Aft Seat Back Cushion

[MarineBob]

I think I may have asked before but I never got a confirmation to this question. The seat back on my boat has some of the stitching coming apart. The vinyl seems to be in pretty good condition and the cushion should be repairable if I can get the cushion off the mount. I asked the folks where my boat is kept to give me an estimate for the repair and they had the guy they use for upholstery look at the picture. As I suppose I expected, he is ready to replace the cushion at a price that would cause me to buy a new boat first. Anyway, the seat is on my 2013 226 Seafarer. The seemingly best answer I got to the question as to how to get the cushion off the boat is there are apparently 2 screws that go up vertically from small holes on the bottom of the cushion. At the end of last year, before the boat was put up for the winter, I seemed to find such holes but got no further. So I am hoping someone has dealt with this set up. From comments I got, this particular fitment was not used for too long? If some body has dealt with this I am hoping they can relate their experience. Are there really two Phillips screws? Do they come out after 12 years on the boat? Thanks in advance for any help

 

[seasick]

If the cushions were mounted like Grady does bolsters, there are brackets on the back fiberglass and there are holes in the back of the cushion backboard.
The cushions are placed over the holes and slid down. Then screws are inserted through the bottom lower edge of the cushion into the fiberglass. Those screws ( and there may be only one or two are used to keep the cushion from sliding up and coming off.
So the first step is to see if there are screws. Tey sliding a thin metal blade or scraper between the lower back edge of the cushion and the fiberglass to 'feel for screws. If you find a screw now look for where the ecrew was inserted. It may be a grommet. Once the screws are out push hard/whack the bottom of the cushion to get it to slide up.

I am not sure if that is how the rear cushions are installed. It is also possible that they are screwed from behing the gunnel into the cushion backing.

 

[MarineBob]

I think I remember feeling up under the back where the cushions are mounted and did not feel any screws/bolts that would mount a bracket but it seems like there has to be one. I will have to try the thin blade approach once I get to my boat. That makes sense. So it seems likely there are screws up from the bottom. I felt like there were some holes but never got a chance to poke up a screw driver from the bottom of the cushion. Thanks for a reasonable idea.

 

[Ky Grady]

Bracket screws might not penetrate all the way through the fiberglass. Here are the brackets that hold my cushions on my 228, should be the same for your 226.

 

[MarineBob]

That makes a lot of sense. Am I correct in understanding that there are a couple of Phillips head screws going up vertically into the brackets from the bottom of the cushion? After 12 years will they come out? I know that's a loaded question but I guess I am looking for another experience. A couple times I gave a good up- tug on the cushion thinking there was just a bracket and it did not budge.

 

[Ekea]

did you check with a different shop? i had my Chase upholstery 100% new custom made, and it was about 7k. the majority was missing when i bought it so there wasnt even much to use as a template. i cant imagine redoing the upholstery on one cushion would be more than a couple hundred.

 

[MarineBob]

Quote I got was $510...... not sure what the $10 is for. And for both, $1020. No thanks. I have reupholstered car seats, made my own templates and so forth. So this will be a DIY once I get the cushion off the boat

 

[seasick]

That makes a lot of sense. Am I correct in understanding that there are a couple of Phillips head screws going up vertically into the brackets from the bottom of the cushion? After 12 years will they come out? I know that's a loaded question but I guess I am looking for another experience. A couple times I gave a good up- tug on the cushionView attachment 36548 thinking there was just a bracket and it did not budge.

No the screws do not screw into the brackets. They go in at a sharp angle ans screw into the fiberglass face of the back transom assembly

 

[MarineBob]

Thanks, seems like they ought not to be corroded into a metal bracket. Should be able to get to the boat out of winter storage in a few weeks so that's my first project. Would have been a good winter project to figure out the cushion cover but I am glad for the help I got here. I have gotten to where I figure someone has always solved some new problem that I am facing. Should have read above commet more carefully as to how the screws go in.