I've got about a football field's worth of sand to get across at my favorite spot on Lake Erie. My friends are beginning to notice that I bring mostly to help me carry the fish. Can't afford a $400 dolly. Got ideas?
A lot depends on how handy you are and your ability to scrounge parts. Wheels need to be either narrow and TALL, or short and wide to work well.
We made several carts up using 20" bicycle wheels and PVC frames that worked well on sand.
They make several short flat wide trailer tires and we've used 20.5X8-10" from small pop up trailers. Another good source of short wide tires are Farm Supply stores. These are also found on golf carts which work since they don't have to be highway speed rated.
Check here: http://www.davisnet.com/marine/products/list_marine.asp?grp=mo5
Look at the 1465 extra capacity wheels. I've been using them for years to get to the water in Cape Cod. They're inexpensive, easy to transport (they come apart), and work well.
From my experience you will need wide inflated tires for a homemade dolly to work on sand. Lawn mower wheels will work on pavement but not on sand. Harbor Freight sells some trailer dollies with wheels that should work. Go to the Harbor Freight website and search on the keywords: "pneumatic tire".
Ok, I can see that wheels of some sort are probably in my future, but has anybody ever tried...I don't know five or six pool noodles that I drag the boat over and pay a kid a buck to retrieve them as they come off the back...or maybe a slip and slide for boats or... a hundred large helium balloons (just kidding) I'm talking seriously cheap here! (My boat was obviously a gift. Or do I just swallow hard and pay for some wheels. By the way, do those wheels make it a one person job?
Maybe something made out of PVC to drag, but without the horse?
At my new location, I've got to cross 80' of rough terrain, then through some 15' of buttonwood scrub to launch my Sunfish, so I'm very interested in what you turn up with.
Ok, Dave, I'm listening...I did look up the Harbor freight and saw the wheels for a price I can afford, but the wheels weren't attached to anything. Any chance you can draw me a picture? I like pictures.
And Dan, you'll have to make a good case, but on payday I can swing it. Five kids, you see.
Old bicycle wheels (larger diameter) might be even better, and probably free from trash!
No picture ability: but the idea is to get a metal rod which fits through the hub on the wheel you get. Drill a hole, through the rod, on each side of the hub;large washer against hub and then cotterpin , each side, so the wheel dosen't slide around.
Measure width of stern, add 6", as above
Get some 1" PVC ($4) from the Depot, cut a piece to fit inside wheels. slide fender washer on axel, then the PVC, another fender washer,cotterpin,washer, 2nd wheel,washer and outside cotterpin.
So now you have two wheels on a sleeved axel. You can bungee stern of boat on top of it, or in case of bicycle wheel hang beneath.
I bet you could comeup with design that would attach to the rudder bracket?
Here are photos of my homemade dolly. The wheels, the axles, the angle brackets under the bolsters and some of the other aluminum parts came from the Trailex daggerboard slot dolly that came with my boat when I bought it. A daggerboard slot dolly is a pain to use so I took it apart, used the parts I could use and bought PVC pipe, PVC pipe straps, aluminum tubing, aluminum angle material, and hinges for the bolsters. The wood was scrap I had in my shop. The cross brace wood pieces on the PVC pipe will be replaced with aluminum eventually. There used to be a swivel wheel under the front bolster, but I took it off because it broke and really wasn't needed. Actual parts cost was probably under $60 other than the original dolly which was free with my boat. If I figured my time into it probably cost as much as or more than a Seitech dolly, but I enjoy projects like this so I used my "free time" to build and perfect it over the past several years. If you can't find aluminum that will work at your local home improvement store check for a local metal dealer like The Metal Supermarket in Cincinnati. Also check out 8020 Inc on eBay. They sell surplus aluminum.
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