When my husband and I bought a 1998 Fisher pontoon boat for what we thought was a bargain, the first thing we had to do was replace the rotten vinyl on all the seats. The pontoon had been sitting in the sun for eight years and each seat had vinyl that was cracked and split with the exposed foam padding, rotting and disintegrating every time it was touched. It did not provide a comfortable seating arrangement; After all, the reason you buy a pontoon is so that you can take all your friends with you on the river. When we visited the nearby marine upholstery store, we were surprised to find that it was going to cost over $ 1200 for someone else to upholster our boat. As a mediocre seamstress, I decided that I would look to do the work myself.
Materials needed for this project: sharp heavy duty scissors, marine vinyl, heavy duty leather needles for your sewing machine, heavy duty thread, foam rubber sheets (1 “thick), foam adhesive, stainless steel pins , a durable seam ripper, gun staple, stainless steel staples, long-handled screwdriver, pliers, electric screwdriver, ziploc bags, a marker,
Step 1
I first visited my nearby fabric store to see what they had available. After searching the internet for marine vinyls, I was surprised to find a wide variety of colors at Hancock Fabrics and the cost was reasonable, better than online prices. If your fabric store doesn’t have marine vinyl, ask if they can order it for you. With that said, let me remind you that dark colors attract and hold heat. They also fade quickly so I would suggest for your comfort and use to choose a light color like cream or white. While there, I also bought heavy duty leather needles for my Singer sewing machine. That’s right, I used my old sewing machine to do all the work, but I bought at least two packs of leather needles. I would also buy the longer pins that the store carries. Look for foam rubber at the store. Buy several 1 “thick sheets of flat foam that can be placed on top of spent disintegrating foam that has been exposed to the sun.
Step 2
Remove the seats from the boat and remove the seats, such as the seat cushion, backrests, and any other covered parts. Begin by first removing all the hardware that attached each seat to the boat. Thank goodness for the electric screwdrivers! Once you remove the accessories from the seat, place them in one of the zip-top bags and label it for each seat. This way you won’t lose anything and it will make it easier to put the seats back and ensure a good fit.
Step 3
When the seats are removed, the next step is to remove the covers from the seat frame. Flip the seats over and remove the fabric by lifting the staples from below. In my case, my frame was plastic, it was still in great shape, and the staples were relatively easy to remove. Using the pliers and screwdriver, remove the covers by inserting a long-handled screwdriver under the seam and simply lifting the staples out of the frame.
Step 4
The easiest way to reupholster a boat seat is to use the old fabric as a pattern for the new fabric. Using a seam ripper, carefully separate the cover into the pattern pieces. Lay the fabric on a large flat surface and place the old fabric face down on top. I then used a marker to trace an outline of the pattern onto the vinyl, but if you feel confident, go ahead and cut the new fabric by tracing around the edges of the pattern. I gave myself an additional ½ inch margin around the outside of each piece of the pattern. I also suggest that you make each seat one at a time so the pieces don’t get mixed up. Pin the pieces together as if they came apart and sew the pieces together. The first seat will be the most difficult and with each additional seat you will get better with the experience. With that in mind, decide which of your seats you want to look the best, and do it last.
Step 5
Once you have completed the cover it is time to check the foam. If the underlying foam is in good condition, then you are ready to cover it again. If not, cut the rotten foam and with foam adhesive glue the old and new foam to keep the original shape.
Step 6
At this point, you will need a partner to pull the cover over the foam and firmly snap it back into position. Pull hard to remove wrinkles. Vinyl can withstand many pulls. Once in position, staple with the stainless steel staples. Stainless steel staples are more expensive, but they won’t rust or ruin the vinyl once it’s back in the water. Place a staple at four equal points on the frame, then pull and staple the fabric around the seat.
Step 7
Put the seats back on the boat. Take a step back and admire your work. You just saved yourself a ton of money. In my case, I was able to save about $ 950 by doing it myself.
Step 8
Now is the time to protect your near-new pontoon by purchasing an inexpensive pontoon cover with a 4- or 5-year warranty. This should eliminate the extra cleaning needed due to the pelican’s last flyby or the rapid deterioration and discoloration of vinyl that has been left in the sun for long periods of time.