributing Partner
The ULTIMATE in making the storage underneath the V berth on the E38 readily accessible would be to have a forward transverse cushion over the forward bin, a middle transverse cushion over the middle bin, and two side by side longitudinal cushions over the aft port and starboard bins. (Or maybe one transverse cushion over the aft two bins.) I considered these for a bit, but decided that the lack of seams to fall into was more important for me.

As for bedding, my wife is a pretty fair seamstress, and would always modify blankets, sheets, and comforters to fit the shape of the V berth. But she later decided to move to the aft cabin and I took the V berth alone, since I liked more ventilation. For me the hassle of bedding being in the way of storage was best solved by just using a big fleece sleeping bag from West Marine, and folding it up out of the way each morning.

One more suggestion. If anyone feels their bunk is basically presentable, but could use a bit more comfort for sleeping, a great solution is to buy one of those 1.5" or 2" thick memory foam mattress toppers. My wife did this for her aft bunk and it made all the difference. We only kept it aboard while cruising, and kept it in place with a custom shaped fitted sheep over the the topper and the cushion.
 

stbdtack

Member III
When we replaced all the interior cushions we had the v-berth split lengthwise in the center but the upholstery is sewn together at the top layer. This makes a hinge so either cushion can be folded over. I split all the locker lids down the middle and added hinges so by folding up either cushion, half the lids can be opened as well. Folding it in half also makes it really easy to remove from the cabin

Its easy to shove bags and junk to one side so the cushion can be lifted. I have a clear access port in the forward water tank so I open the locker often to check the level.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
We only kept it aboard while cruising, and kept it in place with a custom shaped fitted sheep over the the topper and the cushion.

In reading this thread over again, I just noticed that you kept livestock (custom shaped, yet!) on your Ericson!
:)

Loren
 
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