Reupholstering the seats in my boat

[Begester]

I am looking to replace the two bench seats on my 1989 SeaRay 220DA and wanted to see if anyone has any do's and don?ts and what to look for when re-upholstering boat seats. I am only looking at the portion of the interior that is exposed to the sun, not the cabin, that was done a few years ago before I bought the boat but the exterior vinyl has definitely seen its better days

My question is this - What are things to make sure I have when I replace these seats? What materials should I lean towards or stay away from? From what I gather, the cushions are intact for the most part and its just the vinyl that needs replaced. There is one spot in the aft bench (along the transom) where the wood has rotted a little bit so I'm going to replace that as well. We spend a lot of time in the water and while we try our best to keep everyone dry, the seats do sometimes get wet.

Can anyone shed some light on this subject for me?

I've attached a few photos as well. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Begester]

Re: Reupholstering the seats in my boat

Hopefully this one will upload the photos...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Reupholstering the seats in my boat

You have an industrial sewing machine?

I have done a similar seat in my boat. It is not all that difficult assuming you have sewing skills.

 

[Aviator5]

Re: Reupholstering the seats in my boat

Marine vinyl, walking foot sewing machine. Although I've done it with a regular cheap sewing machine. And as in previous post, it all depends on your skills.

 

[Begester]

Re: Reupholstering the seats in my boat

Thanks for the replies. I am hoping to use a friends sewing machine. Any recommendations on materials or is this type of vinyl all pretty much the same?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Reupholstering the seats in my boat

http://www.rochfordsupply.com/

Good selection and prices for marine vinyl.

 

[woosterken]

Re: Reupholstering the seats in my boat

here you go check this out.............

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=359829

hope this helps

woosterken

 

[Aviator5]

Re: Reupholstering the seats in my boat

Marine grade vinyl only. Anything else is waist of time and money.

 

[Wheelhouse]

Re: Reupholstering the seats in my boat

To keep your seat foam or kapok dry, you may wrap the seat in plastic before you install the final cover. When you choose your material make sure the vinyl has a sunscreen in it. Ordinary vinyl does not like sunlight and will get hard and crack very quickly. Be careful when removing the old cover. Take it apart and use the pieces for a pattern. You need a machine that will sew through at least four layers of your chosen material.