Hobie Cat Forums

I am thinking of breaking down and buying the rubber tire Cat Trax beach wheels for my Hobie 16.

Are the cradles worth the extra $100? How much do they help?

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1979 Hobie (sold)
1983 Hobie 16 Hawiian Sunset (sold)
1981 Hobie 16 Tequilla Sunrise - still own
2008 Hobie 16 (currently sailing the crap out of this boat)
1977 Super Sunfish
John

Yes I find the cradles very usefull,much easier on the bottom of boat.

Absolutely!!! Not only are they easier on the hull bottoms as MMadge indicated, but with craddles you are able to place the wheels at the actual center of gravity of the boat which is about a foot and a half aft the shrouds. This way, you don't have to spend so much energy holding the bows of the boat down while moving it.

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Happy Sailing,

David

I concur with the above posts, and will add that one thing I don't like about the stock trax config w/o the cradles is that the rubber engine hose that came with mine that is supposed to cushion the hulls is ~2" short and so moves inboard (of course!) while installing them and wheeling.

Despite always putting them in the right place every time and even adding a hose clamp on the inboard side on the metal pipe to keep them there, these things ALWAYS move inboard, which means I've got hulls rolling/riding on metal. !!!! After seeing this AGAIN this weekend I decided to spring for the cradles as I use my trax all the time.

You'll love your trax once you get them, and the cradle upgrade is money very well spent compared to re-glassing your hull bottoms.

Hope it helps.

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

I don't know if Cat trax has cradles with weights in the bottom but that is a really nice feature. The cradles are always face up. Its a pain when the cradles are always upside down or rotate independently of one another. The Roleez Cateez has (or use to have) weighted cradles.

Thanks sunvista.

Does anyone know how these attach? I assumed (hoped!) that they would go on by way of a bolt(s) that go through the axel. Is it a U-bolt instead?

Thanks in advance if anyone knows!

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

It is like a big eyestrap with a screw and knob to tighten. That way the cradles can be moved in or out on the axle to accommodate different hull widths. That is also a PIA. You get them adjusted for your boat and then someone borrows them and changes it.

Thanks, then I'll have to see if I can mod them. Maybe the straight bolt. Can you say epoxy?

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

Just went outside to check mine. There are straight bolts that into a recess in the top side of the cradle and and through the axle, the nut connecting on the other side. No epoxy will be required.



Hope this helps.

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Happy Sailing,

David

Take a self tapping screw and put it through the rubber, and into the axle as close to the wheel as you can, or leave an inch or so from the end of the rubber. I too had this same issue, I tried zip ties, hoseclamps, then tape. Other than the screw, the tape worked the best, but it still moved.

After a good screwin', she doesn't move.

Take the rubber hose off .

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Happy Sailing,

David

Holy mackerel Karl! KEEP killing me.....

I think I'll go the cradle route, it's more forgiving on the hulls and knowing that I like the long term option and doing it right the first time I'll just go ahead and spring for them.

This "hobbie" is getting expensive....

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

While we're talking about beach wheels and cradles, what about the T-handle? Does anybody here have the T-handle option? Do you like it? Or why did you not get it.

I've been on the fence about acquiring a set of Cat Trax for my club. My inclination is to spring for both the cradles and the T-handle, even though they're not inexpensive options.

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-Roland
Sailing vintage Hobie Cats in West Africa.

I used the t-handle once, with my Hobie 20, and liked the feature.
When maneuvering wheels by yourself, or with someone for their first time, wheels can get sideways easy.
Nice added feature and I think the club is the perfect application.

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Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

A guy I sail with has the T handle. He thinks it is more trouble than it is worth to launch and retrieve the boat from the dunes to the water. However, he does like it for moving his boat to and from the beach (twice a year) where he has to push it several blocks from the beach access to where we park the boats. In other words, if you are by yourself and have to push the boat a long distance the T handle makes it much easier. Short trips...not so much.