Bottom Sider cockpit cushion repair

[tjr818]

Mike,
I am now in the same fix. We have a full set of bottom siders that are old and dirty. We just power washed them and they still need help. How did your Liquid FlexSeal work out?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by tjr818

Mike,
I am now in the same fix. We have a full set of bottom siders that are old and dirty. We just power washed them and they still need help. How did your Liquid FlexSeal work out?

Not great. It sealed the gaps, but then seemed to adhere so well that it resulted in creating further cracks beyond the repair when it was further flexed. I think if I kept the repaired cushions out of any traffic zones, they'd be fine. But of course, that's why they've cracked in the first place -- they're in places that get walked on.

I think something more flexible would work. Not sure what that is.

[JPA Cate]

Mike, I really don't KNOW, but I'd try the Shoe Goo, too. Because it is expected to tolerate a lot of flex.

Ann

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Mike, I really don't KNOW, but I'd try the Shoe Goo, too. Because it is expected to tolerate a lot of flex.

Ann

Thanks Ann. When I get back to my boat, which may not be till 2021 at this Covid rate, I'll check it out.

[Jahwork]

Salutations fellow mariners,

This is not an exact answer to Mikes’s question but might be helpful to some. We had a full set of bottom sider cushions on our previous boat, a Lagoon 35, and loved them. An inadvertent moving of the cushions resulted in two small holes, about the size of a pencil eraser in diameter. I filed them with some 4000 or 4200, can’t remember which I had open and handy at the time, and when we sold the boat 3-4 years later the “repairs” were still going strong. Not a large rip or cut as Mike describes with his cushions, but for small holes it worked great. I doubt it would work on larger flaws.

Safe Journeys,
~Jake

[Cheechako]

I used some Shoe Goo that I've had for like 15 years laying around on the seat of my riding lawnmower to repair a tear/crack. It's working great and more flexible than some things!

[jpeac2]

Hey hey!

Wanted to see how the shoe goo / silicone ended up working after a season or two. Have similar issue but just wanting to fill in the holes before I cover the seats to make them a tad smoother.

Any thoughts?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by jpeac2

Hey hey!

Wanted to see how the shoe goo / silicone ended up working after a season or two. Have similar issue but just wanting to fill in the holes before I cover the seats to make them a tad smoother.

Any thoughts?

I tried a couple of products like that (forget which ones exactly). It helped fill in the cracks and keep the seats together, but was pretty ugly to look at. While I was able to fix some cracks, others opened up due to the new stress points. So we’ve now covered them with a marine vinyl. The cushions are still fine, so this should protect the cushion from further cracking.