DaySailer.org Forum

Guys, I have been considering cushions for port/starboard benches in my ds1. Does anyone have source they prefer? Are cushions a good idea or is there some caveat I should heed ?

bob

Cushions are fine. I use throwable PFDs as cushions.



I alternate between sitting on cushions or not. Sometimes I stick a cushion between my back and the coaming, but the PFDs are really a bit too thick - they reduce the width of the bench.

Some places sell seats with an internal frame so you get a backrest as well. Again, I don't know if they would push the seating position too far inboard to be comfortable.

General suggestion: make sure that whatever you get is closed cell foam so it cannot get waterlogged.

ok- thanks

If you are looking for full length cushions, you might check with Stuart Marine. I know they make cushions for the early Rhodes 19. The early R19 has a cockpit similar to the DS1. The bench seats are close to the same size I think.

John

Hi,

I worked for a bed linen company and I have experience of bedding and cushions. And it is a good idea, you must have the good quality cushions. If you use the branded that will be preferable!

I've thought about cushions as well. I've used the throwable PFD cushions for years. I find that they are only useful in very low wind conditions and otherwise are in the way. For me, this means they are mostly not useful. However, the last couple of weeks have been low wind conditions and I have been using them and thinking about what might be better. Because we are sailing big dinghies we need to be able to move around quickly to keep the boat under control. It is not like keelboat sailing where you have cushions and just sit there.

I glued some .75" minicell foam to my side decks which hugely increased comfort. http://www.clcboats.com/shop/products/b ... -foam.html I spend most of my time sitting on the side decks or hiked out.

I have thought of gluing the same foam to my seat tops. It's easy to cut and it sands easy on the edges so I can make it look pretty decent. The surface texture ends up being kind of suede. However, I've also considered other self-adhesive foam like they sell for standup paddleboard traction pads, jet skis, and boat decks. I think even 5 mm of foam would make the seats much more comfortable. I also like the idea of this foam because it is nonskid. Stuff like this http://www.seadek.com/c-5-sheet-material.aspx .

I use the cushions mostly to support the boom and rudder while trailering

I have two blocks of a special closed cell foam that I tie to the boat with a lanyard and that the crew can use while sitting on the side deck. As I still have the standard coamings, they are thick enough to elevate seating position above.

In the cockpit I find that the cushions or the foam blocks aren't as comfortable as the seats. Once I sailed an extended distance in someone else's DS. He had a board that went from side to side. It was for some other purpose, and just stored there, but I liked that it allowed me to get a seating position facing more forward (mostly for downwind or deep reaches where there's no sitting out).

Don't pad your seats, pad your butt!

http://www.apsltd.com/gill-performance- ... horts.html

I do however use a stadium seat type thingy for longer downwind stretches and light air sailing, when I know I will be on one side of the boat or the other w/o needing to hike out, for no other reason than back support when facing forward. Take the roughly 40 mile Friday leg of this year's FL 120 for example: wing 'n wing at about 5-7 kts for about 6 hours straight, and the only time I budged from my perch was to grab a snack from the cuddy ... ;-P

Oh, and I forgot, on reason the cushions are great is to even things out so I can take a nap w/o removing the life jacket. Hard to lie flat otherwise.

Tim,

On a downwind leg like that, I might've run out of beer!


I need to put those shorts on my want list for Christmas.

Trust me KC: unless you're a complete alcoholic, when you start sailing shortly after daybreak, and are going at it until late in the day, a cold one is the last thing on your mind when you have 40 nm on the bow. However, I will admit that I cracked a cold cylinder open after I crossed the pass and was safely in the lee of the island, and DAMN did that taste good! ;-P

Of course, in the words of an old mentor of mine, ya can't drink all day unless you get an early start! <grin>

The Gill shorts are good, but the padding seems to be designed for a rather "wider stern" than my skinny frame posesses, so your mileage may vary ... ?

On the last Tx200, we used a berth cushion on my Mariner in the cockpit. The Mariner cockpit is very similar to a DS cockpit, in other words, the fiberglass seats get uncomfortable after a while. We have daily kegs from 30 miles to 60 miles depending on the year. Usually we are on the same tack for long distances. Having a cushion that stretched most the length of the cockpit was great.

John

jeadstx wrote:We have daily kegs from 30 miles to 60 miles depending on the year.

K.C., this is the event for you! ;-P

jeadstx wrote: We have daily kegs from 30 miles to 60 miles depending on the year.
John

The perfect typo, as it is so relevant to the conversation. … Cushions and beer, the perfect solution for long downwind legs.

Tim,
Well… A long downwind leg like that would probably drive me to drink. It is definitely not my favorite point of sail.