What you want is this product. The "Snap into position feature" is
particularly valuable.

http://www.adventuremarine.net/dinghy-accessories.cfm

We travelled in Baja in 95 and summer of 96 and saw a lot of bigger
dinghies with this type. You need the large diameter inflatable
wheels for softish sand.

Evan Gatehouse

Evan Gatehouse2 wrote:

What you want is this product. The "Snap into position feature" is
particularly valuable.

http://www.adventuremarine.net/dinghy-accessories.cfm

We travelled in Baja in 95 and summer of 96 and saw a lot of bigger
dinghies with this type. You need the large diameter inflatable wheels
for softish sand.


Considering that the technology exists to make a dinghy you
could pick up in one hand, why fart around with wheels &
lifting brackets & tackles and all the rest?

DSK

Thanks for all your suggestions. We'll be spending the whole Winter in
Baja and will be exploring different areas. The beaches will vary from
hard packed sand, to loose sand to rocky/shelly areas. (It's been
several years since we've been there so I'm trying to remember exactly
what the beaches were like).

The tires that we just received are 10" pneumatic tires that are @4"
wide. We're thinking of mounting them on the transom and juryrig a way
to lock them in the down position for launching (and then fold up when
not needed). Tires were only $4.99 each so if we can't make them
workable, we won't have lost much. I've looked at the commercially
available launching wheels (on the web) and they cost a whole bunch
more than that.

I'd really like to have wheels that work well enough that I'll feel
happy launching the boat whenever we feel the whim. Kinda silly
carrying a boat that far that I'll keep finding excuses NOT to launch
the boat.

We're figuring on toting the boat down uninflated. Once inflated in
Baja, we plan to either try to fig a way to carry the inflated boat
upright at the rear of the RV or (probably) tie it on top of our towed
car.

We won't be leaving till it starts getting cold up here in NE
Washington...but I'm already starting to get excited. I had been a
little nervous knowing I'll have to do everything myself (hubby can
walk a little...enough to get in/out of the boat...but not enough to
count on for help.) The 3rd member of our family, "Princess" (a German
Shepherd/Rotweiller mix we think) will also be travelling with us. I
just finished making "floorboards" for the raft out of some old thin
lexan we had. The floor is an air floor and we were afraid that sharp
toe nails would be a problem.

Sandy

Per DSK:
Considering that the technology exists to make a dinghy you
could pick up in one hand, why fart around with wheels &
lifting brackets & tackles and all the rest?

Walking a half mile carrying something 10 feet long that weighs, say, 30 pounds
gets old after a few trips - especially when there's a wind blowing. It's also
really nice to be able to stack other stuff on the dollied boat.
--
PeteCresswell

BTW have you seen this?

http://www.alaska.net/~fritzf/Boats/...phib_boats.htm

I made something like the centerboard unit for my Sunfish and it works
great.

J.

John wrote:
BTW have you seen this?

http://www.alaska.net/~fritzf/Boats/...phib_boats.htm


No, I hadn't seen it. Thanks for the link! I've just started looking
through it and am betting that I'll find all sorts of projects for
current and future boats.

Sandy

Per DSK:
Considering that the technology exists to make a dinghy you
could pick up in one hand, why fart around with wheels &
lifting brackets & tackles and all the rest?


(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Walking a half mile carrying something 10 feet long that weighs, say, 30 pounds
gets old after a few trips - especially when there's a wind blowing.

True enough, and it will be bulky & awkward no matter the
weight. However, 30 pounds will be better than 75 pounds
(and that would be remarkably light for a conventional
dinghy) no matter what sort of wheels etc etc you fit it out
with.


.... It's also
really nice to be able to stack other stuff on the dollied boat.

That's a good point. Make fewer trips that way.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"sandy" wrote in message
oups.com...

John wrote:
BTW have you seen this?

http://www.alaska.net/~fritzf/Boats/...phib_boats.htm


No, I hadn't seen it. Thanks for the link! I've just started looking
through it and am betting that I'll find all sorts of projects for
current and future boats.

Sandy

A good source of wide, cheap wheels is your local Goodwill or Salvation
Army. Buy one or two Big Wheel toys or some similar children's toy with big,
rigid plastic "tires." They are light, reasonably strong, and cannot rust.
Used on a simple wooden frame as above, or an inverted "T" that fits in a
centerboard trunk, they are great for a very light boat. If the launching
dolly gets broken, lost or stolen, you are only out a few bucks and an hour
or so of work.
For Sandy's situation, even with a transom-mounted set of commercial wheels,
she may want a "Big Wheels" dolly at the front to help with the weight.
Alex