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Cat Trax w/ Wave!
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=36680		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  mj [ Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:17 am ]
Post subject:  Cat Trax w/ Wave!
Big Problems on first two tries! Got new CatTrax- bare axle-no cradles. Figured with such small/light boat that the bare pole (and others have conquered) would be fine. It was like a comedy routine. The Trax kept squirting out from under the hulls. Tying the trax to the shrouds would work if the balance point was at the shroud. The B Point was about a foot or more back from the shrouds.
I assume adding cradles would fix this. But, am I doing something wrong? I thought this would work easily with just the bare poles.
Thanks,
Author:  JJ [ Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cat Trax w/ Wave!
Yep. Same thing happened to me. Wild, ain't it? You do lose the balance point but you just put the Trax right under the anchor plates so the ropes go up straight and loop and the wiggling stops.

Somebody somewhere on this forum talked about using additional rope to tie the Trax axle to the crossbars to keep it from slip sliding around, but can't find it. I just got lazy and got the cradles.
Author:  mj [ Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cat Trax w/ Wave!
Thanks JJ,
It was wild. Your suggestion makes sense - mostly. To tie them off under the shrouds which I tried, I had two problems: 1) Hard time keeping the wheels to stay put while trying to tie them off. 2) Boat became very stern heavy. With much weight pushing down on bows, little strength left to push boat backwards. Man, I was working my a## off wrestling with this. Glad nobody was around - except girlfriend, she was most impressed!!
Bye the way JJ, did the cradles solve the issue for you? I hope they still don't squirt out.
Thanks
M
Author:  IndyWave [ Mon Jul 11, 2011 5:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cat Trax w/ Wave!
Have you tried pushing the boat from the rear?

When I have used trax (which I don't do on my home lake, but I do on the beach in FL), I lift the bows, kick the trax under to the shouds, tie to the shouds with a bit of slack, lift the stern and go. The axle goes back a few inches, but the boat is generally balanced enough so that all my energy is directed forward.

It's kind of fun, if the wind is coming in from the water, to leave the sail up and "sail" it back up the beach at the end of the day.

When I've used trax with cradles, I've thought it takes more effort to line up and rotate the cradles, than the benefit they provide.
Author:  JJ [ Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cat Trax w/ Wave!
Indy said it. Lift the bows, kick the Trax under, tie to the shroud anchor plates, lift from the back, and go. Like a big wheel barrow. It takes some practice.

I used to have adventures trying to pull the boat off the trailer onto the Trax. You learn to set the boat down and then move the Trax under the hulls and pull the ropes up and tie. That keeps movement to minimum.

Yes, the cradles solved the problem. If my budget could have stood it, I would have gotten the T-handle that they make for it too.

Indy, that's an interesting idea, sailing the boat up the beach on the Trax!
Author:  motogon [ Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cat Trax w/ Wave!
I recently bought used Cat Trax. It was used for Hobie 18, so it's wider. I'm about to cut axle, but ... here is the question: how wide wheels should be?
It looks like distance between hulls 52". Is 50" will be OK? ... or that is too tight and wheels will rub hulls?
Author:  JJ [ Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cat Trax w/ Wave!
As mentioned in other thread 69" to 70" is the distance between the hulls and therefore should be the center of the cradles. The Trax overall length is about 80" to 82" on mine with tire width of 10" to 11". Of course the tires are inside the cradles and just held in place on the axle by cotter pins...
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