Cockpit Upholstery - Modern Update

[ocgrant]

Ok so my boat is a 2006 and while it is in great shape the upholstery is showing its age, not form ware but from style. My upholstery guy came by this weekend as we are still tweaking a couple canvas projects and we started talking about re-doing the seats. He made a comment that more modern looking upholstery will literally re-date your boat. So that being said I am asking you all what have you seen lately that "set you back"? I will say I am not changing to tan or dark colors, I live in SoFlo and it gets hot as balls here so seats have to stay white or you will burn yourself. I want some accents of blue but just looking for a more modern looking pattern / look to go with. Of course I have the FLIBs show coming up so i get to walk it and see what I see there, but what to see if any of you have any cool pics of a new look going around.

 

[techmitch]

@Quint4 & @KevinC
I'll bet you guys see tons of product.

 

[flyboycj84]

I’m doing the same on my Meridian. Take a look at Silvertex Neo vinyl. I’m seeing it on a lot of new boats and it’s really nice looking. Here’s a test piece I sewed up (my new thread is messed up in my machine so don’t judge lol) to get a good visual so we can make a decision on what we want. I’m also thinking of not using piping between the diamond stitch and the flat vinyl. I also have a nice screenshot of a used SeaRay I saw recently and I liked/mimicked the design.

 

[Nick 55]

I would look at FLIBS myself for a realistic feel of trends. That being said, I personally would try to avoid trends because it dates the boat. However, I’ve seen the use of fabrics on exterior seats in simple square designs with no silly diamond or other visual effect stitching by and thought it looked sharp. Diamond stitching was big in automotive circles 15 years ago, don’t do it now. French seams and piping look kind of sharp, as does lapped seam. I wouldn't be afraid to mix fabrics in to provide some flex in high stress areas either. Also, vinyl has come a good way and companies like Spradling offer stay cool vinyl that is a huge improvement over what was available 10 years ago. Many boats come with dark or red vinyl now that would have had you cooking before.

 

[KevinC]

@Quint4 & @KevinC
I'll bet you guys see tons of product.

I just was up at the Norwalk Boat Show last weekend and I probably spend more time looking at fabrics and finish than the boats. Starting to see a lot of different patterns in the vinyl embossing - not sure if this is good or bad as if you need to match for a repair later on and the pattern is discontinued then you may not get a good match.

I am also seeing a lot more complex patterns than you traditional straight pleating - again when new its fine but a few years from now you may not be able to match. With re-upholstery I see a lot of diamonds being introduced - too much for my liking but I always say its a personal preference. If someone prefers pleating (straight, diamonds, etc) I recommend trying to find welded ones. I am not sold on completely perforating my vinyl with stitch holes and then sticking it in wet environment. These holes will allow for additional water intrusion, places for dirt to catch and eventually creating multiple weak spots, not to mention additional placed a stitch can break or get pulled - at least the welded lines can be cleaned and are solid.

Personally, I prefer some contrast/complementing colors used and still prefer white (or very light) for the major seating sections. I am not sure how much cooler some of the material can keep it but even these marine grade vinyls do change color significantly over time. I also like clean, simple but classy. Also keep in mind what you like may not be what the other person likes - so too many personal touches may limit your resale market down the road. Scanning the online adds I see many boats sit for a long time that have been personalized too much with color patterns.

-Kevin

 

[techmitch]

I just was up at the Norwalk Boat Show last weekend and I probably spend more time looking at fabrics and finish than the boats. Starting to see a lot of different patterns in the vinyl embossing - not sure if this is good or bad as if you need to match for a repair later on and the pattern is discontinued then you may not get a good match.

I am also seeing a lot more complex patterns than you traditional straight pleating - again when new its fine but a few years from now you may not be able to match. With re-upholstery I see a lot of diamonds being introduced - too much for my liking but I always say its a personal preference. If someone prefers pleating (straight, diamonds, etc) I recommend trying to find welded ones. I am not sold on completely perforating my vinyl with stitch holes and then sticking it in wet environment. These holes will allow for additional water intrusion, places for dirt to catch and eventually creating multiple weak spots, not to mention additional placed a stitch can break or get pulled - at least the welded lines can be cleaned and are solid.

Personally, I prefer some contrast/complementing colors used and still prefer white (or very light) for the major seating sections. I am not sure how much cooler some of the material can keep it but even these marine grade vinyls do change color significantly over time. I also like clean, simple but classy. Also keep in mind what you like may not be what the other person likes - so too many personal touches may limit your resale market down the road. Scanning the online adds I see many boats sit for a long time that have been personalized too much with color patterns.

-Kevin

OK.. that's it! I'm sending you everything from my next boat.

 

[dvx216]

My upholster guy and I have always tried to eliminate stitches even though it looks great. I always appreciate the fact that the new upholstery that we did on our 310 was smooth when cleaning it.

 

[Soulshine]

You should seriously consider non vinyl fabric as a nontraditional option.

My ancient boat had it originally (yes in the cockpit) and it wore rather well.

I redid mine with a Sunbrella marine fabric that's cool, not sticky and has good stain repellent properties as I've learned already.

A bird roosted on the back of my helm seat while I was swimming and shit blueberries all over the back of that seat and on the cushions for the aft facing seat behind it.

I had installed the seats a week prior. It came right out without a trace using some basic cleaning spray and a shop vacuum.

The following weekend my wife sat at the helm and had chocolate on her butt. That came out too, but I'm getting pissed.

I'll preempt the chocolate on the butt speculations...

She was feeding birds off the swim.platform and removed the chocolate from a granola bar.

That's my story.

 

[Nick 55]

So your wife is to blame for attracting birds to the boat?! Which caused both issues. I like the way you phrased that. I saw a Sunseeker Predator several years ago and while it wouldn’t be everyone’s taste, the boat was a darker grey and it had red sunbrella in the seating area at the back. The seats in the helm area were black with red stitching but they are in the shade so not really a problem like if they were on a fly bridge. Sharp boat, named Young Guns if you Google it. I’ve seen others like some Palmer Johnson’s with sunbrella on the exterior seats and always thought it looked pretty good.

 

[Brett H]

Resent thread. Mine is post #28
http://clubsearay.com/index.php?thr...-upholstery-thread.108227/page-2#post-1314250

 

[ocgrant]

Resent thread. Mine is post #28
http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/let’s-do-a-custom-upholstery-thread.108227/page-2#post-1314250

I really am starting to like that look. I think I might head that direction with navy blue trim color

 

[Brett H]

I really am starting to like that look. I think I might head that direction with navy blue trim color

We didn't go with normal vinyl. I think it's made by Spradling.