Keeping cockpit cushins in the cockpit????

[jackhartjr]

Hi folks, how do you keep cockpit cushins in the boat?
In other words how do you fasten them so that they don't blow out of the boat?
Thanks a ton!
Jack

 

[Ed Schenck]

Anchoring cockpit cushions.

Mine have a flap that hangs over the front edge with snaps. I throw a twelve by eighteen inch piece of that non-skid rubber shelving stuff under each of the side cushions to keep them from slipping at 30 degrees.

 

[gettinthere]

snaps on short tabs at the back of the cushions that attach to the base of the cockpit coaming/seat back.

 

[Mulf]

I sewed the non-skid rubber Ed mentions...

to the bottom of all the cushions and only needed snaps for the sections where the seat lifts up. In order to avoid drilling snaps on top of those, I sewed white web straps to the cushions over the sections that lift and put the snap at the end of the webbing and it's mate underneath the seat. Works great, and no snaps on top means no spots for possible water intrusion into the fiberglass.

 

[newly anonymous]

&#**^$$ Snaps!!!

and I hate them.

Whenever guests/passengers/crew come aboard and ask how they can lend a hand, I tell them, "Oh, just snap on those cushions, if you'd be so kind."

 

[Tim R.]

Went I built cockpit cushions for my Pearson I used the same shelving material as metioned above but actually made that the backing so they would not slip and it allowed them to breathe.

 

[Benny]

Snaps, and I like Newly's idea.

 

[Dalliance]

Cockpit cushion snaps

A flap at the front like Ed has plus additional snaps on the bottom at the back corners. There is a double layer of fabric at the back corners as reinforcement. The cushions stay firmly in place.

 

[Timo42]

Velcro strips, the really heavy duty type, the admiral found some at Home Despot that really stick to fiberglass, and you can sew them or stick them to the cushions.Tim

 

[Bill Roosa]

Things that don't work

I like all the above. One thing you don't want is snaps on the front edge. They get hot and burn, they leave little round welts in your skin when the cushions are not on, allow water to leak in.....
"I hates them precious"

 

[sailingdog]

I'd go with the two-inch wide velcro tape. Put the fuzzy side on the cockpit and the hook side on the bottom of the cushions.

 

[seadaddler]

Snaps

This is my second Hunter with snaps on the bottom of the cushins in the cockpit.
The snaps are screwed into the fiberglass and the other part of the snap on the bottom corners of the cushins and seats,its all I have ever had.
I think velcro might be good and easy to just put the cushins on, trying to put the snaps on under the cushins is a pain some times but I have not found them to be impossible,once snapped in they never move.
The snaps work for me very well even on my offshore trip from NY down to Florida.
Nick

 

[Stu Jackson]

Sometimes the cushions are more trouble than they're worth

so when we're racing we leave the cockpit cushions down below and just use the helmsman's cushion, not that I ever get to sit down, mind you. Reason: they tend the fly around when sailing.

For cruising, we put the starboard one and the helmsman's cushions up, but leave the port cushion off. Reason: the port locker has a bit of important stuff we need access to, and the cushion makes it a pain. If the one cushions slides, it's easy to slip it back up - if it gets unwieldy, we stow it, most of the time it stays "tame."

Once we're in and settled, the port cushion comes out.

No hooks, no loops, no fasteners, no Velcro, no snaps.

 

[jackhartjr]

Thanks a ton folks for all of the replies.
I was thinking snaps too...however if I can make velcro work...on the other hand...with snaps it almost cant fly off!
What to do...what to do!
Jack

 

[Blake]

The pic shows my cushions. They are ugly, and you won't be surprised to hear that I built them myself. I hated having to find a place in the cabin to stash cushions when it rained while camping. Once that open cell foam gets soaked it takes days to dry, so I built mine out of closed cell foam. Someday I will build covers for them. I used Flex-A-Rail awning track (item #106100), and Vinyl Awning Rope (Item # 1371) from www.sailrite.com. I mounted 3, 4" pieces of Flex-A-Rail to the cockpit, and attached the Awning Rope along the length of the seat pad. The awning rope has a flange that is made to be sewn into your existing cushion covers. In my case I glued the flange into the cushion between the layers of foam. Then you can slide your cushions into the Flex- a- rail and they will stay put. The back rest is just tied to the rail stanchions.

 

[Paul356]

Snaps, but at the rear corners only, for reasons Bill stated. Easy on, stay on.

 

[SceptreSailor]

Nail Gun

 

[sailingdog]

Blake—

Don't those heat up a lot in the summer time???

 

[Blake]

No

Blake—

Don't those heat up a lot in the summer time???

Actually, I don't ever remember them getting as hot as vynl sometimes can. I would like to get covers over them to protect the foam from the sun.

 

[jackhartjr]

Actually I am getting ready to make my own cushions.
I boaught a real nice 1954 Singer heavy duty machine.
When I started shopping for Sunbrella or similar a friend told me he had about 1,000 yards in different colors...and because I had helped him get buses and bus parts from around the east coast he would give me what I need to make them.
Now trying to score the foam!
Jack