My husband and I bought a 1998 Fisher pontoonboat for what we believed was a bargain. We needed to replace all of the dry-rotted vinyl seats. Every seat on the pontoon was damaged and split from eight years in sun exposure. The foam rubber padding was exposed and rotting. This did not make for comfortable seating arrangements. You bought a pontoon to allow you to bring all of your friends with you to the river. It was shocking to find out that hiring someone else to refurbish our boat would set us back upwards of $1200. Being a terrible seamstress, I decided to do the job myself.
Material needed: Heavy duty, sharpened scissors, marine vinyl and leather needles, thick sheets of rubber, sheets of foam rubber, heavy duty thread (1″ thick), foam adhesive, stainless steel pins, a durable seam ripper, staple gun, stainless steel staples, long handled screw driver, pliers, power screwdriver, ziploc bags, a marker,
Step 1
First I visited my near-by cloth shop to see what they had available. After checking the Internet for marine vinyl I was surprised to find a wide variety of colors at Hancock Fabrics and the cost was reasonable, better than the online prices. If your cloth shop does not have marine vinyl, ask them if they could order it for you. With that stated let me remind you that dark colors attract and hold the heat. They also fade quickly so I would suggest for your comfort and for the wear choose a light color like cream or white. While there I also purchased heavy duty leather needles for my Singer sewing machine. That’s right, I used my old sewing machine to do all the work, but buy at least two packages of the needles for leather. I would also purchase the longest pins the store carries. Look for the foam rubber in the store. Purchase several sheets of the flat 1″The thick foam can be used to cover the disintegrating and worn foam which has been exposed the sunlight.
Step 2
Take the cushions and backrests off the boat. First, remove all hardware attached to each seat. You are so grateful for power screwscrews. Place the screws and hardware from each seat in a ziplock bag. You won’t lose any hardware, it makes it easy to place the seats back together and will ensure that they fit well.
Step 3
The next step after the seats are removed is to take the covers off the frame. The next step is to flip the seats over and take out the fabric. The frame I used was plastic. However, it was still in excellent condition and the removal of staples was very simple. You can remove the cover using the pliers or a screwdriver by simply inserting a long-handled wrench under the seam.
Step 4
It is easiest to reupholster boat seats by using the existing fabric as a template for your new fabric. Use a seam ripper to separate the cover from the pattern pieces. Place the new fabric on a flat surface. Next, lay down the new fabric. The outline of my pattern was traced on vinyl with a marker. If you are confident, cut your new fabric using the lines of the pattern. I gave myself an additional ½ inch allowance around the outside of each pattern piece. It is important to make every seat individually so you don’t mix up your pieces. As if they were one piece, pin the pieces together and then sew them together. While the first seat is most difficult, you will improve with each seat. This is why you should choose the seats that are most appealing to you and make sure those seats get used.
Step 5
After you’ve completed your foam cover, it’s time to inspect the foam. You can re-cover the foam if it is still in good shape. You can remove the foam that is rotting and glue it together with foam adhesive.
Step 6
You will need to partner with you to lift the cover on the foam, and then pull it back in place. To remove wrinkles, pull the cover tightly. Vinyl can be pulled very tightly. The stainless steel staples can be used to secure the vinyl once it’s in place. While stainless steel staples will cost more, you won’t have to worry about your vinyl getting ruined by them once it is dry. You will need to place a staple in four places on the frame. Next, you’ll want to pull and staple your fabric all the way around the seat.
Step 7
Reinstall the seats in your boat. Admire your work. Your money will be saved. It saved me approximately $950 in my case.
Step 8
It is now time to cover your new pontoon. It will eliminate any extra cleaning required due to the last pelican flyover, or rapid deterioration of vinyl from being exposed for prolonged periods.