CD Cushion Refurbishing

[mahalocd36]

YES! The solution is so simple!

A CD 36 does have the insert in the v-berth, so there are 3 cushions up there (port, starboard and insert). I hated that gap around the insert. So we bought a 2" memory foam topper mattress. They were on sale at Sam's Club for about $75. I've seen them elsewhere for up to $250-$300, even that'd be worth it.
On a CD 36, the v-berth is pretty wide, so we had to buy a king-size. Take the widest measurements, you might get away with a smaller one.
The foam comes as a rectangular piece. We laid the cushions out on top of the foam, traced the outline, and cut the foam to fit over all the cushions as one piece. (You could do it the other way if the cushions are on the boat and lay the foam on top and cut it).

The foam came with it's own mattress cover so I also cut that to fit, which basically meant cutting a triangle off each side and sewing down the two new sides. (There's a zipper across the wide end).

The foam does take up to 24 hours to expand out of its shrink wrapped package, and it also had a chemically smell that took a day or so to dissipate. (They warn you about it on the package but we didn't read it until we took it out the day before we launched the boat). So do it ahead of time and let it sit around a bit before you cut it.

It made an amazing difference in the vberth comfort. Not only did the valley disappear but it also gives better support. Even Rich, who was skeptical and insisted we didn't need it, loves it!

Like Bill C said, you can fold it forward if you need to get the insert
out.

Melissa~

What do you mean "cut to fit the V-berth" and "got rid of cushion 'valleys'?" Though I've upholstered/re-covered many things in the past, I'm shying off a total re-covering of all cushions--for the time being--but would love to improve comfort in the V-berth.

Did you cut the new layer to size for the entire V-berth, including triangular insert (if the 36 has that)? I can't believe the solution would be so simple--but I'm quite ready to be convinced! It'd be wonderful not to have some portion of one's anatomy go numb after sleeping in the V-berth. . .

Judith

[Judith]

I appreciate the information immensely!

I did an online check, plus asked some folks at work: my 'sister' business has medical supplies, including hospital beds, wheelchairs, and cushioning for both. From both angles, overstock.com came up with the best prices. Unless Sam's comes up with another sale

[John D.]

My throwable PFD seat cushion that I keep in the cockpit has several loose layers of 1/2" thick closed cell foam, the advantage of which is that it is completely non-absorbent (to water or odors). I'm thinking of replacing the foam in my interior cushions with something similar. It is not as soft as open cell foam, but on the plus side, it's tougher, would be better for plugging a hole in the hull, and adds flotation.

In Baltimore, there is a place on Light Street called "House of Foam" that sells it in bulk.

[Bill Michne]

Judith:

Here is a link to the mattress company.

http://www.hmcwest.com/

Ours is the 6" firm latex foam model. You can also get them with inner springs.

Last weekend our sailing group did a trip. On Sunday morning there was a bloody mary eye opening party at 0800 on one of the boats. We slept through it!

Bill

[LoneStar]

HH,

Just completed new saloon and v-berth cushions for my 30K.

I bought my foam from foamdistributing.com; very nice folks and helpful - prices were very good and shipping was free.

Using 3M Foam Adhesive; I glued 2" of LUX High Density (bottom), 2" HD-36 Medium Density (middle), and 1" SuperSoft (top) for the settee and v-berth cushions. Very plush and comfortable, yet nice and firm. I used 4" HD-36 with 1" of SuperSoft for the saloon backrests (mine just sit on edge with some velcro holding strips along the top of the back and do not hinge as some do). After the glue dried; I cut everything to size and shape with an electric knife and took it all to the upholsterer.

I looked at Sunbrella, but opted for a nice, heavy duty interior upholstery fabric I found at a local fabric/upholstery store. It is stain and mildew resistant and was just $9.99 per yard. It is kind of textured beige on beige with a hint of 'sea grass' green. Looks great with the teak and really brightens the interior. If my budget was larger; I would probably have opted for Ultra Suede. The upholsterer used a woven mesh type marine-specific material for the bottoms instead of the plastic stuff that was original. It is kind of non-skid and breathes.

I'm really happy with the results - no more 1978 brown and orange plaid and fragrance d' mold.

Best regards,

Mike

[Judith]

The mattress company you reference is astounding--awesome, even! Hinged mattresses--who'd have guessed? And "We slept right through everything" is surely the highest possible recommendation If our budget gets to that point, this would definitely be the way to go!

Judith

[Judith]

The whole cushion discussion was great! We wound up getting 2" memory foam and cut it to fit the V-berth, even using the trimmed triangular bits for beefing up user-determined "zones".

Eventual upgrading of the V-berth cushions themselves will only enhance the comfort, but in the meantime. . .we are sighing in contentment

Thanks, yall, for the info.

Judith