Replacing V berth foam material

[travlineasy]

I have some 2-inch memory foam over my regular vee-berth cushions, which is OK, but not great. I'll probably go with some 4-inch memory foam in the near future and try to match the fabric of the old cushions to make everything uniform throughout the boat.

Good Luck,

Gary

[JordanH]

We have the cabin cushions on the boat to-do list... but still a ways off yet. I was talking this over with a friend who is also looking to do the same. He had a good question about the resistance to mold. These mattresses have foam built for indoor, warm, dry places and don't mention mold or mite resistance.

Does that differ from expensive foam to be used in boat cushions?

We looked at two types of foam for our cockpit cushions that we had made last year. We chose closed cell foam because it would float if we needed to toss them overboard (MOB situation). They also had open cell foam that was explicitly designed to let water/rain run through it so they'd remain dry and quickly dry out as well. What properties of the foam do you look for in the cabin/v-berth cushions?

[JordanH]

SMP sent me this link, perhaps it will help others when they find this thread later.
Making new boat cushions

Makes me want to buy a sewing machine and make some cushions...

[Sabreman]

We do not use closed cell foam for interior cushions. The interior of the boat should be dry so mold should not be present. If it is, that's a different problem that needs to be addressed.

Yes, the foam can become moldy. We counter that tendency 3 ways:
1. Keep water out.
2. the bottom of the cushion has a mesh (I use pet screen available at Lowes or Home Depot) to allow it to breathe.
3. When laying up the boat at season's end, we remove all cushions and store them at home in a dry place. This alone works wonders.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Sabreman

We do not use closed cell foam for interior cushions. The interior of the boat should be dry so mold should not be present. If it is, that's a different problem that needs to be addressed.

Yes, the foam can become moldy. We counter that tendency 3 ways:
1. Keep water out.
2. the bottom of the cushion has a mesh (I use pet screen available at Lowes or Home Depot) to allow it to breathe.
3. When laying up the boat at season's end, we remove all cushions and store them at home in a dry place. This alone works wonders.

Plus, if you do buy a foam with a strong fungicide and bactericide, you get to breathe the stuff in large quantities. It's bad enough with the fire retardant, it's not exactly healthful.

I think I'd rather just try to keep the interior dry.

[JordanH]

Keeping the interior dry is a challenge. We have very humid summers, which I'm sure is not unique to any boating area, and after even a short time away from the locked-up boat, the warmth and moisture really accelerates all kinds of growth.

More ventilation might help, but not by much. The only thing I've seen that truly helps is a dehumidifier plugged in while the boat is in the slip... that's the plan this year, but last year we were cruising and there's no space for a DH while sailing abroad.

That's a good point about breathing in extra chemicals. Do antibacterial/antifungal foams emit such chemicals? I know there are quite a few rubber products that are antibacterial; Sport sandals etc etc, but I didn't think they gave off toxic fumes.

[Sabreman]

I was thinking less of humidity and more of water intrusion by leaks. I agree that not much can be done about humidity.

Just keep the bilge dry and air out the cushions at the end of the season, spraying with Fabreeze or similar. We've also used Tilex at the end of the season with great results. Just let it dry on the foam before putting the cover back on. Better yet, leave the cover off all winter.

[Sabreman]

Some photos as promised:
Starboard Looking fwd:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l3...k/IMG_0309.jpg
Port looking aft:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l3...k/IMG_0306.jpg
Port looking Fwd:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l3...k/IMG_0305.jpg

BONUS: Stuff to make with extra material:

Ladies handbag from extra material and Evolution sail laminate:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l3...k/IMG_0321.jpg
30" Duffel from old NorLam and Evolution laminate:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l3...k/100_1415.jpg
Large Tote:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l3...k/100_1420.jpg

[SimonV]

While sleeping, the human body loses a certain amount of water through the skin and
breathing. The mattress will absorb a certain amount of this water. The moisture
absorbed by the mattress will work its way to the coldest part of the mattress, which is
the underneath of the mattress. When the moisture reaches the solid bed base it can
not proceed any further, so therefore the underneath of the mattress remains damp. My question is would a closed cell foam stop this or should moisture be allowed to travel through the foam and would those air mats that allow air to circulate be better.

[Minnewaska]

Anyone have a source for a high quality dense memory foam topper? The thicker the better. We have an old inch and a half to tow inch topper that does little more than give the illusion.