Upholstery built for salt, sun, and spray.
Marine environments destroy ordinary furniture. Johnson fabricates yacht salon seating, cockpit cushions, berth mattresses, and marine upholstery using marine-grade vinyl, UV-stabilized thread, and the right foam for the application. Cut to your hull contours, not to a catalog size.
Every surface a guest sits on, cut to your vessel.
Interior salon seating, exterior cockpit cushions, berth mattresses, and helm upholstery. Each one specified for its exposure: shaded cabin, splash zone, or full sun on deck.
Salon and Cabin Seating
Interior sofas, settees, and lounge seating for yacht salons and cabins. Plush open-cell foam for comfort in shaded interiors, with antimicrobial and mildew-resistant treatment for humidity.
Cockpit and Deck Cushions
Exterior cushions built for the splash zone. Reticulated draining foam lets water pass straight through, and marine vinyl resists salt, UV, and mildew season after season.
Berth and Bunk Mattresses
Custom mattresses cut to hull contours for V-berths, bunks, and staterooms. No rectangular mattress forced into an angled berth.
Banquettes and Dinettes
Custom banquette seating for galleys and dinettes, built to fit the exact geometry of the space. Curved, L-shaped, or wraparound configurations.
Helm and Bolster Upholstery
Helm chairs, bolsters, and leaning posts in UV-stabilized marine vinyl. Built for the most sun-exposed seating on the vessel.
Marine Reupholstery
Refit existing seating rather than replacing it. New marine vinyl, new foam, restored frames, all matched to your original patterns.
Ordinary thread fails before the vinyl does.
Most marine upholstery failures start at the seam, not the surface. Standard polyester thread degrades under UV in a season or two, so a perfectly good vinyl panel splits open at the stitch line. We use UV-stabilized bonded thread on every marine seam.
From single refits to fleet programs.
Private owners, charter operators, and waterfront properties all face the same enemy: salt, sun, and moisture. The specification changes with the exposure, not the customer.
Private vessels and refit yards
Salon seating, berth mattresses, and cockpit cushions cut to your vessel. We work from templates or existing patterns so replacement pieces fit the way the originals did.
High-turnover commercial vessels
Charter boats take guest traffic on top of marine exposure. Heavier-gauge vinyl, reinforced seams, and a specification kept on file so fleet reorders match across every hull.
Marinas, docks, and coastal resorts
Dockside lounges, marina clubhouses, and waterfront resort decks face the same salt air as a boat. Marine-grade materials on land-based furniture that ordinary outdoor fabric cannot survive.
We build where the salt air is.
Johnson has manufactured in coastal South Carolina since 1947. Salt air, humidity, and hurricane-season moisture are not theoretical problems here, they are the operating conditions of our own building.
That matters when you are specifying upholstery for a vessel. We know which foam turns into a sponge, which thread splits at the seam, and which vinyl chalks out after two summers of direct sun. The right answer is different for a shaded cabin, a splash-zone cockpit, and a helm seat in full sun, and we spec each one separately.
Send us templates, patterns, or the old cushions themselves. We cut to your contours and ship it back ready to drop in.
The previous cushions were soaked through and smelled like mildew by the second season. Johnson recut everything with draining foam and marine thread. Three seasons in, they still dry out overnight.
Marine upholstery, answered.
The technical questions captains, owners, and refit yards ask before committing to a fabrication. If your question is not answered here, we will respond within one business day.
What makes upholstery marine grade?
Marine grade means every component is specified for salt, UV, and moisture. That means UV-stabilized marine vinyl or marine acrylic fabric, marine-grade foam matched to the exposure, and critically, UV-stabilized bonded polyester or PTFE thread. Ordinary thread degrades under sun and splits the seam long before the vinyl itself wears out.
What is the difference between closed-cell and reticulated foam?
Closed-cell foam does not absorb water and is buoyant, which suits seat bases and flotation applications. Reticulated foam has an open structure that lets water drain straight through, so cockpit and exterior cushions dry quickly instead of holding moisture and growing mildew. For shaded interior seating we typically use standard open-cell polyurethane foam for comfort. We spec the foam to the location.
Can Johnson cut cushions to fit my hull contours?
Yes. Marine cushions are rarely rectangular. Send us templates, patterns, or the existing cushions and we cut foam and covers to your exact contours, including angled V-berths, curved settees, and radiused cockpit benches. Nothing is forced from a standard size.
How do you prevent mildew in marine cushions?
Three ways. Draining or closed-cell foam so water does not sit in the cushion, mildew-resistant marine fabric treated to resist biological growth, and drainage detailing such as mesh layers and vented corners so trapped water can escape. Cushions that dry out overnight do not grow mildew.
What is the difference between saltwater and freshwater specifications?
Saltwater exposure is significantly harsher. Salt crystallizes in seams and accelerates degradation of thread, hardware, and fabric coatings. For saltwater vessels we default to heavier-gauge marine vinyl, higher UV ratings, and bonded thread throughout. Freshwater vessels have more latitude on fabric choice, though we still recommend marine-grade thread everywhere.
Can you match our existing upholstery for a partial replacement?
Usually yes. Send us a sample swatch or the existing cushion and we will match fabric, color, stitch pattern, and welting as closely as the current market allows. Exact matches depend on whether the original material is still in production, and we tell you upfront if it is not.
What is the lead time for marine upholstery?
Typical lead time is 4 to 6 weeks from template or pattern approval for a standard vessel package. Full interior refits and fleet programs run 6 to 10 weeks depending on scope and material availability. Rush fabrication is available for haul-out windows and season deadlines with an expedite fee.
Does marine reupholstery make sense over replacement?
Frequently. Marine seating frames and bases are often fiberglass or marine plywood that outlast the upholstery by many years. If the base is sound, recovering with new foam and marine vinyl costs a fraction of new seating and preserves the original fit to the vessel. We assess and give an honest recommendation.
Send us the templates. We will cut to fit.
Tell us the vessel, which areas need work, and your haul-out window. We will respond within one business day with a quote, material recommendations by exposure zone, and a realistic schedule.
Come see where it is made.
Every piece is built by hand in our Myrtle Beach facility. Trade partners and purchasing teams are welcome to tour the floor and inspect construction in person.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
8 AM to 5 PM ET
Factory tours by appointment for trade partners and purchasing teams.