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Tightening your tramp?

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Zanmato

Post subject: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 1:41 pm

Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2011 1:31 pm
Posts: 2

Hi I was just wondering if you guys had any advice as to how to go about tightening your tramp. Mine has gotten fairly loose after a while and it seems it is time to tighten it down, just not quite sure how to go about it.

All advice would be helpful.

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fastcat

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 12:24 pm

Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 12:36 pm
Posts: 788
Location: Tri-Cities, WA

I had a second set of grommets added to the centerline and laced it independently of factory set. Then alternated tightening between them two to three times from below the tramp. I got a good tight tramp without fear of pulling out a grommet and the added safety factor of double cordage. :wink:

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xanderwess

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 1:32 pm

Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 9:57 am
Posts: 1627
Location: Clear Lake Iowa

Hobie has a tramp tightening tool that is pretty awesome, you pretty much have to tighten the thing a couple times a season unless you use really high quality rope. Otherwise, plan on doing it a few times a year.

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mmiller

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 3:18 pm

Site Admin

Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
Posts: 15036
Location: Oceanside, California

We don't have a tramp tightening tool anymore, but the keys are...

New line. Old line gets stiff and is hard to tension with the kinks set in the line at each grommet turn. Then second...

Using the main sheet blocks to bend the sidebars in during lacing. It's quick and it's easy. Especially when rigging 60 boats at a time.

Quote:

Better than that...

On a 14 or 16 you can "pre-bend" the sidebars before tensioning the center lace. We do not use double grommets down the center and get tight tramps without a huge effort.

Use the mainsheet system. Lay the blocks and line on the tramp "unsheeted" from side to side bar... in the center. Add a line to the base of the blocks that can reach around the sidebar, under the tramp and meet the top block. Tie off. Pad the side bars with some cardboard where the line goes around the sidebars. Sheet the system to bend the sidebars in by over 1". We sheet till the tramp gets a little pucker shape along the sidebar. Cleat the blocks and tighten the tramp using moderate tension. Using the vise grips, dowell or just holding the line at each grommet as you go. Tension the aft lace last and then release the block set.

We use this system and get over 1-2 inches of prebend in the bars for over 1 inch after releasing.

Worst loads on a grommet are during tensioning each one... this saves effort and grommets.

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Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
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ET Hobie guy

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 7:18 pm

Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:33 pm
Posts: 299
Location: Lindale, Texas

You can use a wooden dowel with one end whittled down to a taper. Use pliers to pull the line tight beginning at the first grommet. Jam the dowel in the grommet to hold the tension on the line then move to the next grommet and pull line with pliers Remove the dowel and jam into the next grommet. Alternate sides and continue to the end. Actually, I think I used a pair of vise grips to clamp down on the line at the grommet and hold the tension.

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Zanmato

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 7:23 pm

Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2011 1:31 pm
Posts: 2

Much appreciated! I will try this as soon as I can. Will post again on how it goes.

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Tallguy1

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:50 pm

Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:48 pm
Posts: 276
Location: Boston Ma / Newport RI

If you use 2-3 dowels and a pair of old gloves, you don't even need vice grips. Just put some tension on the line, leap frog the dowels and keep adding tension. I didnt even pretension the side bars and I got nice 1 1/2" bend in the side rail.

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Blair T

I love these calm moments before the storm, it reminds me of Beethoven...

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ingasguns

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:14 am

Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 2:24 pm
Posts: 46
Location: milwaukee,wi

i use thesehttp://s599.photobucket.com/albums/tt73/sepress/hobie%2018/
this series of pics is showing tearing the boat down this fall but, once laced up in the spring you can see that a "hand over hand" "leap frog" action can tighten quite effectively. all from the ground at the back of the boat

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Tom King

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:53 pm

Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:32 am
Posts: 424
Location: Lake Gaston, NC

I just always did it with my hands. You have many times the mechanical advantage against a line perpendicular to it's lengh, much like pulling up a halyard on a big boat. Run the line through all the grommets. Starting at the front hold the line as it comes out of the second right tramp grommet with your left hand, and pull with your right perpendicular to the line as it goes from the first on the right back to the next one on the left. Quickly take up the slack with your left hand as you ease off the tension with your right. Do the same all the way back. It's much quicker than using a tool.

You have to be careful on the back that you don't put too much tension on one side first, so it's better to make two quick passes across the back.

This method probably doesn't work too well if you have soft hands.

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Tim H16

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 8:40 pm

Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 1:20 pm
Posts: 493
Location: Clearwater, FL

I made a 10" wide by 12" tall Tee out of 1 1/2" PVC pipe and a 1 1/2" socket Tee with a slot cut across the base of the tee. I place the slotted part of this tool on the tramp line near one end and then twist the tee handle to put tension on the line and then clamp the line/grommet with a vise grip. I then move the tee and tighten the next section before moving the vice grip. One person can easily do this for the whole tramp.

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84 H16
82 H16
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Last edited by Tim H16 on Wed May 19, 2021 1:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Burley Burlando

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:19 am

Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 5:17 pm
Posts: 119
Location: Saskatoon , Sk

We have heard that Kegals work wonders to tighten a loose tramp.

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I wish winter was not so long in Sask. Canada. It's hard to sail on ice! 1984 16' hobie cat Sail# 84848

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J_Eaton

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:41 am

Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:04 am
Posts: 818
Location: Clinton Lake Kansas

I've done this every way imaginable and come to the conclusion that if you pre-bend the side rails with the main sheet, you can sufficiently tighten the lacing with your hands...works like a charm.
No need to fool with dowels and vice grips, or other giz-willies, as the difference will be minimal
(save those specialty tools for boats other than the 14 and 16).
Doing this with the boat off the trailer and on the grass is very helpful.
Also, will only take about half the time with two people :wink:

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www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

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TexKat

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 4:51 pm

Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 12:35 pm
Posts: 128
Location: Houston, USA

Tallguy1 wrote:

This has worked same for me for decades. If using shock cord (Ido), vice grips can damage the sheathing.

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J_Eaton

Post subject: Re: Tightening your tramp?

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 6:34 pm

Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:04 am
Posts: 818
Location: Clinton Lake Kansas

TexKat wrote:

Tallguy1 wrote:

This has worked same for me for decades. If using shock cord (Ido), vice grips can damage the sheathing.

and what I'm saying is by pre-bending the rails, all you're doing is taking the slack out of the line, much less energy spent. First time you do it this way, when releasing the main sheet, you'd expect the rails to move out a 1/2" or more...but they don't.
Exception being using shock cord. I've only cut shock cord off an old tramp, never put new on.

An alternative to using the main sheet is a ratcheting trailer tie down strap.

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www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

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