Hobie Cat Forums

Build this beach cart out of 2" PVC, an Aluminum Axle, and beach tires from Florida Sail Craft. The rails are spaced to fit in the grooves on the bottom of the TI. It cost about $300 total and I can easily pull the TI fully loaded(300 lb) across soft sand. The link to the tires are here http://www.floridasailcraft.com/JetSkiAcc.htm. The tires are much cheaper than the comparable Wheeleez tire and seam to be built a lot better (they have sidewalls).

Very nice work VTK!

VTKuhnDawg,
Very interesting - good work. I know about these wheels though they are higher than the ones I use, 21" compared to 16.5". How easy was it getting the TI on and off your cart by yourself, and do you have any video?

_________________
Sun E Sailor
Ezra Appel
Palm City, Florida
2010 Tandem Island

I will post some more pictures and possibly a video next time I take the boat out. I lift the stern onto the cart, then have a rope with a few fiddle blocks that clips to the cart and then goes through the front mirage drive well and clip the the front bar that the aka plugs into. I pull the rope and the cart slides to the middle. I can man handle it to the center of the TI, but that is quite a bit harder. The pulleys came after a few times manhandling the TI, it helped overcome the additional effort required because the cart is higher. If the ocean is flat I can get the wheels under the boat in the water pretty easily. The beach access at my house is too narrow to build a cart similar to Sun E Sailors cart, the TI has only inches on either side when I walk it over the board walk ramp.

Here are some pictures of my narrow beach access.




This is how I get the boat on the cart when on land. First I clip the pulley to the cart.


Next I place the cart next to the stern of the boat


Then I lift the kayak a little ways up the cart.

Once the stern is up on the cart, I hook the end of the pulley rope through the front mirage drive hole like this


Then I pull the rope and the cart slides right to the middle of the boat.


I next unhook the pulley and clip a strap to the front handle of the cart so it can't move while pulling it.


Here is the rope/pulley


That is about it, I will try to get a video made next time I go out. The pulley makes it very easy to load, loading it in the water is also easy. I can manhandle it to the center but that is not very easy....

Very innovative!

Very nice, I'm gonna have to just do it I guess...

_________________
'09 Adventure Island

I have had to play with the length of rope between the front pulley and where I connect it to the front Aka bar. I adjusted the length until when the pulleys touch and can't pull anymore the cart is centered. I adjusted it because I kept pulling it past balanced and then the bow of the boat tries to lift up in the air while pulling it. Also if I were to rebuild it I would add another inch or inch and a half to the bunks. I sometimes load all sorts of beach stuff on top of the boat and used it as a wheel barrow and when there is tons of stuff on it the hull will flex a little and sometimes touch the wheels, but not a big deal, just squeaks a bit.....

What size are the wheels? Is it the 21x12 for $90?

Nice work on the cart.

I just bought one of these for my new TI.

http://www.anaconda.com.au/Product/Wate ... y#90029062

But I dont think the soft wheels on this are going to be anywhere near as tough or heavy load as the wheels you have used.

_________________
Geordie
West Ausie

Geordie, that Anaconda-sourced trolley looks pretty good. How does the hull shape of the AI or TI match with that? I didn't see any maximum load numbers anywhere, is it up to carrying a TI?
Sorry for the questions...

Looks like it will do the job.

Geordie will have to tell us if the wheels clear the folded AI/TI Amas. Large wheels often rub there, unless the frame is raised enough, away from the axel.

I have a question too. WTH are "Taiwanese wheels" ?

_________________
"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."
- Ayn Rand

I suspect this is a slightly racist dig at the source country, or else it isn't and is saying that wheels from Taiwan are superior to those from mainland China! Pick one! To my knowledge, it isn't a descriptive term for the shape of them LOL

The Anaconda cart fits the AI fairly well but is not as wide as the trolley design by VTKuhnDawg above. It is also not sitting up as high but the wheels do clear the AI armas (have not got the TI yet).
The wheels are very much a copy of the Wheeleze wheels that Hobie use but as for the quality? (dont think Chinese or Taiwaniese matters much). Well they are a soft so good for beach and a lot bigger than the Hobie Trax cart so should take the load. I don't think they would be very puncture proof on sharp sticks or rocky terrain. But they are no where near as big or tough rubber construction as the ones VTKuhnDawg has used.

_________________
Geordie
West Ausie