New Cockpit Cushions for Our Columbia 43

New cockpit cushions for Oceanus have five-inch thick firm foam. Note the snaps on the underside of the top cushion.

Virginia finished another big project: new cockpit cushions. Oceanus had some old two-inch thick vinyl cockpit cushions. They were old and showed it. We wanted something thicker, so we could sleep on them (they are 80-inches long on the long side) covered with a fabric that feels better than vinyl.

The foam we chose was five-inch thick firm foam. It's the same foam we used in the bunks. We avoided closed-cell foam, which is about as comfortable as sitting on a rock. We also didn't want the extra-firm foam we used in the settees. It's fine for sitting on, but too firm for sleeping on.

The fabric we bought from our friends at Sailrite. (They've been getting a lot of our business lately.) It's called SeaMark. It comes in the Linen color that matches the color palette of our other fabrics on the boat. It's waterproof but, unlike vinyl, it feels wonderful!

Virginia is especially proud of how the zippers and the zipper cover turned out. The snaps on the bottom are four inches in from the front and are sewed on so you can get your fingers under them to snap the snaps. They should be secure, but easy to put on and take off.