Boat Bedding: Making a Template for a New Mattress

October 8, 2026

by Stacey at Sea Swag Custom Boat Bedding

Considering replacing the mattress for your berths? While you’re putting your boat away, you can get ready for next season by making a template to use in discussion with a supplier at the winter boat show or even order via email.  Once your boat is buried under snow and a tarp, it’s too late. Now’s the time.

Here’s what you need:  1 sheet of plastic, pins, BLACK Sharpie and a RED Sharpie.

To create the template:

1: Remove the existing mattress from the berth and lay it on a flat surface, top of mattress facing up.

2: Lay the plastic on the top of the mattress and use pins every 12-24” to secure it.

3: Use the BLACK SHARPIE to trace around the top edge of the mattress, following the cording or seam (stay

on the inside of the cording). Make sure to not trace too large, to ensure your new mattress fits in your berth.

4: Inside of your tracing, use the BLACK SHARPIE to write:

–

“HEAD” on the end you place your pillows, and “FOOT” on the other end.

– “MATTRESS FACING UP”

– Indicate the THICKNESS of the existing mattress

– Write your NAME, BOAT MAKE, MODEL & YEAR

– Indicate PORT & STARBOARD sides of mattress

– If there are angles on the sides of the mattress, please indicate which sides with arrows and the word ANGLE. If you don’t indicate an angle, we will determine that there is no angle, and the mattress will be made with all edges straight up and down.

STEPS 5 – 9 ARE ONLY APPLICABLE IF YOUR MATTRESS HAS ANGLES ALONG THE SIDES.

5: Remove the pins and plastic. Turn the MATTRESS over.

6: Make sure the black ink is dry and turn the plastic over. This is key – the writing should now be facing the

bottom of the mattress. Line it up with the sides of the mattress that DO NOT have angles. Pin it again.

7. Use ONLY the RED SHARPIE when working on the underside of the mattress.

8. Write “BOTTOM OF MATTRESS”

9. Trace ONLY the angled edges using the RED SHARPIE

10. PLEASE ENSURE to trim all excess plastic away by cutting the template out along the BLACK line.

your template

You can call Sea Swag Custom Boat Bedding Inc. if you have any questions at all during the process. Call Stacey at 519-903-3303 or Ashley at 519-819-5323.

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