How to Reupholster the Backrest in a Boat Cabin

X-HT-300115

On board our Powerboat Makeover project, a 1982 Regal Ambassador 245XL, the whole cabin needed a makeover. In the forward berth, we replaced the old, dark headliner, the flooring, and all the cushions for the berth and the adjacent storage bench. Along the hull in the forward cabin are long backrests on both the port and starboard sides that needed to be reupholstered, too. We broke down the upholstery process of those backrests in this step-by-step video.
Video Chapters:
  • Stapling Padding Foam – 0:38 min.
  • Cutting & Sewing Decorative Fabric – 1:59 min.
  • Stapling Fabric in Place – 5:14 min.
  • Materials List – 10:51 min.
Materials List:
  • Fabric Backed Sew Foam 58" – #124306
  • Marine Upholstery Fabric – SunRite™ Galloway Ink 55" Fabric, #125287
  • Tex 70 Derby Navy UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,000 yds.) – #103795
  • 21 Gauge 1/2" (12mm) Staples 10,000/Box (Stainless Steel) – #8012SS
Tools List:
  • Sailrite® Long Nose Upholstery Staple Gun – #121411
  • Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed – #19104
  • Tape Measure 120" – #102986
  • Sailrite® Clear Acrylic Ruler – #102400
  • Grease Marking Pencil Yellow – #111002
  • Sailrite® Canvas Patterning Ruler – #107040
  • Multiuse Pins 1-1/2" (250 pack) – #102985
  • Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311502
How to Reupholster a Backrest Video 2

For our backrests, we chose to reuse the existing foam and just add a little extra softness by attaching a layer of 1/4" sew foam with fabric backing. If your foam isn’t worth saving, you can pattern new foam. We usually recommend using polyurethane foam for backrests like this because it will stay soft for longer than other polyester foams.

We continued the same fabric we used on the cushions on the backrest. We sell a variety of fabrics that are great for boat cabin interiors. In the video, Cindi, our upholsterer, explains how she selects a pattern to display on the backrest and how to seam fabric panels together to create a continuous motif across the entire backrest.

In this video you will learn how to add extra foam padding to your backrest, cut and sew decorative fabric, and staple the fabric in place.

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

Materials List:

Fabric Backed Sew Foam 58"

#124306

Fabric Backed Sew Foam 58"

SunRite Galloway Ink 55" Fabric

#125287

SunRite™ Galloway Ink 55" Fabric

Tex 70 (V-69) Derby Navy UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,000 yds.)

#103795

Tex 70 (V-69) Derby Navy UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,000 yds.)

21 Gauge 1/2" (12mm) Staples 10,000/Box (Stainless)

#8012SS

21 Gauge 1/2" (12mm) Staples 10,000/Box (Stainless Steel)

Tools List:

Sailrite Long Nose Upholstery Staple Gun

#121411

Sailrite® Long Nose Upholstery Staple Gun

Gingher 8" Scissors Right Handed

#19104

Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed

Tape Measure 120"

#102986

Tape Measure 120"

Sailrite Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24"

#102400

Sailrite® Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24"

Grease Marking Pencil Yellow

#111002

Grease Marking Pencil Yellow

Sailrite Canvas Patterning Ruler

#107040

Sailrite® Canvas Patterning Ruler

Multiuse Pins 1-1/2" (250 pack)

#102985

Multiuse Pins 1-1/2" (250 pack)

Sailrite Ultrafeed LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

#311502

Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

!