Researching Cushion Foam

I had big plans this week to unpack our new Sailrite sewing machine and make a video about the set up, but unfortunately, I was waylaid by illness. After being down and out for five days, I am finally starting to feel like myself again, and today I started to research and order materials for some of the sewing projects I hope to complete before we put S/V Bear back in the water in the Spring.

I have decided to start with the cockpit cushions as most of them are rectangular, making this, hopefully, an easy project to try on the new machine. As I mentioned in a previous post, I used to sew clothing and quilts when I was younger, and I am hoping that sewing will be like riding a bike. With this thought in mind, I measured the old cockpit cushions and began researching foam. While I know many folks who have been fortunate enough to be able to salvage their foam and simply make new covers, our cushions truly need replacing, inside and out. Below is a photograph of the covers and the foam. Notice how the weave on the fabric has stretched and the foam is dried out and cracking.

After measuring all of the cushions multiple times, and viewing pictures and video of our boat to be absolutely certain of the layout and number of cushions, I began the hunt.

I decided to start with the Sailrite website as a resource as they have great posts on the anatomy of foam and the different types of outdoor foam. Once I decided that I wanted to purchase open cell foam I did a web search to compare prices.

Sailrite: Dry Fast 3”x 48”x72” for $299 + $46.03

Foam Factory: Dry Fast 3”x90”x50” for $126.50 + Free Shipping

Fabric Empire: Dry Fast 3”x72”x40 for $128.10 + 57.15

While I was a bit skeptical about ordering from Foam Factory based on a few complaints that I have read on Women Who Sail, I decided that I would take a chance and try to save a significant amount of money. I will write a post when the foam arrives and let you know how Foam Factory works out for us.