Catalina 27 refurbishing

[Joe]

Some new/used purchase questions: I'm looking at purchasing a 1976 Catalina 27:1. Is it difficult to recover or get new cushions? How about replacing broken snaps?2. The forward hatch, it currently is solid fiberglass and old. Is it hard/expensive to replace with a good clear hatch?3. The companionway hatch is very warped; in fact I can't remove the bottom panel. Are these expensive to replace?The hull and motor are good.Thanks for any advice

 

[Big Windy]

C 27

Check out the C27 web site: www.catalina27.org/

 

[Trevor - SailboatOwners.c]

C27 upgrades

Hi Joe -I'd contact Catalina directly for a quote on new cushions - they might be able to supply them for you. Alternatively, contact a local sewing shop and get a quote for recovering - I can picture any number of 1976 materials Catalina might have used back then! I replaced the solid fiberglass V-berth hatch on my Catalina 36 with a tinted lexan hatch from Cruising Concepts. They can make nice folding companionway doors for you as well. They're not cheap and they can take a while to get, but the quality is very high (see Related link below).Best,Trevor

 

[Paul4360]

Catalina manufacturer for cushions

Joe:Last year, we shopped for new cushions for our C27. We looked in fabric and foam stores, considered sewing our own and having a seamstress make them. Then I called Catalina (not "Catalina Direct") and they had the best product at a price that was well below what it would cost to have quality ones made elsewhere. Don't forget (which I initially did) that you'll probably want the female half of the snaps on the backrest cushions. Catalina simply had me ship my old covers (not the foam) to them and three weeks later I had new ones on my doorstep. They look excellent and are very comfortable. Good luck!

 

[jim]

making ne w cushions

its not that difficult to make new cushions . just use the old foam as a template. we opted for automotive upholstery fabric it is stain and mildew resistant, less expensive than marine fabrics and there seems to be a better selection of patterns. don casey has agood book on re upholstering boats.