How To Repair A Knee Bolster In Boat

Adding Coaming Bolsters Tim Barker

Today, most new saltwater fishing boats come equipped with padded coaming bolsters in the aft cockpit and elsewhere to absorber your legs when you lot're leaning against the gunwales or transom. Yet a number of older boats and a few current models lack such amenities. If you lot're tired of bruising your legs on bare gunwales, recall most calculation a gear up.

Most coaming bolsters consist of a backing lath fashioned from marine plywood or Rex StarLite XL. Marine-grade mildew-resistant foam, a moisture barrier and a marine-vinyl cover class the pad. Unless y'all possess a high level of skill with a heavy-duty sewing machine, rent out the task of building your coaming bolsters to a custom marine-upholstery store. Look to pay anywhere from $800 to $1,200 for a pair of coaming bolsters measuring around 8 feet long and 6 inches broad with three inches of foam.

Your input is critical when information technology comes to specifying the size and the color(s) that tie into your existing upholstery, as well as the manner in which y'all plan to install the coaming bolsters. All of these factors volition govern how the store proceeds with the project.

Getting Started
Skill Level: 3/5
Time to Complete: one Hr (approximately; per pad installation)

Tools and Supplies
* Record measure
* Electric drill and drill $.25
* Vinyl awning track ($8.50 per four-foot section; sailrite.com)
* ¼-inch Nyloc nuts and fender washers (for securing studs)
* Self-tapping stainless-steel no. 8 screws (for securing vinyl awning track)
* Box/open-end wrench fix
* Phillips screwdriver
* Marine sealant (for bedding the vinyl canopy track)

Adding Coaming Bolsters Tim Barker

1. Measure Carefully
Tape out the length and width needed to encompass the area you accept in mind. Near pads are vi to eight inches tall. If in doubt, take the upholsterer climb aboard to measure for yous. Don't skimp on foam. Insist on thick marine-grade foam. Where two coaming pads meet in a stern quarter, ask the shop to finish the ends at complementary angles (mitered, so to speak). Make sure that the shop uses a mildew- and UV-resistant sewing thread, similar Gore Tenara, for durable seams.

Adding Coaming Bolsters Tim Barker

two. Wood vs. Starlite
Backing boards for coaming bolsters range from ½ to ¾ inch thick, and at that place are 2 bones choices of material: marine plywood (about $135 for a 4-past-8-human foot ½-inch-thick canvass) or King StarLite Twoscore (almost $250 for the aforementioned size). Male monarch StarLite Xl is more flexible, so information technology forms well to curving inwales. You lot can reuse StarLite bankroll boards several times when replacing coaming bolsters, whereas plywood might terminal through only one or two sets. A adept marine upholsterer volition fashion the backing boards as part of the chore.

Adding Coaming Bolsters Tim Barker

3. Install With Studs
If there's access behind the inwales or transom, adding ¼-inch studs every 18 to 24 inches to the backside of the coaming bolsters represents a robust installation method. Studs must be added before upholstery work begins considering the bolts are driven in from the front through a T-nut on the back of the lath to keep the studs tight. Fender washers under the heads of bolts keep them from pulling through. In one case the coaming bolster is consummate, through-commodities it in position with ¼-inch Nyloc basics and fender washers.

Adding Coaming Bolsters Tim Barker

4. Vinyl Tracking
Some boats lack access backside the inwales. The obvious examples are models from Boston Whaler or Triumph with enclosed, foam-filled construction. Vinyl awning rail is a common solution. Installed near the top of the inwale, information technology lets yous slide a keder welt (awning rope) into the rails. If this is what you choose, work with the upholstery shop to ensure that they sew together in a heavy-duty keder welt. Adding a welt at the lesser of the bolster lets you use a second track below the bolster for a more secure installation.

Adding Coaming Bolsters Tim Barker

5. SeaDek Alternative
SeaDek offers an alternative to upholstered coaming bolsters. Made from the same EVA closed-cell foam used for nonskid decking, the pads can be ordered in custom sizes and colors. SeaDek coaming bolsters, for instance, are available in lengths up to 75 inches and widths to 18 inches with a ¾-inch thickness. The pads attach with a super-strong peel-and-stick adhesive. A minimum order for custom work is $159.99. To learn more, visit boatingmag.com/seadek-coaming-bolster-pads-installation.

Quick Tip: Agglutinative, heavy-duty hook-and-loop (aka Velcro) fasteners between the gunwale and coaming bolsters keep the pads (installed with a single vinyl rails) from flopping near in heavy seas.