Making for a comfortable ride

Deepa Bharath

A boat to its owner is a safe haven, a comfort zone in the high seas.

Bob Kosoy helps make it a lot more comfortable.

The 51-year-old long-time Costa Mesa resident has owned his store,

Costa Mesa Foam and Fabric, for the last 31 years. It makes boat

cushions in addition to an array of upholstery for interiors.

Kosoy’s company custom-designs the cushions for Newport-Mesa

boaters and those in other parts of the West Coast.

The job does pose challenges, he said.

“There is no square corner in a boat,” Kosoy said. “Everything

needs to be measured. There is a lot more intricate detail involved.”

Kosoy uses a variety of fabric, from leather and suede to canvas.

“We also do a range of designs,” he said. “Some of it is just

plain while some others have a bright, tropical feel to it. It all

depends on what our customers want.”

In most cases, customers send pictures and patterns.

“Each job is unique,” Kosoy said. “The key is to choose the right

fabric.”

His most recent job was an order for 12 cushions for a Hampton 55.

“We ended up using imitation leather, which has a better feel than

regular leather,” Kosoy said. “They are more pliable too. But making

them was a lot of work since we had to do them from scratch.”

Kosoy’s busy time as far a boat cushions go is from January to

May.

“That’s when people are going to boat shows and getting ideas,” he

said. “This is the time when people are trying to get their boats

ready for the summer.”

Kosoy enjoys his job, he says.

“I like being able to get out there to the harbor and see a

variety of boats,” he said. “I meet the owners, show them the fabric

samples and help determine what would be the best choice for them.”

The size of the boat doesn’t matter, Kosoy said.

“Whether it’s a 16-foot Boston Whaler or a 150-foot luxury yacht,

it doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “The job is the same. The fabrics

are the same. Cushions are cushions.”

Orange Coast Yachts has been Kosoy’s long-standing customer.

“We’re happy with what they provide us with,” said the general

manager Jim McLaren. “They seem to have access to a large supply of

fabric. We can always find whatever we want.”