Matt Miller, please build me a turquoise wing tramp set

My dealer has checked with the factory and only the main is available. If hobie has the fabric, could you build the wing tramps with turquoise mesh to complement the full sailboat set please ?

The wing tramps are only built in Black. To make the item available at a reasonable cost and keep inventory on the shelf, we have to make product in larger runs. We can not justify a one off custom tramp. Sorry.

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

Matt are they still offering gray tramps in Australia?

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1992 Hobie Cat 18 #16943
Hobie Fleet 198, Rapid City, SD

Matt,

How many Tramps or Wings sets do you need ordered so the order is no long a "custom one off"???

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

I´m sure they would eventually sell if made in gray or turquoise. These boats are likely to be around for a long time as owners take good care of them and new tramps always be in demand. Besides, if you have the fabric how hard is it to build a set ?

Al,

I tried for Medium Blue as I have the same problem w/ my H18Magnum. I've been careful to keep my H18 in matching colors (and looking good) for 25 yrs. I feel it is a reflection of me and indirectly of the Hobie Cat Company ..... but no luck in dealing w/ Hobie Cat Company. It makes me wonder how I'm going to answer all the questions I recieve from complete strangers who approach me on some beach and start asking me about my boat and how they can get into the sport.

And since I race in some HCA-NA events I'm suppose to have a Hobie manufactured/supplied tramp ....

Now my niece saw the white tramp that I'm putting on the H18 the other night and I quote: "Uncle Harry, that doesn't match ... the blue (med) looked better and matched the wings" My responce was, "a med blue tramp is no longer availble from Hobie". She thought for a few moments then asked/replied " Why don't we sail the Prindle (P-19MX that is sitting beside my H18 in the backyard) this year, its already to go right ????" ... and this is from a 14yr old .... and the P19MX IS ready to sail!!!! So want do I tell her????

Now since Hobie does not seem to understand how important it is to us the boatowners to keep our boats looking nice and not some mis-match collection of spare parts .... and do not make wing covers at all, I will have no option but to call SUNRISE YACHT PRODUCTS located near Tampa Florida and order a matching set of H18 Tramp and Wing Covers.

And I can't wait for that protest hearing ..... because I will take no prisoners and I will lay the blame where it lays .... w/ Hobie who will not supply the parts that I want/need but the IHCA sets the rules that I must use Hobie supplied parts (that are in-correct IMHO)

What a un-needed mess just so Hobie can reduce their inventory .....

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

Cue the tiny violin player....

Personally I would rather see Hobie Cat stay in business(make money) and continue making this sport fun, then carry a lot of dead inventory. Harry do you use colored sails? What would happen if you had to replace a jib? Sail colors change every year and you might not be able to get a jib of the same color pattern.

Hobie is still making black tramps, and probably always will. However you bring up a good "Class Legal" question. To the Hobie rule gods: How do you stay class legal with a part that Hobie no longer makes? (eg. Wing tramps.) Is it then Class Legal to buy an aftermarket part?

This was a question that started to bug me after the announcement that the H18 would no longer be made. How many of one part needs to be ordered before Hobie will make a run of a discontinued part? Matt M that question was for you.

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1992 Hobie Cat 18 #16943
Hobie Fleet 198, Rapid City, SD

This IS the problem... they sit on the shelf for too many YEARS. We had not sold a Turquoise wing tramp since 2007. We had not built them since 2006... and that was a very short run. More SKUs are a problem for production, dealers inventories and dead non moving stock. We have to thin out the options to justify continued production on slow moving items, so we can keep inventory on the shelf. Look, black was the ONLY option for many, many years. We are just back to that. This is the same reason why we don't build more than two colors of sails for the 16... why there is only one option for sails on several models.

And again... yes we do still build black mesh wing covers for the SX wings (68040255 WING TRAMP SX/21 SET BLK... in stock) , but not for a "Magnum" style wing that was only built for a few years back in the mid 80's. We have not had Magnum tramps for at least 10-15 years.

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

Matt, notice my post is previous to my email reply where I pledge to cease my persistence in this matter. I´ll for sure let Hobie decide its business decisions. I was only looking-- if possible--for a little customer satisfaction. Being that the turquoise mesh tramps are the best sellers on the new generation boats, I never imagined they are bad sellers for 18´s.

I still think that wing covers being what they are with no heat welding involved (I think not sure), that you might be able to sell me the fabric so I can have them made myself in order to have a matching set. I would get the mains from Hobie with their excellent quality.

We could run some turquoise if we had a dozen orders. Can't see that happening since we have not sold a dozen of this color in how many years?... never.

We have been through this discussion before about discontinued boats. It is a difficult decision, but one that has to make sense on a business level. This one is pretty straight forward. Color is not critical... but having the actual part available is. Part of my job is to keep parts on the shelf. If I offer too many options, it is very difficult to manage. We end up back ordering too often when the sales cycle is so slow on an item and we run out. We are currently running at a historic LOW level of back orders, so for the most part... what we offer... is in stock. That is a good thing.

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

I'd gladly sell the material if that will help. We do heat weld these, but you can also stitch. Contact your dealer and we will work something out.

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

Matt,

Respectfully ... COLOR DOES MATTER!!!!

I will never never never .... put a black tramp on my H18 .... and that must have been a very long time ago when "only" black tramps were offered ... I have "HotLines and Catalogs" going back to 1983/84 with various colors offered in my Library.

( Note: My P19 HAD a black tramp on it when I purchased it used in 1991 .... damn hottest tramp I ever sat on!!!!! When I ordered a replacement from Sunrise Yacht Products guess what color I ordered .... MEDIUM BLUE ... because .... IT WAS COOLER (in Tempurature!!!!).

I've also had several dealers tell me that the "Medium Blue " was the most popular color ever sold w/ a H18 when I was looking for a replacement last year.

Oh, Let's just take a quick look at the 2008-09 Hobie Parts Catalog ..... mmmm what do I see Black Mesh ... Turquoise Blue ... and what's this??? ... BLUE MESH for the Wave , H16, Getaway ... but nothing for the H18!!!! except Black and solid white vinyl.

So you do have the material ..... but you will not be bothered make the parts!!!!

And do you know what else you know have???? .... A very pissed off customer!!!!

So how do you expect to sell me on a Wildcat for example???? What about all the hours and hours I have "donated" as a Hobie Salesman talking to people, taking them for rides ... etc, etc

You need to either produce the parts ... or talk to your boss Mr Doug Skidmore and his partners on the IHCA and get the One-Design rules changed .... make a decision as you can not have it both ways ... (my experience w/ the IHCA ... it's easier to make the parts ......)

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

Harry, that is previous to the H18s having wings, so I don't think so. We built with minimal options for many years. Sorry Harry, we just can't do it all, but we do offer them in a few (original) options still.

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

Matt,

What will be , will be ....

But you may wish to check your records .... in late 82 (Nov?) I bought my first Hobie ... a H16/ Sail # 572 (McGibbons Sails) and raced that at the "Hobie Beach" at 122st in Stone Harbor NJ. during the summer of 1983. Over that winter Dr Baeur bought a H18Magnum w/ Blue Hawaii Sails (West Coast Catamaran) and "Moluki" stripes, that was my first ride on a H18Magnum (1984).... I fell in love and wanted a H18Magnum .... that next spring (1985) I purchased a H18/Sail #9458 w/ "Blue Hawaii" Sails and finally the next year (1986) I purchased the matching Magnum Wings w/ Med Blue Wing Covers. The H18SX came after the "Comp-Tip" reto-fit because most of us had the masts cut and comp-tips installed ... then the SX came out when none of us could have up-graded to the SX because of our masts now being too short. Thats when the SX Wings where introduced but Magnum Wings were availible for a year or two more .... inventory in stock ?????? So I believe Magnum Wings were availible from (at the latest) sometime in 1983 through approximently 1989, maybe the early 1990's.

That was a sunset sail to remember on Dr Baeur's H18Mag, w/ a onshore breeze, us sitting on the starboard wing, the H18 just smoothly reaching along, the sun setting behind the hotels ... and a 6-pack of bottled 12oz "Hienies".

So it's no big deal .... when the Magnum Wings were introduced ....I quess I've been sailing Hobies for just too long .....

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11