Hi all. I have been thinking for awhile of covering my cockpit seating ( back rest and seat area) with 25mm EPE closed cell foam sheet. It is cheap at $45 for 1800 x 1000 x 25 mm . This would pretty much do my whole cockpit. We use it at AGWA (Art Gallery of WA ) where I work as an installer. It is light, white and the right density as far as I am concerned. It's also fairly durable UV resistant and doesn't absorb water. It may not be the bees as far as aesthetics go but would be readily replaceable. I was going to just have pieces that fit the spaces but being so light the problem is keeping it from blowing away. Now I am thinking maybe semi permanent but readily removeable.
Have any of you tried it or similar? My boat is aluminium and needs a paint anyway so not so worried about experimentation. Glues? Velcro? Contact? Ideas thoughts?
This is the stuff
www.foamsales.com.au/collections/closed-cell-foam/products/epe-foam?variant=3720118529
$39.98 Aldi
They do need maybe a camp mattress as an add on
The aldi store these came from had Red Red or Red
We bought a couple of these for cockpit seats and they work well
www.comfortseat.com.au/main/page_products_regular_classic_regular.html
Regards Don
I have some sunbrella material that I got with the boat and have no idea what it was for. Thought I might make it into two simple lay over sheets (one for each side of the cockpit) that have the white EPE foam attached to the underside in strips corresponding to the seat, back and top combing. Foam could be attached by buttons a bit like a chesterfield or maybe another cheaper material for the underside and enclosed. Then possibly 3 loops ( one each end and one in the middle 3mm cord) attached to the boat at seat and back junction point that a 6mm diameter aluminium tube threads through to hold the cushioning down at this point. Hate velcro for this sort of thing but maybe it could be used to secure the top where it goes over the combing. Would have to be a cut-out for the winches.
I would really really like to use the EPE (at 20-25mm) foam due to its having just the right squishiness compared to anything else I have come across. It's also very cheap so replaceable. Once it's covered I think it's perfect.
Attaching them to the cockpit seat is the hard bit. Some time ago I saw a yachtie had used the blue cockpit cushions, the
closed cell type. He had'nt covered them but had run a strap around about 6 inches in from each end, a tag at each end of the strap
had a simple s/s press stud. The front one went over the front of the seat and attached to the vertical bit and the rear did
the same at the back. When stowed away the press stud bits left behind did not get in the way of sitting without
the cushions. Hope this makes sense !!.
stick some Velcro to the foam and the surface you want it to be placed would be my idea, cheap and easy.