Affordable dolly for dragging Wave down to the water?

What are some affordable options for getting something to help me drag my Wave from the trailer to the water?

Depending on your definition of affordable, the Tiger or CatTrax from Florida Sailcraft might outlive your Wave. I started with the Tiger Trax, but on Florida Panhandle fine sands, I changed over to the CatTrax wheels, much better. I move my Wave (mast stepped) approximately 75-100 ft to water's edge.

bill


http://www.floridasailcraft.com/

The CatTrax mentioned above seem to be the most regularly mentioned solution. At 500 plus (Canada anyways), it doesn't maybe fit everyone's definition of "affordable" but I'm sure it is "well worth it" if you have a heavier boat.

Like the above poster, I'm mast up with very little distance to drag it. I often do it unaided but if I'm tired upon my return or for the times I do trailer it somewhere, I build some sliders from PVC tubing spaced out in between treated 2x6 lumber. It's basically like log rolling the boat but with less fumbling around. I made four so you can basically go any distance required. Slides like glass on the PVC. I cut the lumber to fit nicely in the back of my truck.

Other folks have built PVC into strips of tarp to be easily rolled up when done. Hobie even sold a set like that 'back a ways."

You will also find many home made dolly ideas with some searching.

Lots of choices......

Dynamic Dollies is a little more pricey than what I originally had in mind, but it looks like a well made product. I very well may get one of these:


http://dynamicdollies.com/dollies/

I ordered the Dynamic Dolly for the Wave. It is a well built and sturdy piece of equipment, but it is very heavy and bulky. Packing up the Dynamic Dolly is more trouble than dealing with the Wave without the dolly. I wish I would have purchased the Cat Trax instead.

As I posted earlier, the Cat Trax is an excellent choice. Another point: I fit it (assembled) on my Trailex trailer along with a Hobie toy box "under" the tramp. It is not weight prohibitive. Nothing has to be dis-assembled or stored in a vehicle.

bill

I should have gone with the Cat Trax. The Dynamic Dolly is so big and bulky it is a major pain loading it up on my trailer with my boat. I don't know what I am going to do with it. I spent so much on it I hate to throw it in the dumpster, but realistically I am not going to use it. If I ordered a Cat Trax now the Dynamic Dolly would have been a total bust. I wonder if I could get an axel similar to the Cat Trax and at least salvage the Dynamic Dolly wheels. Since I wanted to do it right I even paid around a hundred bucks extra for the upgrade for the larger wheels.

I made a set of beach wheels.
I ordered Otter dock wheels from Mill's Fleet Farm. They are 24" diameter, 9" wide with a 2" axle hole. $86 for 2 including shipping. SKU # is 006364657.
Used 4 aluminum 2" shaft clamps from McMaster Carr, $56 plus shipping, and an 8' length of 2" OD aluminum tube with .25" wall thickness from Onlinemetals.com for $107 including shipping.
I put foam pipe insulation over the piping and wrapped it with duct tape, and put a rope through the pipe, going through a tennis ball at each end of the pipe. I figure the total cost was about $250. Also got 3/4" plastic plugs from Home Depot, drilled the drain holes in the wheels to 3/4", and sealed the caps in with silicone sealant to prevent water intrusion into the wheels.
Here's a link to a couple photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/100085529@ ... 017809482/

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks

Keep your eyes peeled on CL, here or the beachcats.com site and you may be able to score some cattrax from $250-$400 with the huge rubber wheels ( the best IMHO ) You just can't go wrong with those. Even with my 425# mast up hobie 20 balancing on cattrax its actually quite easy to maneuver as long as you build a little speed before going up hill
I imagine a Wave would be effortless on those....

_________________
Tim Grover

Memphis, TN fleet 134
Hobie 20! G-Cat5.0 and 2 Hobie 14's
Photobucket now wants $100 to post pics on forums......... pass.

Off topic heads up here. Hobie Wave racing is heating up in the desert SW. see hobiedivision2.com for schedule.

I'm thinking of doing pretty much the same thing. How's this working out for you? Is it easy to move the Wave around on this? These wheels don't have bearings like the CatTrax, so I'm wondering if that makes much difference.
Also, are you able to load the Wave on it by yourself? If so, can you please describe the procedure used to load it by yourself?
I'm wondering if the wheels try to slip out when you go to level the boat.

Thanks, Jim

Hi Jim,
I actually haven't used them yet. I've rolled them unloaded and they seem to work fine. I don't expect to have any trouble loading my Getaway.
Years ago, I had a Hobie 17 with a home made beach roller using a 30 gallon plastic drum that I bolted on drilled plywood end caps with a 2" electrical conduit pipe. It worked just fine, but the pipe was pretty heavy.
When I do need to use it, I'll roll my Getaway onto the wheels from the trailer. Then tie it off at the balance point, and roll to the water. The trick is to load and unload with the boat in the water, and just float it on and off the wheels. Easy. I don't think you'll have any problem with a Wave. My old H-17 was only a tad lighter than my Getaway, and it was very easy.

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks