Tramp Tightening

I am putting a new tramp on and am not sure how tight to pull it. Right now I think it's too tight and seems to be bending my sidebars too much. Can anyone give me any "rules of thumb" on the proper tension of a new tramp? If it matters, my tramp is solid vinyl.


Any help will be appreciated.

I had always heard that you can NEVER tighten a H16 tramp too tightly! But actuallyl, I heard that a rule of thumb is that the side bars should bend in about 1/2 inch or so.

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H16
#67526

Avlahcevic,
Thank you for the info. I was worried mine was too tight.

Thank you after reading this i realzed my tramp is too loose. but after looking at it I dont think the rope could handle any more tightening What kinda rope do you sugest for replacing the tramp rope.??

Thank You
Josh

i use polypropylene rope!! you know, that yellow stuff they sell in the hardware store for 29 cents a foot!! it's light, doesn't hold water and it actually lasts a long time. best part is you can do the whole boat for under $1.87!!!! the only drawback (which i think is true for a lot of ropes) is that it will stretch and you will probably want to tighten it once during the first season of use.

Hi,

This is how I fitted my Tramp.

1. Clean all the tramp tracks

2. Lube them and the tramp with dishwashing liquid

3. Using your mainsheet around the sidebars, sheet in until you have 1 - 1 1/2 inches inward deflection.

4. Measure your tramp frame diagonally to make sure the frame is square.

5. Fit tramp and firmly tighten tramp

6. Slowly release the mainsheet

7. Walk on the tramp to get the tramp seated in the tracks

8. Check the tightness, if not enough go back to Step 3

Good Luck

Nige

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Nigel Human
H17 #6424
[email protected]
Hobie Fleet 929

Blocks are the way to go. Much easier.

Before side to side, tighten fore to aft. Block the front and rear cross bars (I use the jib sheet under the tramp frame overlapping on top. Tie with a non-jamming knot). Get the rear cross bar so that it deflects about 1/4 to 3/8", no more.

Make a wood wedge out of someting like a disposable foam paint brush handle (any piece of wood). Whittle the end acutley sharp (just use a belt sander if you have one) to fit. Pull the tramp line one gromet at a time wedging the piece of wood into the gromet against the line so when you release the tension it grabs the line. I use vise grips to pull...it saves your hands. Make sure to get all the wrinkles out along the side bar.

Now do the side bars as you describe. I think 1-1/2" is a little too much. 1" should be fine unless you're using very stretchy line.

Jon

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Sail Fast, Take Chances.

Do a search on this to satisfy as much doubt as you can. I just did my new tramp around a week ago. I took a 4 inch wide freight ratchet strap and pulled the sidebars in 2 inches (2 inches recomended by some on this site). I then laced the tramp tightly ( not white nuckle tight, just tight) using a large tapered brass punch as a line stop in the grommets (worked unbelievably well). Once I let the ratchet loose the side bars relaxed almost an inch. With both the tramp and the lines being new everything should stretch even more. I then poured some beer on it because tramps like beer poured on them .

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1981 H16.
1993 Macgregor 26S

OOOPPPSSS!!! Didn't realize this post originated in 2003!!!!! I guess they figured it out by now.

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1981 H16.
1993 Macgregor 26S

My bad, too. Saw the link in another thread & didn't notice the date.

Oh well. Tamp tightening is always relevant if you own an H16.

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Sail Fast, Take Chances.

You are right it is always relevant. We just aquired a new-to-us Hobie 16 that needs a new tramp. I have printed this thread out for reference. The new tramp should be here next week.

If you havent already finished the job here is some info that may help.

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewt ... ht=prebend

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07 H16
Sail No. 110387

Thanks for the link. No, we haven't done it yet. I think that will be our Labor Day weekend project...providing the new tramp I ordered gets here in time.

Even though we have owned two Hobies before, this will be the first time we have had to do this.

I use the ratchet straps I hold the boat to the trailer with to tighten the tramp and lace with 3/8 shock cord. The shock cord only lasts one season but it stays tight.

rjack22, First off I'm brand spank'n new to this stuff but this was my experience. There are all kinds of different ways and devices to prebend the side rails. With trailering our Manx type Dune Buggy we have those BIG cargo ratchet straps and they worked almost efforlessly in prebending. As stated before we prebent 2 inches. here was MY measurements taken in the middle inside to inside of the rails.
(1) With old tramp between 82.25-82.50 inches.
(2) Old tramp removed---same
(3) New tramp right after installation and ratchet strap removed 81.25 inches.
(4) Measured just now 81 9/16's...Thats with no use and sitting just over a week.

I used 1/4 halyard and with the use of a large tapered brass punch as a line stop (once line is snugged UP through grommet insert line stop DOWN into said grommet to hold line from slacking), laced her up.

So in my experience the 2 inch prebend I learned from others on this site was the magic number. These dudes know their doo doo!

I hope your tramp gets in on time. Ours took 5 weeks being we ordered it mid summer.

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1981 H16.
1993 Macgregor 26S