I wanted to take a moment to comment about using my Sailrite sewing machine to make the V berth mattress.  We bought this machine a little over a year ago and I have been doing small projects (forward hatch awning, fender covers, cockpit cushions for the dingy) to get the feel of the new tool.  The Vberth mattress was the first large scale project for my new tool.

I am a practiced sewer and have a sturdy Singer machine.  For projects of this weight, having the Sailrite was definitely beneficial.  The bottom seam of the mattress was one layer of upholstery weight cotton and one layer of marine grade vinyl.  The top seam was one layer of the same cotton plus the original cover from the IKEA mattress - which is two layers of quilting and two layers of heavy cotton.  Without any adjustments the Sailrite sewed through both flawlessly.

One think I have noticed with the walking foot of the Sailrite machine it is very important to feed the fabric in the line you want sewn.  The walking foot diligently keeps the trajectory of the fabric you present.  If you present a crooked line, it sews a crooked line and it takes more stitches to bring it back on line that a regular machine.