How to Make Forward Berth Cabin Cushions

X-HT-300101

The forward berth in the Powerboat Makeover was in desperate need of new cushions. The old cushions, which looked original to this 1982 Regal Ambassador 245XL, were dingy, stained and had decent-sized gaps between them. To create a better sleeping space and freshen up the look of the cabin, we created all-new custom cushions. Follow along in our instructional video to learn how to create irregularly shaped cushions for your boat's forward cabin.

Video Chapters:

Patterning Opening – 1:06 min.
Patterning & Cutting Foam – 7:21 min.
Patterning Irregular Boxing – 15:57 min.
Cutting Top Plate & Boxing – 20:20 min.
Cutting Bottom Plate – 27:38 min.
Making Piping / Cording – 28:40 min.
Sewing Piping to Top Plate – 34:00 min.
Joining Boxing Together & Sewing to Plate – 38:13 min.
Installing Zipper to Bottom Plate – 50:59 min.
Sewing Assembly to Bottom Plate – 54:15 min.
Inserting Foam – 1:04:06 min.
Materials List – 1:07:14 min.

Materials List:

Dura-Skrim^® Patterning Material – #122463
CushionRite^® Dry Fast Antimicrobial Foam – #124203
Marine Upholstery Fabric
Cushion Underlining – we used Beige, #103934
Tex 70 Polyester Thread – we used Derby Navy, #103795
Medium 5/32" Welting Cord – #107035
Seamstick 1/4" Basting Tape for Canvas – #104167
YKK^® #5 White Continuous Molded Tooth Zipper Chain – #28218
YKK^® #5 White Style A Single Non-Locking Delrin^® Zipper Pull (Molded Tooth Chain) – #103178
3M™ General Trim Spray Adhesive, #73211 or CushionRite^® Foam & Fabric Spray Adhesive – #125476

Tools List:

Sailrite^® Canvas Patterning Ruler – #107040
Gingher^® Scissors Right Handed – #19104
Sailrite^®Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24" – #102400
Sailrite^® Blade Foam Saw – #121244
Tape Measure 120" – #102986
Multiuse Pins – #102985
Grease Marking Pencil Yellow – #111002
Sailrite^® Edge Hotknife Package (110 Volt) – #103800
Comfort Grip Rotary Cutter 60mm – #965511
Sailrite^® Self Healing Double-Sided Cutting Mat 18" x 24" – #123112
Sailrite^® Ultrafeed^® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311502
Marker, Yardstick

How to Make Forward Berth Cabin Cushions Video — Learn how to craft custom forward berth cabin cushions for your boat.

This area of the cabin, also known as the v-berth, features several cushions fit together to cover the space. These cushions need to not only fit well together but they also need to fit snugly against the sides of the hull. As a result, the cushions need to be angled on one side to mirror the shape of the boat. This can look really intimidating, but with careful patterning, these cushions aren’t that different from your typical box cushion. In the video, you’ll see in detail how we carefully pattern the cushion arrangement in the boat, measure for the wedge and create patterns for the angled boxing pieces.

To fill the v-berth in our boat, we needed to make three different cushions: a triangular cushion at the bow and two irregularly shaped cushions (one at port and one at starboard). Then a keystone cushion attached to a backer board can be added to fill the space for sleeping. This video will outline the port and starboard cushion construction only, with follow-up videos demonstrating making the other two cushions.

For the materials, we chose 4-inch Dry Fast foam with a durable and attractive marine interior upholstery fabric and a cushion underlining fabric for the bottom. Using a cushion underlining fabric helps to cut costs on decorative fabrics while adding breathability and a tacky hand that keeps your cushions from sliding. To read more about selecting foam for boat interior cushions, visit our Foam Series post “Selecting the Right Marine Interior Foam” (#300055XHT).

This project is part of our Regal Ambassador 245XL Powerboat Makeover series.