Hello, I recently bought an old Hobie mech tramp for my 18. It's in fine shape but it does have some sun damage.

My question is, can I fix this? I was thinking of dyeing it with black dye, or painting it with black laytex or something.

Any ideas, or am I going to ruin it if I try anything.

if it has UV damage... make sure it will not fail (rip). you do NOT want it ripping on you while you are stepping the mast. Imagine falling through it, breaking your legs on the trailor below....

i bet $400 for a new tramp is much less than a trip to the ER, casting, months in crutches, rehab and pain and suffering.

http://www.multihullnets.com/

Mesh tramps once sun damaged like you describe are soon history due to an appendage or two ripping through at a most inconvenient time. (Like a day with lots of guests all of whom want a ride.) Some things are better purchased new,

The guy who owned my current boat (2 owners ago) had a "spent" tramp and used it anyway. He took his family out on the boat after it was in a lot, in the sun for 2 years. When he tried to lower the centerboards... the hornets that had made a home in the centerboard wells attacked him and his family. As they scrambled around the boat, they all fell through the tramp... LUCKY they were in shallow waters.

The guy sold the boat 20 minutes later on the beach to an onlooker (whom I bought the boat from).

This is a "best case" scenario for a tramp failure... I would equate it to your floor boards in your car falling out as you drive down the highway

Well, I hope it's not that weak. I messed with it and it seems to be in decent shape, just some sun damage. I tried sticking my fingers through it.

In any event, I guess there isn't a way to get it back to black?

if it is faded.. it is UV degraded.
Try jumping up and down on it... wear ice skates.... see if it will rip!