Vinyl seats starting to crack..

[FuzzDaddy]

Hello everyone,

I have a 2002 230 signature bow rider. My seats and cushions are in pretty good condition. The tops are still soft. It's the sides that are becoming a problem.
The sides are starting to crack. I only owned the boat for a year so I don't know the history of care that was taken.
What is a good product I should wash them with and a good protectant to keep them soft? The issue with my boat is I don't have a walkway path to get on and off the boat. I need to step on the cushions to get on and off, of course with no shoes. Another thing I need help with is when I was cleaning the boat with the power washer I made a mistake and hit one of the side wall cushions in the front bow with the power washer and made a tiny hole. It's not in a place that will have a lot of wear. I was thinking of sealing the small tear about 1" with a matching silicone. Is there something better?
Thank you very much for your time!
Corey

 

[Lazy Daze]

303 is probably about the best protectant out there for viny seats, but it's not going to bring them back. Once the plasticizers are gone, that's pretty much it. I've heard about some using mineral oil but I have no personal experience with it. Supposedly Meguiars makes a conditioner - but same thing... never tried it.

VLP will work for the seat tear.

You can get on and off the boat by sitting or kneeling and spinning. Or use a carpeted board to spread the load better.

 

[Jeff Delbuono]

Second 303. I use Maguire's de greaser with a magic erraser to clean at the beginning of the season. Stuff is awesome. Then spray and wipe down with 303. Have not had a problem yet

 

[Soulshine]

303 is great stuff. It will keep things from getting worse but an alternative to stepping on the cushions is a good idea.

I’ve never power washed a boat above the waterline and never will. I’ve seen too much damage done and it seems to take far longer than a brush and bucket.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Jeff, be careful with that magic eraser. There's no "magic" in it - it is basically sandpaper. It WILL degrade that very thin top layer of the vinyl... you know, the part that is protecting the rest of it

 

[Little Ducky]

I had a cushion on my 180 BR years ago that I stepped on to get on and off and when the seams started to pull I had a upholstery shop fix it plus they added a layer under the top covering to beef up that cushion so the material would never fail again. It sat a little firmer but it lasted my entire 7 year ownership with out a stitch pulled.

 

[FuzzDaddy]

Thank you for the replies everyone. I will purchase some 303 Aerospace protectant.
What is recommended to clean some stains and dirt on seat covers. I would like to clean the before applying the 303.
Thank you

 

[KevinC]

Thank you for the replies everyone. I will purchase some 303 Aerospace protectant.
What is recommended to clean some stains and dirt on seat covers. I would like to clean the before applying the 303.
Thank you

Cleaning of dirt and stains will really depend on what has caused them. Generally I like to start at the least aggressive and work upward. I would start cleaning with something like Spray-9 and see how it goes. If the stains are caused by mold growing in the vinyl your may need something more aggressive. For that I have had good luck with Marine-31. If it's not mold related then you may need to move to a product like Marinestrip for cleaning the seats.

Generally I recommend staying away from any of the magic erasers and the use of bleach and bleach products. The magic erasers will eventually "erase" the outer coating of the vinyl removing the protection layer. Bleach on the other hand will dry out vinyl causing it to get brittle and crack and it will deteriorate the threads holding the seats together (BTW Sun Bleaching alone will break down vinyl and threads).

Of course if nothing works bleach and/or magic erasers can always be tried as a last step before looking at re-upholstery or dyeing (painting) the vinyl. If it is a spot stain then sometimes using a rag soaked with a light bleach/water mixture to lay on the spot for a little while will help - follow us with a good rinse and some natural sun bleaching.

BTW, the 303 Aerospace Protection is a great product and I highly recommend it as a preventative measure but it will not bring dry and cracking vinyl back to life.

-Kevin