Hi All - I have a question about rigging for the Trap Shock cords. I just installed a 2nd trap on my Nacra 5.2. It only had the trap for crew and I have now added trap for the helm as well. The shock cord for the crew runs through the forward metal beam. I tried this same setting for the helm, but the shock cord running through the aft beam interferes with the tiller quite a bit. I then ran it under the tramp, but because I have not gromets in the tramp I was only able to bring the shock cord forward about 12 inches. It helps, but it's still really very much in the way. I plan to do some tramp retrofitting, but want to wait until the off-season which isn't until November here in Santa Barbara. In the meantime, I was wondering if there is a underlying reason behind using one piece of shock cord connecting the traps on each side of the boat. Would it be possible to connect a short line of shock cord to pre-existing ubolts fastened to the outside aspect of each hull. The placement is much more forward and would be a perfect place. The only potential issue is that each trap wire is connected to it's own small shock cord and not connected to each other via a long run underneath the tramp. Any problems with this setup?
Thanks,
Scott
Santa Barbara, CA
Nacra 5.2
The problem with a short shock cord is that you have very limited stretch available. The cord needs to have some tension on it initially, as that's what keeps the trap line & dogbone from flapping around. You need enough stretch for the dogbone to move with you once you are fully hiked out. You also want to be able to move fore/aft on the boat while still hooked up.
While hooked up you need tension on the cord, as that is what keeps the dogbone pulled up against the hook on your harness, otherwise every time you moved inwards, the hook would detach.
My wife came onto the boat once, stood fully up, then went back out, boy did she get a surprise!
You need to run on under the tramp just aft of the daggers. A shock cord through the rear beam is only useful as a chicken line.
Get yourself a brass spur grommet kit (make sure they are spur grommets not plain die set). They are relatively cheap from murrays and they are easy to install. The only trick is you need to take the tramp off when you do it. You can easily put grommets where you need the shock cord to run. I used the kit to move my jib wires under the tramp and run 2 trap shock cords, one on each side of my dagger boards, because the beams are being taken up by my new wing seats. Worth every penny of the $36 the kit cost.
Another good thing to do is to run the chord under the tramp then back to a block tied to the rear beam and out the other side. This allows you to "Peter pan" out around the bow in a stuff and still have a shock chord afterwords. The longer the shock chord the better because you are able to move around on the boat without any resistance from the chord
Thanks guys. That makes sense! I was hoping to avoid having to remove the tramp, but I guess I'll have to. I'm off to South America for a month, so no sailing 'til mid July but that's okay cuz that's when the wind gets good!
-Scott
Why would you have to remove the tramp. I would think that a helper could hold a block under the tramp
to punch the hole, and then block between the ground and the tramp with the install tool. i have installed many spur grommets and would definitely not remove my tramp for two grommets.
You could probably do it if you released the tension on the tramp. Would be a bit of an operation though. When I install my grommets I don't bother with the hole cutter tool, I just cut a 1/2" X in the material when the grommet should go (for a #4 spur grommet). The hole cutter that comes with the kit is usually just a hair too small and makes things difficult. The left over 'tails' give a little more reinforcement and speed up the operation (just finished installing 32 of them in a new set of 'wing tramps'. Make sure you don't use standard plain die set grommets. Without the spurs the tramp material can have a tendancy to unravel.
D.