[quote=Dogboy][quote=white90gt]
I figure it may be time to tighten things up. I don't know how to do that, so I was looking for advice. Do I have to take the whole tramp frame off, cut out the posts and build them back up? The hulls are both solid, no soft spots anywhere. There is some RTV around where the tramp frames go down into the hulls, so I assume there was a leak there and it may be weak/flexing.
Thanks,
Carl[/quote]
Cut the tramp posts? Ummm, no, I don't think you want to do that. If you really want to stiffen up the boat, you want to epoxy the frame together. This is a somewhat permanent solution. If you want something less permanent, then you can put shims between the pylons (tramp posts) and the corner castings. Of course, just making sure your tramp is super tight will make a difference, so you might want to start with that if the tramp isn't already tight.
Anyway, epoxying the frame is not that difficult and can be done in an afternoon. You will need epoxy (West Six 10) and a handful of stainless steel rivets. Mask off the crossbars and pylons at the edges of the corner castings. Then pull the tramp frame off of the hulls and drill out the rivets in the corner castings and pull the castings off the crossbars. Apply the six10 epoxy to the inside of the castings, ensuring you get an even coating all around the inside. Re-assemble the crossbars into the castings (beware that epoxy will squeeze out of the casting). Install the crossbars onto the pylons (don't forget the install the side bars). Put the rivets into the crossbars but don't fully pop the rivets yet. Install the tramp and lace it up super tight. Measure the distance between each bow and the rudder pin on the opposite hull. If the measurements are different, place a loop of line around the bow and the stern of the long measurement. Hook your mainsheet to the loops of line and pull tight until the bow/stern measurements are equal. Pop the rivets and let the epoxy cure overnight.
sm[/quote]
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