MacGregorSailors.com

OK, I'm a newbie here... just bought my first Mac 26 and we're really looking forward to lots of family fun. However, mine came with no cockpit cushions (bottoms or backs) and we may be considering replacing the interior cushions as well. I see the ones from BottomSiders, but at $554 for the cockpit set that seems pricey (?)... any thoughts on either other sources or on making them yourself? Has anyone made their own? Is it practical? My wife is a very good seamstress and could probably sew the fabrics. Thanks!

Kevin McLemore

I broke down and got a $600 set at the boat show. The set from Macgregor (or whoever makes them) was crap. )But I'll sell them to you if you want ) They get wet and hold water. I got the sealed foam ones from C Cushions in Texas WWW.ccushions.com

I broke down and spent about $20 for a lawn chair cushion from walmart.
It is very breathable and convenient for the cockpit. I leave most of the factory stock cushions at home. The stock cockpit cushions are great if you enjoy scalding your feet and thighs, and getting a sweaty rear end. They are also cold and clammy in cold weather and they are heavy and slow to dry if you leave them out overnight.

For inside, there are some custom and semicustom foam cushion/matress suppliers on the internet. someone on the Trailer Sailor board refrenced several of them about a month ago. probably can do a search there for the links. They looked like good quality and prices.

Kevin,
I am in the process of finishing up the last of my inside cuhions. I order some more foam so that the cushions are about 6 inches thick. I am using black Sunbrella. I sealed all the foam up with plastic. I am not too worried about them getting a little wet. The Sunbrella will shed most of the water. I have the starboard vee birth cushion to finish and then I willl start on the cockpit's cushions. When I get the vee birth done I will post pics. Any questions just ask. Happy sails, Tony

Tony, How much did this cost you to do it yourself?

Janusch,
It probably was a little more for my cushions. I put piping in to create wear edges. Just for the material alone I have spent about $200 for all of the fabric. I purchased all of it on Ebay. Hope that helps and happy sails, Tony

We'll definitely skip the original Mac cushions then, and perhaps my 1st Mate can make some up for the inside... she's pretty good with a sewing machine and has made pillows lots of times before. As for the cockpit we'll probably just do some shopping at our local West Marine!

Kclemore,
I have the original cushion covers that I would be glad to see you for a price. All you would have to do is add foam. Email me if you would like to talk about them. That is for all the cabin cushion covers. Happy sails, Tony

kmclemore wrote:We'll definitely skip the original Mac cushions then, ..... As for the cockpit we'll probably just do some shopping at our local West Marine!

I never bought the factory cockpit cushions because of the reviews I read in Sailnet and here. As it turns out, a couple of very simple, "thin" ideas have worked well. I trimmed a ground mat (for a sleeping bag) to fit the long cockpit seat. It's impervious to water. The other idea is trimming-to-size a scrap of indoor-outdoor carpeting, which is still pretty waterproof. Both provide just enough padding to prevent feeling 'bones.' Also have used plain old nylon plush carpeting ... even if it gets wet, it does not retain the water.

I won't invest in anything more extravagant, since I frequently find myself just on the bare seats without any discomfort. Keep in mind, I always wear a PFD on SF Bay, so a backrest is superfluous, and would be a disadvantage, for me. More food for thought, if you're brand new to the boat.

Don't bother with the factory cushions. They are not worth the price. Although I have, and use them, the only reason is because when I bought my boat used the first owner had them and, just bought a new set.
I'm about to toss the old ones and pull the new ones out of storage to use. Hope the foam hasn't crumbled to dust. My boat is a 1997, btw.
I do find that I still end up sitting on some very substantial flotation cushions, most of the time also. I keep these in the cockpit, when sailing, so they are at the ready, in case someone goes over. They are easily tossed to the victim, so they serve a good dual purpose. They are white, square and probably came from West Marine, as the former owner was close to the Newport Beach store manager.

SK

Hello:
I kept the original covers and replaced the foam with Ethafoam. They no longer absorb water and I can use them for flotation. They are firmer than the originals but very comfy. Total cost was $60.00 back in 95.
Don T.

I just extended my v berth just past the compression post. I made new cushions using a visco elastic foam from Costco. I still need to complete the v berth cushions (lack of dough). I bought two queen size mattrass toppers 60x80. I glued them together with 3M spray glue. I had 1sq ft of foam left over. This is 4lb foam and it feels great. I started on one of the back cushions to see the final cover. It came out just a bit loose. I had measured the top and bottom and added 1/2" for seams. Then, I figured the welt. My foam is 4" thick so I cut my welt (side of cushion) 3 3/4" and 1/2" for seam. The second and subsequent cushions i measured top and bottom without 1/2" for seams and left the welt as before. Came out great. I used the old zippers. I spent about $90.00 dollars on material. $39.00 at Wal-Mart and $50.00 for vinyl on the bottom. The foam was $230.00 x2

Don,

I like your idea of relacing the foam. What is Ethafoam? Who sells it?

Hello:
Harry, Here is the link I posted to the old board.

http://www.dow.com/perffoam/market/products/

This stuff works great. I made an elevated skipper throne as well. If I am not mistaken, it's what you would find inside if you were to take apart one of those standard orange life vests. I got my sheet from a local electronics firm where a friend worked. They use it for packaging their products. It is probably either the "220" or the "Select" because it came in a 4'x9' sheet. It is light blue and made out of 1/2" layers laminated together. I will call the firm and ask their purchasing dept. I'll bump this thread again when I find out.

Hello:
OK, I called around and found out that what I used was a product called "Sratocell" made by Sealed Air Products.

http://www.sealedair.com/products/prote ... ocell.html

It is a blue laminated product (1.7 lbs/cu ft) that I just priced from Precision Packaging here in Portland - $55.00 for a 2" X 4' X 9' plank. A packaging company in your area would be able to help you select a product from whichever manufacturer they are supplied by.