Andy,

Thanks for the compliment. Next week I will post the completed photos - including the trailer.

As for the dye, I checked a few places out before settling on an automotive "Vinyl Dye" (NOT vinyl paint) from a Canadian Tire store. I chose "jet black" which seems to be the same as a "flat black". It comes in aerosol form and seems to work great. I stripped and cleaned the tramp vigorously with soap/water and a pressure washer. Then I completed a couple of wipe-downs with RM 900 by BASF - a professional degreaser-dewaxer and silicon remover.

I have not used vinyl dyes in the past and have generally believed them to be a "no-no" on vinyl that gets bent/crimped or stretched a lot. However, on my well-aged Hobie tramp I had nothing to lose.

So far this is what I have found; on the topside of the tramp (where there was a lot of surface corrosion/UV damage) the dye penetrates and adheres surprisingly well. It resists scuffs and scratches quite well too - although from time to time I am sure a little touch-up will be required...easy to do. On the underside of the tramp where the vinyl was smooth, relatively shiny and undamaged, the dye does not penetrate nearly as well, and is prone to scratches (yes, the underside must be dyed, otherwise color uniformity is poor ...yup - I tried it). The finished product looks fantastic in every sense and I am very happy with it.

As far as I know, it is the original "mustard color" 1977 tramp - it was structurally sound but cosmetically awful. I drilled out all the old corroded gromets (I will make a separate post on this) and replaced them with new ones from Hobie. It looks brand new.


Dave