Vinyl Tramp Repair - how to weld?

My hobie mesh tramp has a 6 inch tear, but I want it to last a bit longer.

How do you weld a patch onto it?

Short of welding (what, with a clothes iron??) I'm at a loss except for a ton of 5200 and heavy duty stitching....

Hopefully someone more knowledgable than I will chime in, but I believe Hobie tramps are "radio frequency" welded...a process that only works well on new vinyl. Clothes iron won't work. Your best bet for a short-term fix would be to have a patch stitched on...but you are really better off putting the repair cost toward the new tramp. One of those deals...

C M Sailor is right, the welding is done by a radio frequency.....so unless you have access to one of those machines and the operator, try a patch (both below and above the tear), and glue the edges with epoxy to hold in place, and some zig zag stitching with a UV thread.

Within one season, you'll realize that the best thing to do is to buy another tramp....don't ask how I know.

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2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

I had about a 6 inch tear in the mesh tramp just inside the welded area. I used West Epoxy, fiberglass cloth and or carbon fiber. It lasted for about a season & a half. Cheap fix to get you through, but it is time to save up & get a Hobie Tramp.

BTW: The Hobie tramp was over 20 years old. Aftermarket tramps might last 3 years.... Don't ask me how I know..

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1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

dale.vanlopik"at"att"dot"net

I have a non-hobie tramp, virtually new.

And I have two Hobie tramps, both are rather old.
one is mesh with a tear, another is solid vinyl, real old and brittle, with no straps.

so to get me through 5 days of sailing at the north americans I'll patch the mesh, and put straps on the solid one... and save the hobie tramps for then... should be piece of cake for 5 days.

otherwise weekend warrior sailing and friday night races will be with the other cheapo tramp.

great tips, thanks much.

Welding doesn't work when the tramp is used anyway. Causes the welder to arch and burn, so we never do welds for repairs. Stitching is the answer. Any upholstery shop can do that.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)