Hobie Cat Forums

Launching the TI from Hobie's beach cart is easy but I'm having a hard time loading in back on to the cart when I'm done sailing. I lift up the front of the TI and get it started onto the cradles and get it about a third of the way up then really struggle to get it to the half way point. It's very difficult to not have the cart move with the weight of the TI on it while I'm trying to pull the boat the rest of the way on. Am I missing something obvious? I tried pushing it under more out in the water but that didn't work. I think that I need something to block the wheels while I pull the boat all the way up on the cart. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

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I went to Harbor Freight to look for wheel chocks that might hold the wheels in place while I pull the TI onto the cart, but they would be to heavy to cart around. I'm kind of thinking of some spikes that I could ram shove into the wet sand in front of the balloon wheels to keep them from rolling while I pull the boat on. Wandered around a couple of stores to see if I could find anything to fit the bill that was already made but didn't find anything. Still thinking on it.

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Try removing the mirage drive from the drive well, I found that it really interferes with smooth loading.

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2011 Golden Papaya TI with a 250 square foot spinnaker!
also a more manageable 100 square foot spinny...
&
the TI3 rear ama mod

There is another way to load the boat onto the cart. Try this:

1. Sit the cart next to the kayak at the approximate point where you wish the kayak to sit on the cart. I will assume that you're going to tow the cart from the nose and will thus want the cart positioned somewhere towards the rear third of the boat.

2. Angle the cart in towards the nose of the kayak by a few degrees.

3. Now lift the kayak from the rear and set it up, over and down onto the cart. Everything should be in line from that point and there is no need to slide the cart fore or aft.

I've found it's a lot easier to just lift the boat and set it down on the cart rather than trying to lift the boat and shove the cart underneath it, which requires the sort of sliding you describe.

Thanks Tom, I'll try that this afternoon. Don't know why I didn't think of that, seems pretty obvious.............thus the reason for the post

And kayakman7, yep did that once too!

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Yep, that worked better,Tom, but the TI is still a darn heavy boat! Great wind blowing in the bay today. Had to furl the sail in a bit when the ama was getting completely submerged. Sailing solo today, wife wanted some "me" time.

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OK, I found a solution that works well for me. I take two blocks of wood, eight inches long of 4"X6", block off the cart as I'm pulling the TI on. Works great, blocks are easy to carry on the boat, and my back is a lot happier.

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motoenthusiast,

I get my cart back under my TI when it's in shallow water by just pulling it back under the boat. This is by far the easiest method that I've come up with. It requires no heavy lifting and if you have an anchor you can do it by yourself. If you don't have one, then asking someone to hold your bow will accomplish the same thing.

With my anchor set, I just push my cart under the bow and then back under the Akas a little ways. I then attach the two web straps (a length of rope will work as well) to the outside ends of the cart. (Note: My cart has ss hooks on the outside ends for this purpose, I'm not sure what the Hobie cart has, you may have to improvise something).

I then walk towards the back of the boat with the straps in hand. From there I can easily pull the cart under the boat back towards me, to just forward of the rear mirage drive well - the balance point on a TI.

I then strap the cart tight up against the hull, walk to the bow and pull it out of the water.

I used to do this same procedure on the beach by using my anchor to hold the boat in the sand while I pulled the cart underneath the boat. One day I just thought about trying it in the water and discovered it was so much easier. Whatever works best for you.

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

OK, sun E sailor, that's the best yet. I watched your video on loading and unloading on your beach cart and that is by far less strain then my current method. I'm going to go to West Marine and look for some webbing or rope that's suitable and rig mine up like yours. Thanks!

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When I read of all the palaver involving carts, I am reassured that my decision to just launch and retrieve my TI using my trailer at a boat ramp was a good one.

However, I am now considering some lakeside locations where there is no ramp, so when I back the trailer into the water's edge, the rear of the TI would still be at least a foot above the water. That's when I remembered the inflatable boat rollers I had seen in the distant past. At only $25 each, a couple could be used to cover a lot of beach to reach water, and then, after partial deflation and stuffing down the hatches, they could also serve as additional emergency buoyancy.

Motoenthusiast,
That video was taken in April of 2011 when I first introduced the Appel Cart in the forum. I still use the same method when I take my TI off the cart, but not when I put it back on. Now as I mentioned before, I do it in the water.
I should make a new video of how I do this .
If you can figure out a way to have two attachments points on either side of your cart I think you'll find it a lot easier sliding it under your boat, then trying to lift or slide your boat over the cart. Good luck!

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