cushion snaps

playmaker · Post by **playmaker** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 12:57 pm

Many (5 or 6) of the snaps that hold the cockpit cushions in place of been pulled right out of the fiberglass. Previous owner must have been in a hurry when taking the cushions back down below. Any suggestion on reattaching snaps from all you veterans is greatly appreciated. The sailing weather here in Safety Harbor the last 2 weeks has been beautiful. I'm learning (out about 8 times now) to sail. However, I don't think I'll be sailing into my slip anytime soon. Motoring is hard enough.

Randy Smith · Post by **Randy Smith** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 1:30 pm

I have found the only way to do this right is to redo the glass in the holes...that is the right way...I have also patched the holes with a fiber puddy, got lucky and it held.....gel coated and it held.....put the snap back in and was good to go.......the trick is to not use all the snaps......I'll leave that to you....but, I used the outer corners on all and the middle of the backrests.............I have gotten to where I don't even snap them unless it is really windy or really rough or both!!!!

Randy

Next boat I likely won't install snaps.....I mentiond rough weather.....I use throw cushions to sit on, heck with the nice full sized ones...I gotta do too much moving and rope throwing.....

Another tip. I went to an upholstery shop and had all the snaps(female)reinforced....haven't torn one out of the material in five years.........tore them every trip when boat was new....

Randy Smith · Post by **Randy Smith** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 1:56 pm

My wife has to get the cushions out.....she loves them....I am lazy...when out on the water by myself, I just use the safety throw cushions....nope, the admiral arrives and she has my buttcrack bared to the world as I am in the aft birth digging them out(that is where I store them, back of the boat stacked tight and neat) She is getting to where she knows that "is her thing" and she takes care of it...she inevitably can't get a snap or two and Big Daddy has to help. The Admirals are a funny species, gotta love em...

Personally, I think the cushions are all about the dog being comfortable, she would do anything for that gorgeous mutt!

Randy

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:14 pm

Hello:
I use epoxy. I drill the hole, countersink the hole a bit (by hand to prevent chipping) and install the snap, then I take it out, put epoxy in the hole and on the threads and reinstall. Have not had one pull out. When I am rigging the first time, I put a wipe of chapstick in each female snap so they go on and off easy but they still hold well. Same for the bimini.

Tony D-26X_SusieQ · Post by **Tony D-26X_SusieQ** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:47 pm

I wiped the snaps with petrolium jelly the first season. This starts my fourth season and they still pop on and off with no problems. A tip I picked up on this board BTW.

playmaker · Post by **playmaker** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:54 pm

Thanks Randy I will re fiberglass this weekend. I'm with you ...didn't even use the cushions til the wife came down to take a ride. I'm good with 2 safety cushions stacked so I can see better. But I think the boat sails faster with the snaps installed

Moe · Post by **Moe** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 4:10 pm

Sounds good, Don. I'll epoxy mine in the first time too.

--
Moe

HERNDON · Post by **HERNDON** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 6:31 pm

I have pulled the snaps out of the cushion not the fiberglass.
How do you fix that... I will be lubricating the female snaps
since reading the posts.

Guess there is nothing like a tight snap....or is there?

Sailing.

Rob

Don T · Post by **Don T** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 6:38 pm

Hello:
You can always use a piece of some kind of tuff material on the back side when you install the snaps in the cover. The vinyl stretches quite a bit, makes it easy to pull them through. Lubrication is the key to success!......................what did I just say?????

Moe · Post by **Moe** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 6:41 pm

Just keep in mind when petroleum jelly is used for lubrication, it causes some... ah... materials... to fail.

--
Moe

MAC26X · Post by **MAC26X** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:24 pm

I found the snaps to be a hassle when installing the cushions. A few years ago I added a full length strip of heavy-duty UV resistant velcro to the back cushions and to the cockpit. After 3 seasons I will replace it for this year. It works well, is quicker than snaps both on and off. You can buy this velcro in a 25ft roll. I do not fasten the seat cushions. They stay put fine even at a good heel.

Moe · Post by **Moe** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:56 pm

I installed the snaps for our factory cushions today. Putting all the cushions in place, and then putting one of the wife's old red lipsticks on the outer part of the female snap part on the cushion, one at a time, made a nice red circle to drill into the middle of. The lipstick cleans off easily with alcohol.

I initially drilled a hole the size of the screw shank inside the thread, then chamfered the hole with a bit larger than the screw threads to prevent gel coat chipping befpre screwing the snap in. One of the screws snapped off as I was screwing it in, leaving the screw in the fiberglass, and I couldn't drill it out. I'll have to pick up another snap/screw and put it in next to the broken screw shaft.

Tomorrow, I'll unscrew the snap screws one at a time and eposy them in as Don T recommends. There's not a lot of glass for a few of them. The chapstick idea was great, too, Don. Made 'em snap real easy. Thank you, Don... your advice helped a lot!

The cushions on our Whaler have a strap on the bottom side running from one side of a cushion corner to the other side, and the female snap part is in the strap... sort of like those elastitc bands on mattress covers It makes it really easy to reach under the cushion, put your fingers beteween the cushion and strap, and press the female part of the snap onto the male portion.

Also got the deck plates sealed and screwed in on the cockpit seats over the LPT12 Tempo fuel tanks.

--
Moe

Sloop John B · Post by **Sloop John B** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 9:01 pm

Gees guys,

Bring out all the cushions. They're fine. But don't be drilling the males into your cockpit seats.

If it starts getting rough, you'll be shifting your fanny up and down the bare plastic. If it's nice out, you can just let this stuff lay. It don't shift around on you too terribly.

Every night, you got to bring this stuff in cause it does get terribly wet.

Bad enough dealing with the 'snaps' in the dinette area to get my bunk down level.

I don't like these 'snaps'.

They will tear out the viynl from the cushion back and it's an unnecessary hole in the boat.

waternwaves · Post by **waternwaves** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:35 pm

agree with john.....
very wet.........difficult to dry....need to use a light weight closed cell foam instead..... oh wait.....I priced that out......144 inch^^3 @ 6.50 p for closed cell......and the cockpit has lets see....has about 400.00 just in the neoprene closed cell....I guess I wil take the cushions in each night.....lol

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

cushion snaps

cushion snaps

This SUCKS

snaps

cockpit cushions