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Fitting New Trampoline Tracks on a Dart 15
By Martin Searle
Background :
Laser have recently replaced the design of the trampoline tracks on the Dart 15 to match that of the Dart 18. They have also adjusted the design of the trampoline so that it fits the new tracks. According to laser the old trampolines are not able to be fitted to the new tracks, although they do seem to fit but the bolt rope is a little bit on the small side so perhaps getting a sailmaker to fit a wider diameter bolt rope to the trampoline may work (but don't quote me on that !).The trampoline on my Dart 15 gave up the ghost last season and the Tramp. Tracks were also in a pretty dire condition. The port side track had broken in 1999 whilst I was out sailing, the first two rivets had sheared off. So I decided to replace the Tracks and Tramp. Here's how I did it :
Tools Required :
- Drill
- Pop Rivet Gun
- Wet and Dry Sandpaper
- Gel-coat filler compound
- Rivets
Parts Required :
- 2 x Dart 15 (2000) Tracks (Laser don't make the previous track style anymore, the new tracks are similar to the Dart 18 tracks)
- 1 x Dart 15 (2000) Trampoline
- 4 x Track End pieces
- 2 x Jib Fairlead Adjusters
You won't get much change from £450 for the above list !.
Step 1 : Removing the Old Tracks
After removing the trampoline from the boat you are ready to remove the old tracks.
To remove them you must drill out the old rivets. I started in the middle and worked my way to either end systematically, this ensures that the track doesn't twist or buckle when removing it. After the rivets have been drilled out the track should come off very easily, although if there is some sealant compound underneath then you may have to gently coax it off.
In the above photo. you can see the boat with the track removed from the starboard side, the plastic bag draped over the boat covered the new track that has been installed on the port side.
Step 2 : Repairing any Hull Damage
I found some damage to the sides of the boat where the tracks had been, also I had added some extra rivets at the bow end to strengthen the fixing there after the port side track failed at this point. So I gave them a light sanding with the wet and dry paper and filled any damaged areas with gelcoat filler compound.
The photo above shows the port side at the bow. This is where the old track had failed after shearing the rivets at the bow. You can see old repairs that have been patched and also some old rivet holes that have been filled with gelcoat filler compound, I added these to add more strength to this area. Leave the compound to dry, since I was doing this over a number of weekends I choose to leave it until the following weekend.
The next step is to sand the newly filled areas so that they are smooth and are not raised above the deck line. This ensures that the new rail will be able to sit properly on the deck.
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