How to make cockpit cushions

Paul Vellacott discovers that making cockpit cushions saves money and is comfortably within everyone’s capabilities

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We have owned our 9m (30ft) Feeling 306 for about six years. The cockpit seating is well designed for our needs, but each year we have found ourselves longing for something a little more comfortable than GRP, writes Paul Vellacott.

We considered teak or its man-made substitutes, but eventually opted for fitted cockpit cushions.

Cockpit cushions on a boat

The cushions are comfortable and readily adaptable. Credit: Paul Vellacott

We decided to try making them ourselves, primarily for cost reasons, and to our delight, the finished cockpit cushions provide not only much-improved comfort but also a feeling of greater security while sailing.

We started by enquiring at several boat shows about the materials normally used by suppliers, along with general design requirements.

We quickly realised that we needed to list our own key design needs, which were:

  • Sailing the boat shouldn’t be hampered in any way.
  • The cushions had to be not too thick in case they got in the way of lines/sheets into the cockpit.
  • They had to be strong enough to be walked upon quite often.
  • They had to stay in position either when being stepped upon or when the boat was heeling.
  • They had to be not too light so the wind wouldn’t grab them.
  • They had to be reasonably water-resistant and tolerant of salt water.
  • They had to be comfortable for up to six people eating at the cockpit table.
  • They had to be divided so as to allow for ease of storage, easy access to cockpit lockers under seats and maximum versatility of usage either as squabs or backrests

As with so many DIY projects, it helps enormously to plan out the job and be prepared to change your plans as you proceed.

Fabric on a table waiting to be cut out

The cushion fabric with one of the paper templates we made to ensure the cushions would fit snugly. Credit: Paul Vellacott

Some of our design requirements became honed through this process.

For example, we ended up dividing the cushions into three on each side of the cockpit so that they would not only split at the cockpit lockers but would also be an exact mirror image of each other on either side of the boat (except for accommodating the autopilot).

This not only improved their versatility but also simplified the task of making them.

Choosing and preparing the foam for your cockpit cushions

We considered using closed-cell polyurethane, but soon ruled this out as too hard to sit upon.

We had been advised by a cushion supplier that for open-cell foam, we would need a thickness of 3in.

Foam on a table

The foam was cut and shaped to size. Credit: Paul Vellacott

However, we felt that this would be too bulky and get in the way, so via the internet, we found an open-cell foam designed for pub seating and the like, which is adequately dense for a thickness of 2in.

This foam had the added advantage of being quite heavy.

We made up thick paper templates on the boat to ensure that the cushions would fit snugly in place.

Foam being wrapped in plastic

Wrapping one of the pieces of foam. Credit: Paul Vellacott

We ordered the foam to be cut into two long strips, one for each cockpit seat. Even though we had made the templates, we decided to take the foam to the boat and shape it there to fit.

For this task, we were advised that an electric carving knife is best, but we used a sharp bread knife.

We rounded the front lip of each cushion to minimise the risk of lines and sheets catching on them.

A cushion wrapped in plastic

After one month’s continuous usage, we were particularly pleased with the durability of the wrapping. Credit: Paul Vellacott

To make the cushions reasonably water-resistant, we wrapped the foam in pallet wrap, and found that three layers is about right.

Since this is cheap, we will be able to renew it each year if necessary, but judging by its perfect condition after one month’s continuous usage, we think it might last several years before renewal.

Assembling the cushion covers

To ensure that the cushion covers were adequately hard-wearing, we made them from an acrylic fabric similar to that used for sprayhoods.

We could just about sew using our domestic sewing machine. We also used heavy-duty corrosion-proof zips, again as used for sprayhoods, but on reflection, we could perhaps have used something a little lighter.

To ensure that the cushions wouldn’t slip, we bought a non-slip material online that we sewed to the underside of each.

Blue fabric being stitched

Tacking was used for some of the curves to be machined. Credit: Paul Vellacott

We had very little experience of making cushions and found that there was a lot of trial and error for the first cover, and a fair amount for some of the others too: it does not help having to machine them inside out.

Pinning the fabric before machining was the most practical way, except for some of the tightest bends where we used tacking (ie hand-sewing first).

The great thing about using such a strong fabric is that you can remove the stitches quite easily and have another go.

The zips were the most difficult bit to get right, in such a way that the ends were covered by the fabric: this was to prevent the zippers rubbing and marking the GRP seating surfaces.

Cockpit covers being made

The cockpit covers were machined inside and out. Credit: Paul Vellacott

To make the fabric fit neatly around the foam, it is necessary to make the covers a little smaller than the foam: between 1-2cm smaller was about right.

Another area we found very fiddly to sew was the cushion that accommodates the autopilot. The hole for the autopilot pillar was particularly difficult.

For tight curves, stretching the fabric along its edge (but being careful not to tear it) before machining helped.

The foam for this cushion needed to be in two parts to fit round the hole.

The results

Our new cockpit cushions look smart and have already been a real boon both for sailing and relaxing.

We are particularly pleased with the non-slip material, which is so effective that we have now decided against our original plan of fitting straps.

The 2in thickness has proved to be just right with the particular foam we bought.

Cockpit cushions on a boat

The cockpit cushions are not too thick, so they do not get caught on lines and sheets. Credit: Paul Vellacott

Of course, the quality is probably not as good as most cushion suppliers would achieve, but the cushions do the job admirably: and there is nothing like the satisfaction of making something yourself.

Since completion, the cockpit cushions have seen considerable usage, including being out in a sudden storm halfway across Lyme Bay, where it was necessary to quickly put in two reefs.

In the process of moving fore and aft, the cushions gave as much grip as the original seat, if not more, and they stayed solidly in place throughout.

Although they were put away when it really started to pour, the condition of the pallet wrapping after so much use suggests to us that they could have stayed out with the foam remaining dry

Tips for making your own cockpit cushions

  • Do plenty of research, and don’t just accept everything the experts tell you. The internet is a mine of useful information.
  • To get the hang of things, make up one of the easier cushions first.
  • If at first you don’t succeed, then try again. We got through a whole reel of thread before we finished. A stitch unpicker turned out to be an essential tool!
  • It’s better to buy too much fabric than too little, to allow for mistakes.

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