Side Deck Comfort for Hiking Out

[K.C. Walker]

Ever since I bought my DS1 I've been trying to improve the comfort while hiking out. I moved the original coamings down flush with the side decks which helped tremendously. I don't get bruises anymore, which I did before cutting the combings down. However, I do get sore after hours of windy sailing. So, I decided to add three-quarter inch mini cell foam cushions to the side deck. It's a great improvement for hiking out, but I also find it more comfortable when sitting in and leaning on the side deck. I don't think they look too bad, either.

Whenever I am hiking out and there's enough chop to get a lot of spray on the deck the water runs right down the deck and gets my butt wet. I decided to try some spray combings just off the edge of the cuddy just forward of the cockpit. I made these out of mini cell foam, as well. These have not been tested yet, though. I suspect that these are only going to help marginally on those days when you need to turn your back to keep from getting a face full of spray.

[seandwyer]

How did you fasten the cushions down to the rail? I'm thinking about something similar, but am resisting cutting down the coamings still. They bother me only a little, so far, but I don't have hiking straps. I just cock a foot under a thwart and lean out--which probably isn't leaning out as far as you do with straps, which is why the coamings don't bother me as much. Probably. Probably not as effective of a righting effort either.

[seandwyer]

would love to see more pictures of your boat though. Is that a gas tank under the stern deck? Nice shiny hull, too.

[K.C. Walker]

Sean,

I used contact cement to glue the mini cell foam down. I bought the foam from Chesapeake Light Craft. They sell it as kayak seat material. It's closed cell and weighs next to nothing.

With hiking straps you can get out far enough that your butt is actually passed the rail and it feels plenty secure. Secure enough that from that point, if you need to, you can lean way out which makes a huge difference in being able to keep the boat upright in a puff. Sure it's an abs workout, but it's a whole lot more fun than going to the gym. However, this puts a lot of weight on the back of your thighs. When I had coamings I was getting bruising like about 4-6 inches above my knees all the way up to my butt. I really want to be able to move in and out depending on the conditions. These aren't keel boats, after all.

That shiny hull took a lot of compounding, buffing, and waxing. I touched up a bunch of gouges with gelcoat repair, as well. I was thinking that I needed to paint it before going through all this. I figured if it's lasted 40 years, I'd give it another go and see if I could get it to last a while longer.

That is a gas tank under the rear deck. It's a 3 gallon flat Evinrude/Johnson tank. It's for my little 1974 Johnson 4 hp two cylinder Sail Master.

As for more photos of the boat: I just posted some more in the long-running UPS thread.

[seandwyer]

Thanks! I'm going to check out Chesapeake's foam selection now!

[Salty Dog]

nice looking boat!!!

[K.C. Walker]

THANKS!!!

[K.C. Walker]

I thought I would report back after a season of use. First off, I love the comfort. Yesterday I was out for almost 5 hours in a steady 15 kn and single-handed. I was on the rail or fully hiked out at least 95% of the time. Yes, my hands, arms, quads, abs and shoulders are sore today but not my bum.

My boat gets heavy use and the foam is starting to show some signs of wear. It's not that bad yet and I expect it will still look fine for a couple of more years or so. At a cost of $20 or so for the foam and very little time to make and install the cushions, am very satisfied with the results.

[TIM WEBB]

Glad it's working out so well for you KC!

Instead of padding the rail (and every other hard surface I might sit on), I padded my bum instead ... :

http://www.apsltd.com/p-33040-gill-perf ... horts.aspx

The pads are sold separately (of course!), and are removeable ...

[K.C. Walker]

Tim, those look like a great way to go! Have you been happy with their performance?

[TIM WEBB]

So far, yes, but haven't had a chance to really "put 'em through their paces" yet - have only sailed twice with them. They are fully synthetic, but not lined in any way, like swim trunks are (i.e., no "mesh saddle"), so I picked up some synthetic Starter boxer briefs at Wally World to wear with them. So, it's a "no-cotton" combo that dries out really fast, and is very comfortable whether wet or dry. I tried on my Gill technical pants (long, also synthetic) over them, and they will fit fine for sailing during the cooler months.

The pads are a very high density closed cell foam, and really help when perched on the hard coaming of the DS2 that can't be cut down. When hiking on the DS2, your bum is actually on the outer deck, and the coaming is under your thighs. The pads are large enough to cover both. Plus, when just sitting on the seats they also provide some comfort. I *had* seat cushions on my list of stuff to make, but now I might not need them. The shorts are pretty expensive I admit, but better than any other solution I have come up with ...