Thoughts on New Design Interior Cushions

[...3TacksontheWater]

Hello all! Spring is just around the corner and one of the items on the "want to do" list is to replace the old interior cushions. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the Catalina Direct offering:

C-22 86 <-> 95, Interior Cushions

Catalina Direct, publishers of the Catalina 22 and Catalina 25 Owner's Handbooks and the largest supplier of parts and Lewmar winches for Catalina Yachts in the country

www.catalinadirect.com

Expensive? Yes, but are they good quality and comfortable? Thank you for your feedback!

George

 

[Calif. Ted]

Another option to consider is the cushions are also available from the Catalina factory.
https://catalinayachtsstore.com/wp/product-category/default-category/catalina/c-22/

 

[Gene Neill]

I've never seen anyone here mention having bought a new set of cushions from CD, so I can't offer any info as to their quality. I do humbly disagree that 2lb foam density is best. We re-stuffed our cushions with 2.8lb foam, and I can say for sure that softer (lower density) foam would be inferior for sleeping on. Not a deal killer, but worth mentioning.

Are your cushions missing entirely, or just getting ragged? If only ragged, you could always price out a local upholstery shop?

 

[Leeward Rail]

Custom foam... That way you can make them as firm as you wish

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Thank you all for the replies so far.

Gene: That's an interesting observation on the foam. The port side cushions are basically shot. The starboard cushion is not much better. The v berth if fine. I sure don't have the skill set (or desire) to sew my own so it might be prudent to pull the cushions and find a local upholster. I don't know it that will save money or if it will look as good as getting cushions specifically designed for the boat from the original patterns. Your cushions sure look good on YouTube.

Calif. Ted: Thank you for the link. I was hoping to find a more expensive set than CD. LOL. Having said that, they sure do look like they might be using better foam but the pictures are generic and are possibly from a much larger boat with thicker cushions so, I will drop them a note and see what weight foam they use. If this is a better cushion for the long run, it's probably money well spend. I think my previous Catalina's cushions were heavier than the new design's cushions. It could have just been perception as the plaid fabric felt more substantial than the modern fabrics.

Leward Rail: Yes. I absolutely would prefer a thicker and more firm foam. I do hope that someone has experience with CD cushions to comment but as Gene said, there is no mention on the forums of someone buying cushions from them that I could find.

George

 

[LakeShark]

Don't forget you can also order them direct form Catalina Yachts. CD is not the same as Catalina.

 

[pclarksurf]

I went absolutely nuts and built from scratch with 4" -- beautiful stuff but shall we say I spent more on the cushions by a factor of 2x than I did on the boat.

Good article here:

Foam: The what, when and where - Marine Fabricator

 

[Gene Neill]

I went absolutely nuts and built from scratch with 4" -- beautiful stuff but shall we say I spent more on the cushions by a factor of 2x than I did on the boat.

Totally worth it.

 

[dbk0630]

I replaced the foam in my cushions about 2 years ago with the Lux high quality foam recommended by Gene Neill in this post...
Cat 22 cabin cushions

And I have to say... replacing the nasty/shot 34-year old foam that was in my cushions with the new foam was and continues to be one of the best updates I've done on my '86. FWIW I used 2 full sheets (82" x 76") of 3" Lux HQ Foam... which was more than enough for my interior and exterior (cockpit) cushions... and a couple of cushions in my land yacht (RV).

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Update - I have quotes for cushions with the following foam specs: Quote # 1 - 1844 or, Quote # 2 - 2045. Each quote has 3" bottoms and 2" thick backrests. In my opinion the 2045 spec is better but is it worth the upgraded price? This is still a "maybe" upgrade but for sure I need to plan to replace the cabin cushions sooner rather than later.

George

 

[BigEasy]

George,
I upgraded my upholstery 10 years ago; definitely one of the better improvements in appearance & comfort. For a difference of $200, go with the better specs. Once you complete this project, you won’t look back!

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

George,
I upgraded my upholstery 10 years ago; definitely one of the better improvements in appearance & comfort. For a difference of $200, go with the better specs. Once you complete this project, you won’t look back!

Thank you BigEasy. We're actually talking about an $877.00 difference. The Catch -"22" is that you pay extra for cloth covers. The initial price is for white vinyl with piping. There is no question that I am going to go with new cushions but, how do you feel now about the difference between quote #1 and #2 with the updated price difference?

George

 

[RitSim]

If you do replace them, consider that bottom cushions are generally firmer than back cushions. Also if you can do layers of different foam density then you get a different "feel" to the cushion. For instance using a firmer foam (say 2") topped with a softer foam (say 1") would be superior to either totally firm or totally soft. This is how a lot of current mattresses are built. You can usually see cutaways at mattress shops or furniture stores.

 

[BigEasy]

George,
Guess that my decision on more expensive cloth vs less expensive vinyl would be based on intended use. If you will have children onboard who are prone to spilling food & drinks, vinyl would be easier to clean & would look better for longer duration. With adults only, cloth covered cushions would be more comfortable for sleeping…. Just remove the sunscreen when sitting to prevent staining the cloth. I opted for cloth; however, there are no children onboard.

 

[Gene Neill]

Cloth if you're gonna sleep on it much.