Hobie 18 Trampoline

Just bought an 84 H18 and the tramp is shot so I need to replace it. I live in Houston so we do not have any class races right now (working on it!) so for now I was looking at one like this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hobie-18-Cat-Catamaran-Trampoline-Black-Bias-Cut-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem588580d802QQitemZ380196935682QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear but I dont know if the trampoline effects the boat stiffness like the Hobie 16?

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Floyd
00 Tiger
http://www.HobieFleet33.com
10 Mile Surfside, Texas
Join us on our Facebook group: Surfside Sailing

Hi,

Yes it will have some effect on the overall stiffness of a H18 ... just not a much as on the H16 ...

Next you get into the debate of using Non-stretch line (spectra/vectra) vs 1/2" Bungie Cord as your lacing line. The "bungie" is self adjusting and keeps the tramp at a steady tension/loading ... the non-stretch can be tighter initially but needs periodic tightening as the boat flexes/works. Your decision ....

IMHO: If it is not made by Sunrise Yacht Products (Fla- Tampa area) or is not a Hobie "Factory" tramp (Calif) .... PASS .... they make the best quality and longest lasting, all others pale in comparision and are not worth the time or money saved especially when you have to remove, purchase, and re-install replacements sooner.

(Dumb) Questions: How long did the origonal 84' tramp last???? Hhmmmmmmm .... Hobie Class Racing in the future??? Hhmmmm .... Me thinks you need to only decide on a color ....

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

It's resale value as well...

$439.00 for a Hobie Class Legal White Vinyl tramp

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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,

Resale value????

Do you think I'll ever sell my H18????

There's a joke in my family .... I want to be buried like a VIKING .... sent out to sea ... on my H18 !!!

Harry

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

Harry I have been reading up on some of your old post to help me get mine ready for sailing in the Gulf as it can be brutal at times especially the winter it get rough! The boat has an original tramp now it does not look too bad no tears but the hiking strap stitching is shot is there anyway to tell if that tramp is worth getting repaired?

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Floyd
00 Tiger
http://www.HobieFleet33.com
10 Mile Surfside, Texas
Join us on our Facebook group: Surfside Sailing

Hi Floyd,

I had to replace my origonal 1984 MEDIUM BLUE tramp last year .... now I used to keep the boat covered in the backyard so the tramp lasted a long time. But it finally got thin and small tears were the jib sheet blocks rubbed on the tramp .... the medium blue tramps did seem to last the longest though .....

I quess the most obvious sign is when a big tear developes and you fall through .... but mostly I would look at how "brittle" the material is ... UV exposure can really destroy everything over time. I've seen some really threadbare tramps that have been flipped over and re-installed on the opposite sides (mostly h16's) and they last for several more years.

Any tears or rips ... it's time to replace as I haven't really heard of any good way of patching them. But there are some aggressive cements that fix "inflatables" maybe there is some product there that could work.

I had the hiking straps replaced twice on my origonal tramp over the years before on the third time I gave up because I was worried that too many sewing neddle holes would eventually weaken the vinyl material and give a tear a place to start. (And I didn't use them much anyway .... )

I've heard of some people trying the "vinyl reconditioners" from the automotive industry .... but .... then I heard their tramp was so slick that when coming in "off the wire" you just slide out the other side .... zip,zoom ....

So I'm afraid I have no difinitive answer for you .....

Please note, I sail mostly on the Chesapeak Bay or the Atlantic Ocean and there, safety is paramount as a equipment failure can be .... deadly!!! So I am more conservative and replace any part/equipment I think is about to fail. If I was sailing on a small lake were I could just swim ashore (in my PFD) ... I may not be as quick to replace.

If I were to guess ... is that 1984 tramp a "medium blue"??? Have you ever notice posters in store front windows, how they always fade to blue shades/colors. It has some long complicated scientific explination about Sunlight and UV radiation ... wavelengths ... refraction, reflection and obsorption of different wavelengths ... stuff I could (I think) remember before all these grey hairs affected my brain .....

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

Yeah the tramp is medium blue. I just bought the updated rudder castings can I use the old gudgeons by moving the lower one up or should I replace them with the newer one or do the one piece ones?

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Floyd
00 Tiger
http://www.HobieFleet33.com
10 Mile Surfside, Texas
Join us on our Facebook group: Surfside Sailing

Floyd.

It depends on how worn the gudgeons are .... Hopefully yours will come out easily since I'm assuming your boat has been sailed on freshwater.

When I installed my "upgraded" rudder system, I removed the lower gudgeon .... reinstalled it w/ the "lower" holes in the gudgeon aligned w/ the pre-existing "upper" holes .... marked the new "upper" hole locations carefully .... removed the gudgeon .... then started w/ a small drill bit to drill a pilot hole ... then enlarged the hole w/ larger drill bits .... until I could use a "tap" to create threads in the aluminum plate using a "tap" .... then I applied "Anti-seize compound to the threads .... and re-installed the gudgeon.

I would suggest the following ....
1) Use new SS Rudder Pins (Murray's has hollow pins that are the strongest lightest availible
2) Use/install new bushings in the rudder casting ..... buy and keep extras on hand
3) Install a 3/8" SS Flat washer between the top of the upper gudgeon and the lower casting as it sits on the upper gudgeon
4) From your pic's .... your rudder blades need to be re-coated ... that to has been discussed extensively here on this forum .... a straightforward easy job ... But those EPOv1's you have are good blades and are worthwhile fixing ...(replacement EPOv2's are +$400/ea!!!!! any other Hobie rudder blades are not stiff enough for the H18 as they deflect/bend under load). Shim the blades so that the blades are snug in the rudder castings ... you can use pieces of plastic milk jugs or H16 Mast wafers if you need something thicker.
5) Install the Miricle/H20 Tiller Connectoe Upgrade Kit ... it will allow you to easily take the rudders off/on to store out of the sunlight and removes alot of the slop in the rudder system

That will get you started ... and you will have a nice tight rudder system ...

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

Floyd,

Also ... research my old posts about filling the plastic rudder cams w/ Marine Tex. To remove the rudder cams from your new castings you can drill the rivets out ... or ... you can cut the pin/rivet out w/ a hacksaw by cutting straight down from the top, lift the cam out, and using a drift pin/punch you can drive the pieces out.

Considering all the times I've seen/heard of people ruining the casting trying to drill that pin/rivet out I would suggest the hacksaw method ... its a slower method but basically foolproof ....

Get the "Amorphic" stud replacement kit which will include new rudder cams ... after the first time you only will need the cams .... get extras, fill them and keep them in your spare parts box .... (I keep one or two extra sets in my spare parts)

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

LMAO!! The gulf snapped that boat like a twig in rough seas. So I bought a Tiger and it sailed great but the set up time was miserable. I also bought a Getaway but its lame compared to the H18. Yesterday I ended up buying the H18 Bryan had for sale in Colorado. The tramp on this one is the light blue it is soft but the hiking strap stitching looks like its reaching its end of life. I came here to do some research and hit the twilight zone when I saw this post. So I guess I should know the answer on replacing or repairing my trampoline by now.

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Floyd
00 Tiger
http://www.HobieFleet33.com
10 Mile Surfside, Texas
Join us on our Facebook group: Surfside Sailing

Hi Floyd, if you would like the best H18 trampoline design on the planet, check out my boats own Facebook page via the link in the footer below. It’s not class legal but it is class awesome.

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John Forbes
Hobie 18 Reimagined
Sail # 490
Boat name: 18@heart
http://www.hobie18.fun
https://www.facebook.com/Hobie18catamaran/

I just cruised your Facebook Hobie 18 porn page - thanks! Great ideas for mods and techniques.