We looked at a few boats over the past few days . . .
A couple of surprising take-aways. Vinyl upholstery isn't what it used to be.
We saw both a Cruisers and a Formula that had seam tearing/separation issues on 5-6 year old boats. Looks to be from normal wear, not abuse.
I am wondering if the manufacturers are finding some of the new materials not holding up like that more traditional vinyls. The issue on the Cruisers seemed more like a defect or poor choice of thread as it was all coming apart vs. tearing.
My reference point is my Formula 330, which the vinyl and stitching held up well for 20 years, then needed replacement. Is the new 'standard' 5-10 years 'til replacement ???