Trampoline netting

snowleopard

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Anyone made a trampoline for a tri/cat? Wondering what sort of netting to buy that will be UV resistant. I can get fishing net cheaply (the green stuff) but don't know how long it will last in the sunshine as it's designed to be used under water.
 

caiman

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I have had green 'fishing net' tramps for approx 3 seasons with no great fading or U/V damage.If I remember the supplier I will repost.If I was redoing it,I would use the same again,but maybe with a finer mesh,which I think might be more comfy when barefoot.I specified the size and the net came with a 'bolt rope' around the edges.I removed the slight slack by interlacing a fibre glass pole a few squares in,and then laced that pole,to the original mounting pole attatched to the hull,using 10 mm bungee cord.It works well.
I was reading an article last night where a designer was more in favour of fishing net type tramps on an offshore boat,rather than the very fine mesh tramps as found on beach cats.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
 

apogee

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I have used fishing net on my Iroquois for donkeys years, much better than the original webbing trampoline. The darker the colour the more uv resistent it seems. My present netting has been on the boat for ten years I guess although I take it off when the boat is ashore overwinter. Chafe at the attachment points needs keeping an eye on.
 

snowleopard

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Thanks everyone, I'll follow up those leads. I currently have a very expensive custom net which has approx 7mm mesh, embedded in plastic. It is comfortable to walk on but when it takes green water it can't escape fast enough and has twice ripped out of its bolt ropes, hence wanting a more open mesh. I tend not to walk about the decks in bare feet so as long as it's no more than about 40mm mesh I should be fine.
 

TradewindSailor

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This the spec for the knotless polyester netting I use and very happy with. It is used to enclose sports fields etc, and certainly comfortable to lie on, it was quite reasonably priced:
250/200ply - 20mm x 20mm diamond mesh -
Knotless Polyester - 10 metres x 5 metres -
Black

The supplier in Oz is www.haverford.com.au
 

Neeves

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I think our trampoline is the same as your exisiting one, some form of plastic coated mesh. The hole size is quite small 6-8mm. Ours has lasted 20 years. Our bridge deck clearance is 1m and the tramp is higher than that and we don't have the issue you mention of the water draining slowly. Ours looks to have been sewn round the edges and then heat bonded.

We did have an issue with the bolt rope that runs across forward and slots into the cross beam. We simply took the tramp off, replaced the bolt rope with a larger diameter bolt rope (it was a faff to replace), but since then have never had a problem. Because the original bolt rope came out we extended the bolt rope so that it comes out of the slot in the cross beam and then is lashed on each bow. Even if it comes out again the tramp should not fail catastrophically. Our tramp is attached to the rest of the deck with individuals ties for each lashing point.

We added a small tramp to allow safer access for work on the forward end of the prodder and use the same product. I think its called Ferrari and we sourced here in Oz from Bainbridge Sails. Its easy to work with and you can simply fold the edges and lash through the overlapping holes.

I've sailed on cats with larger mesh tramps, like fishing nets, and find them lacking in comfort. They sag noticeably when you step on them and 'feel' unsafe. Basically they don't tension as the existing mesh tensions and fishing net types all sag is in one place - its like 'walking in mud'. I would not use fishing net as an option.

I'ver seen webbing mesh tramps but never worked on one. I guess you could make your own, simply buy the webbing, fix the fore and aft pieces and then weave the opposing lengths. If each length had a sewn loop at each end you could tension each length and secure safely with individual lashings. For belt and braces you could weave up, make sure all the lengths were right and then take to a sailmaker and have all the webbing sewn to each other.

Jonathan
 

garen

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Wow -what a great find this thread is! So there is a way to have a trampoline net for a trimaran without paying an arm & a leg. The prices I've seen online start from $2,000 going to $5000 and up. But if I can get 2 pieces of 3.3mX3.9m of a 1cmX1cm (or tighter) knotless net (for example golf net) for around £100 that can last in salty and UV conditions for so many years, I wouldn't mind replacing it every 5-10 years.
Which nets in your experience are best for catamaran/trimaran purposes? (I don't want it to be bouncy or stretchy; as tight as possible as I have a bad knee) Golf nets, fishing nets or something else? Should I be looking for knotless nets or knotted nets?
Any advice or pointers to specific products and suppliers (preferably in the UK) would be greatly appreciated!
 

Neeves

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Our net (38' cat), Post 14, I think was called Ferrarri (? spelling) and Bainbridge was the distributor in Sydney. I suspect it may be different in the UK - but think of sailcloth retailers/distributors or sail makers (and the latter could seam up for you).

Jonathan
 
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