Making cushions

I hate starting a project when one isn't finished yet (nav station/electrical) but this one can be done at home when it's too cold outside, so I decided to start the cushions now, I think they turned out excellent considering this is the first thing I have ever sewed that wasn't a button.

For this project I referenced two Good Old Boat articles. The 'Big Bed Mod" in the July/August 2001 issue (#19) and the "DIY Boat Cushions" in the Nov/Dec 2009 issue (#69). The big bed issue (Which was also a Hunter 27! )the author made new cushions for the middle and left the old ones alone. I made all new cushions and modified the shape of them instead. The old ones went into the head through little openings so a 6'er can lay down, well since I can't even get my feet through the little openings that was never going to happen, so I made a modification. The settee bottom cushions will go in the middle, and the settee backs will then lay flat on the settee's, making almost a queen sized bed across the width of the cabin. The settee backs are 3" taller than the old ones, when everything is flat the bed will be 58"x78" with a good foot to spare.

The cushions article is great, but it assums things...like the fact that you know how to sew, I do not. But I do now! So it was a little frustrating until I got the hang of it.

Wiring the boat

I have begun rewiring the boat, it's COLD outside so I didn't get too far. I'll go back tomorrow and work until I get too cold. I purchased all the wire online for less than half what it would have cost me at a retailer, also bought some 14-16ga, 10-12ga heat shrink terminals, and some clear shrink wrap. What I did is put labels under the shrink wrap identifying the circuit. I printed these on a thermal labelmaker and was afraid heating the shrinkwrap with the labels under them would turn them black, but it didn't, they turned out perfect. I did have trouble getting them shrunk however, it's so cold that both the torch lighter and the regular Bic lighter I had on hand simply refused to light. Warming them up next to the little space heater seemed to work, but they were still unreliable at best. So you can see some carbon deposits on some of the shrinkwrap.

 

 

As you can see I didn't finish the grounds, the terminals don't fit on this bus bar, I'm going to put them on the new bus bar. I am going to replace this ugly woodgrain panel anyway.