I have a new Sunrise bias cut Tramp to install on my 2004 Nacra 570 and I've never done one before. If anyone has any suggestions for tools or technigues to use to get it tight and laced up please pass along. It has the rod slot along the aft of the tramp that laces to the rear beam.

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Steve - Texas Gulf Coast

91 Mystere 5.0 (sold)
04 Nacra 570 (sold)
08 Hobie Wave
00 Taipan 4.9
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get some thin amsteel / dyneema / vectran or whatever 'cause the thin stuff is pretty cheap and has near zero strech (minimal) with a 1400lb breaking strength... because it's such small diameter you can REALLY get it snug around the radius turns in the grommets.

tie a bowline or something to the first hole in the tramp..
get some vicegrips and rubber cement some rubber or nonabrasive on the jaws
put your trap harness on
lace 1 or 2 holes, wrap the excess line on your trap harness hook and LEAN out...
have a buddy clamp the line in the vice grips...
release tension, lace 1 or 2 more holes, repeat...

sucker WILL be tight.

but don't go nuts, watch that you're not pulling grommets out, or the tramp from the bolt rope, feed, whatever-u-call-it



Edited by robpatt on Apr 22, 2013 - 02:10 PM.

Tie an overhand knot in the middle of your lacing line. Thread the line up though the centermost grommet on either the tramp or lace strip side, so that the knot is underneath the grommet. Now continue lacing that side to the end using Rob's technique:

robpatt

get some vicegrips and rubber cement some rubber or nonabrasive on the jaws
put your trap harness on

Now repeat on the other side. I ended up tightening both sides a second time due to the bias cut, but they have since held tight for two seasons.



Edited by klozhald on Apr 22, 2013 - 02:19 PM.

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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Or buy borrow or rent a tramp tightening tool. They make the work so easy. JMHO, Ricardo.

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Lake Perry KS
H-18
N-5.5 UNI +spin
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FWIW I found that starting at one end of the beam on my 5.7 led to the boat not being "square".
What we found to be dead nuts easy is to use 3 carpenter bar clamps. Place one in the middle & one at each end, hooking the tube that goes through the tramp, & the beam between the jaws. Snug up the middle clamp first, then the end ones. Gradually tighten each one, in sequence, sort of like doing lug nuts on a wheel. Make them a wee bit tighter than you would want the tramp.
Now lace your no-stretch line,( I use New England Rope V-12 Vectran. I went with 4mm instead of 3mm only because it was easier to hand pull the thicker line, & only 10 cents more) pulling it tight by hand. You don't need to worry about reefing on it, or holding anything, as the clamps are doing all the work. You won't be able to pull it quite as tight as you want by hand, that's why you overtightened it slightly with the clamps. Tie off the bitter end, remove the clamps, & crack a beer. This beats any method, or tool I have seen described.
This method is a one man job, & can be done by a one armed sailor, or a two armed sailor who refuses to put down his Munchen Paulaner Octoberfest brewski! (Christ, I was there 2 weeks ago, they now sell it in 1 Litre "oil cans", things can get out of hand fast!
IF you decide you want to tighten things partway through the season, just re-apply the clamps, then undo the knot & pull a bit tighter & retie.
I think your 570 uses "buttons", my older 5.7 has the track slugs. Just make sure the line you use is not to thick for the buttons, & if you have slugs, remember, it has to go through each slug twice.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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Quote

What we found to be dead nuts easy is to use 3 carpenter bar clamps. Place one in the middle & one at each end, hooking the tube that goes through the tramp, & the beam between the jaws. Snug up the middle clamp first, then the end ones. Gradually tighten each one, in sequence, sort of like doing lug nuts on a wheel. Make them a wee bit tighter than you would want the tramp.
Now lace your no-stretch line,( I use New England Rope V-12 Vectran. I went with 4mm instead of 3mm only because it was easier to hand pull the thicker line, & only 10 cents more) pulling it tight by hand. You don't need to worry about reefing on it, or holding anything, as the clamps are doing all the work. You won't be able to pull it quite as tight as you want by hand, that's why you overtightened it slightly with the clamps. Tie off the bitter end, remove the clamps, & crack a beer.

Brilliant!

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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Yea, I like the bar clamp concept. I'm going to check to see if I can make that work for me but my rod may line up too far under the beam? Not familiar with track slugs so I guess I have buttons. Thanks for the suggestions.

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Steve - Texas Gulf Coast

91 Mystere 5.0 (sold)
04 Nacra 570 (sold)
08 Hobie Wave
00 Taipan 4.9
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Quote

I'm going to check to see if I can make that work for me but my rod may line up too far under the beam?

Not quite sure what you mean Steve. The rod has to be in front of the beam, in order for line tension to work. I think the 570 is pretty much the same setup, only you use buttons, instead of my older system of "D" slugs that slide in a track,(same track as what holds the bolt rope on the front of the tramp.

There are several permutations of this system. Obviously, if you have steel clamps, you want to place some sort of padding between the clamp & the beam.
If you only have the short clamps, or a beam system that is not conducive to hooking one jaw over the beam, you can place a loop of old line around the beam, & hook the jaw into that.
I don't have any photos of it, I'll take some this spring & post them. When experimenting with this system, we tried using a bunch of clamps, one for each loop of the line. This was overkill, although even a child could securely lace the line. Four are probably ideal, it depends on how stiff the tramp tube is.

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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The Inter's, which I am assuming is similar to a 570, use a rod that lines up basically under the rear beam. The lacing goes around rivets on the back of the beam. I use a pair of vise grips.

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Greenville SC

Offering sails and other go fast parts for A-class catamarans
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Quote

The Inter's, which I am assuming is similar to a 570, use a rod that lines up basically under the rear beam. The lacing goes around rivets on the back of the beam.

Yes this is the way my 570 is designed so I don't think the clamp option will work.

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Steve - Texas Gulf Coast

91 Mystere 5.0 (sold)
04 Nacra 570 (sold)
08 Hobie Wave
00 Taipan 4.9
--

The tramp tightness IMO on these boats is not as critical to bow stiffness as the older boats. Any pair of pliers will work. Your going to want to do it several more times anyways, after you do it this first time it will be loose after the first sail.

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Greenville SC

Offering sails and other go fast parts for A-class catamarans
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