We're going to be heading down to Baja in a couple months and plan to
bring our 10' inflatable boat along. It weights somewhere around 100
lbs and I'm planning on launching it over the beach. My problem is
that hubby had a stroke a few years ago and I'll have to do it myself.
I'm hoping to add some wheels to the transom to make launching easier.
Has anyone done this? Any suggestions or web sites w/plans??? I
already bought 2 10" (inflatable) tires from harbor freight. Thanks!

Sandy

Per sandy:
We're going to be heading down to Baja in a couple months and plan to
bring our 10' inflatable boat along. It weights somewhere around 100
lbs and I'm planning on launching it over the beach. My problem is
that hubby had a stroke a few years ago and I'll have to do it myself.
I'm hoping to add some wheels to the transom to make launching easier.
Has anyone done this? Any suggestions or web sites w/plans??? I
already bought 2 10" (inflatable) tires from harbor freight. Thanks!


Any idea how the surface will be down here?

Hard wheels sink into soft sand - making them extremely difficult to manage.

Take a look at the various big/soft tire solutions at
http://www.roleezonline.com.

The PWC dolly has the square feet, but the one I use is
a 20+ year-old version of the RZ-CKT Canoe Kayak Tote. On it, I carry a 30-lb
surf kayak, medium-sized picnic cooler full of food/drink for 3-4 people, a
beach chair, and various odds-and-ends over extremely soft New Jersey beach
sand. It just floats over the bumps/valleys

If you can fit the boat on something like this, I'd think it would be preferable
because it folds up into a reasonably compact size.
--
PeteCresswell

Sandy,

I think the narrowness of those wheels will give you trouble on soft beach
sand. Better to use the big 'Buggy Wheels' that they use for launching
Lasers, Sunfish, etc.

However, since you have what you have . . . try this.

With sticks or string, 'lay-out' a 'T' shape that the inflatable will 'fit
on'. Get some steel rod {Stainless would be best, but EXPENSIVE}the same
size as the axial hole in the wheels. This will be the 'wheel axle' so take
into account the width you laid out, the thickness of BOTH wheels, plus at
least an inch per end for threading a nut, or other method of attachment.
Really simple would be a couple of heavy washers and a cotter pin.

Get appropriate lengths of Schedule 40 PVC pipe . . . at least 2in size. . .
.. for 'axle support tube' and 'handle'. Also get one 'T' in a LARGER size
that will slip OVER the 2in pipe, and one 'slip fit' end cap. You'll also
need some Stainless 'wood screws', a couple of pieces of hardwood or heavy
polyethylene, or Nylon, etc.

Drill a hole, transverse, through the rod, about an inch back from one end.
Deburr it and put on a large, heavy, flat washer, then insert a cotter pin.
{OR drill the hole, thread the rod, put on the washer, screw on a nut, and
insert the cotter pin}. Now put on one of the wheels, plus another washer.

Cut a piece of the PVC to the 'between the wheels' length plus a half-inch
or so. Make some bushings . . . O.D. to fit the pipe, I.D. to fit the steel
axle. Insert in the ends of the pipe and use at least 4 screws to hold in
place. Mark the center of the pipe. Now put two more marks so that the 'T'
can be centered.

Put this PVC on the axle, drop on the 'T', add another washer, the other
wheel, two more washers. Mark for hole, take apart as necessary, drill &
deburr hole, re-assemble & insert cotter pin. Center 'T' and secure with at
least 4 screws per 'leg'.

Insert PVC pipe in 'T' measure for a comfortable length, and cut. Attach one
end to 'T' with screws, and Cap to 'hand' end.

This is your 'basic Hand Cart'. You can add 'slings' or 'centering pieces'
to prevent the inflatable from getting rubbed by the wheels, or just make
the 'cart' wide enough to have extra space between the wheels. Obviously, it
is also easy enough to assemble 'on-site' so transporting it is equally
efficient.

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"sandy" wrote in message
oups.com...
We're going to be heading down to Baja in a couple months and plan to
bring our 10' inflatable boat along. It weights somewhere around 100
lbs and I'm planning on launching it over the beach. My problem is
that hubby had a stroke a few years ago and I'll have to do it myself.
I'm hoping to add some wheels to the transom to make launching easier.
Has anyone done this? Any suggestions or web sites w/plans??? I
already bought 2 10" (inflatable) tires from harbor freight. Thanks!

Sandy

Here's another suggestion if wheels are too thin. Add more wheels to
spread the load, like the double wheels on tractor-trailers. Sometimes
by turning rims around there is enough room to add another using same
lug nuts.

Wm Watt wrote:
Here's another suggestion if wheels are too thin. Add more wheels to
spread the load, like the double wheels on tractor-trailers. Sometimes
by turning rims around there is enough room to add another using same
lug nuts.

I just went to Lowes and bought two of the largest diameter lawn mower
wheels I could to make a dolly to launch my MiniCup sailboats. The
wheels are only about 1.5" wide and the boats weigh about 150 lbs or
more. Wheeling them over soft sand is no problem so I think most of
the discussion of this is pointless.

So, go to Lowes, get a 1/2" piece of steel rod for an axle ( I got a
hollow piece). Fasten it to the bottom of a 2X4" with another longer
2X4" as a cross piece that goes under the keel. A piece of tubular
webbing goes around the boat and holds it to the 2X4". The wheels sit
under the transom so you have leverage for picking it up at the bow.
You just grab the handle at the bow and whell it around. Really easy.

sandy wrote:
We're going to be heading down to Baja in a couple months and plan to
bring our 10' inflatable boat along. It weights somewhere around 100
lbs and I'm planning on launching it over the beach. My problem is
that hubby had a stroke a few years ago and I'll have to do it myself.
I'm hoping to add some wheels to the transom to make launching easier.
Has anyone done this? Any suggestions or web sites w/plans??? I
already bought 2 10" (inflatable) tires from harbor freight. Thanks!

Sandy

Fill it with Helium....

--
“TANSTAAFL”


“All I can say is there had better be some cheese at the end of this maze……”
__________________________________________________ __________________________

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them;
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." - Proverbs 22:3

First, search Google for "canoe dolly" or "sunfish dolly". You'll see
lots of ideas. The PVC ones are kinda neat. I fancy that the tires you
have, or even a pair of wheelbarrow tires, would work fine.

J.

sandy wrote:
We're going to be heading down to Baja in a couple months and plan to
bring our 10' inflatable boat along. It weights somewhere around 100
lbs and I'm planning on launching it over the beach. My problem is
that hubby had a stroke a few years ago and I'll have to do it myself.
I'm hoping to add some wheels to the transom to make launching easier.
Has anyone done this? Any suggestions or web sites w/plans??? I
already bought 2 10" (inflatable) tires from harbor freight. Thanks!

Sandy

Might check out making something like the "Beach Wheels" that are used by
Hobie sailors.
http://www.hobiecat.com/support/pdfs/06_36.pdf
Need to be wide to displace the weight and float on sand.
With these, a single person can push or pull a rigged Hobie accross soft
sand, without- it takes a crew.
MMC
"sandy" wrote in message
oups.com...
We're going to be heading down to Baja in a couple months and plan to
bring our 10' inflatable boat along. It weights somewhere around 100
lbs and I'm planning on launching it over the beach. My problem is
that hubby had a stroke a few years ago and I'll have to do it myself.
I'm hoping to add some wheels to the transom to make launching easier.
Has anyone done this? Any suggestions or web sites w/plans??? I
already bought 2 10" (inflatable) tires from harbor freight. Thanks!

Sandy

(PeteCresswell) wrote:

Per sandy:
We're going to be heading down to Baja in a couple months and plan
to bring our 10' inflatable boat along. It weights somewhere
around 100 lbs and I'm planning on launching it over the beach. My
problem is that hubby had a stroke a few years ago and I'll have to
do it myself. I'm hoping to add some wheels to the transom to make
launching easier. Has anyone done this? Any suggestions or web
sites w/plans??? I already bought 2 10" (inflatable) tires from
harbor freight. Thanks!


Any idea how the surface will be down here?

Hard wheels sink into soft sand - making them extremely difficult to
manage.

Take a look at the various big/soft tire solutions at
http://www.roleezonline.com.

The PWC dolly has the square feet, but the one I use is
a 20+ year-old version of the RZ-CKT Canoe Kayak Tote. On it, I
carry a 30-lb surf kayak, medium-sized picnic cooler full of
food/drink for 3-4 people, a beach chair, and various odds-and-ends
over extremely soft New Jersey beach sand. It just floats over the
bumps/valleys

If you can fit the boat on something like this, I'd think it would be
preferable because it folds up into a reasonably compact size.

I just added to wheels to our 12' Quicksilver inflatable. I epyoxied
two pieces of HDO (High Density Overlay) outdoor sign material to the
transom so I didn't have to screw into it. In to these I embeded four
SS bolts. I made steel mounts for the wheels that I can remove, I'm a
retired welded and fitter, so I can mount the fish finder transducer in
place of the wheels. Worked out pretty slick. Jim


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