Hauling on the Beach

Charly - I helped a friend use a similar set up with greased wheels and steel tube axles - it didn't work. Too much friction and the loads were worrying.

Hey I can use this quote for real - Why re-invent the wheel? Go to a car wreckers and get wheels and axles cheap. Roller bearings last fine with a wash of fresh water and a strip every year or two.

 

Buy four http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...5SBcY3fnjrFgB8gsXm_3G0Prpw7pED-H0OhoCs5Xw_wcB and build the cradles on top. I think getting the tires is going to be the tricky part.

 

Shucks.

OK

Thanks

 

Trailer axles are a costly way to go, once you count everything up, like spindles, bearings, mounting pickup points, some sort of rig to tie everything together, etc.

I'm thinking something like these,

rated at 1,500 pounds each, they have fully swiveling wheels, look like a couple of holes for rachet straps and if dragged over a plywood ramp . . .

 

PAR - I like reading your posts but on this you need size and toughness. In Australia we have Gumtree for cheap stuff. Craigslist is the thing in the US I think. A few minutes on gumtree and I found this

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/ingleburn/trailers/box-trailer-free/1111254596

Go in - rip off the rolling gear - axle, hubs, wheels. Put the word out and within two weeks you will find 4 sets of axles. Weld them with angle and you are off and running. I reckon I could pull Kankama out on most beaches given one week with my ear to the ground, 10 hours work and access to a wreckers yard. I have done it three times with my boat.

If I had my own yard and wanted to steer then I would weld a frame on this

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/wallan/truck-parts/wrecking-1984-f250-dually-chassis/1111681122

Kankama got lifted out on my friends version of this support under the bridgedeck. Great for antifouling as the hulls are free of supports. Good for steering and very strong. And cheap.

Don't re-invent the wheel. This is the usual set up for waterfront multi owners in Oz.

Stop Press - Found this photo of Kankama about to be put on Glen's frame on chassis set up.

 

Par,

I love the castor wheel idea for a ramp, but how would you mount beach wheels to that?

 

Phi'ls picture above says a lot. In the right situation that may be the best way to go. In any event, that route involves building some kind of custom trailer or trailers. I may eventually do it that way if I can find the right spot to haul, and maneuver the trailers over the road and to the haulout. But In my case, that does present an extra set of problems.

Part of the reason I was thinking of homeade dollys is because they should be more portable and could be carried to a remote site aboard the boat, and deployed for as long as needed, then stored in the garage at home for the next time.

Occam's razor keeps bringing me back to cylindrical dock fenders or pvc rollers.
Fenders aint cheap new, but they are on craigslist from time to time. The trick is getting enough of them all in the right size. I would need at least six. There must be something out there that is cheap, cylindrical, and fairly soft, that would work.

When we launched the first time, We paved the way with 4' rips of osb ply, and 4" shedule 40 pvc cut to 3.3 ft lengths, with probably about four bearing on each hull at any one time, due to the keels rocker. We used little mounds of sand to hold them in place on the slope of the ways, so they would stay put until the boat rolled over them. Once we got the boat over the hump she took off like a rocket. It was a little "too" exciting. If I ever do anything like that again I will have the boat tied off six ways to Sunday for more control. I did notice one or two of the pipes were deformed a bit afterwards. I worry about getting good support with this method, and or crushing the pipe. The control thing could be worked out I think. The pipe from the hardware store is cheap enough, but I find that once you get into larger dia, the price goes way up.

 

My thinking is he mentioned using some plywood sheets on the beach, which will let these little wheel dollies roll nicely. Rachet strap them to the hulls and pull the hull up the beach.

Agreed, you can find used trailers everywhere, but when they're cheap they need everything, bearings, seals, welding, etc., which just drives the cost up. If you want a "sand" machine, I'd go with garden tractor tires on simple platforms. These often have a flat spot axle and keeper bolt, so no lug nuts or spindle to worry about. These tires are low pressure, fairly tall (18" - 22") and fat, though do have modest weight limits. Another choice might be garden wagon tires, which are usually skinnier, but can take more weight.

Essentially, a garden tractor tire mounted to an oversize car dollies setup. You have to jack it up pretty high to get them under the hulls, but they roll in sand pretty well.



This is a 20x8 MTD style of wheel/tire. I have a few of this in the barn, 5/8" shaft, no keyway, just a flat and a keeper bolt in the end of the shaft. I think they're rated at 900 pounds. I'm not sure how heavy you boat is, but rigging these under something wouldn't take a lot of figuring out and you wouldn't need plywood ramps. Any lawn mower repair shop, will have dozens of these things laying around, probably for free. If you need more weight handling, fill the tires with foam.

 

When my Mum's cat was launched they used small castors that would not move well under load. They skewed and there was lots of shouting. In the end my stepdad called in a crane.

Charly - stop and think really carefully about this. You need a bulletproof method of doing this. Your pride and joy is going to be moved in a way that could seriously damage her if it goes wrong. Whatever method you use should be overly strong and easily capable of moving across sand.

I can't imagine trying to move Kankama with rollers and ply. The ply will deform and the boat will probably move sideways on the rollers. If the boat gets to the end of a roller then it could stick the pipe through the hull. You could end up getting stuck and have to call the crane. This will cost you thousands.

You could easily make some axle assemblies that bolt together. Mine were welded because I only lived 200 metres away from the water. Or you could use the boat for support and build four cradles each bolted to an old trailer axle set up. Timbers hold the cradles in position before the boat is put on them. When the boat sits on the cradles the hulls will secure them in position.

When all is done unbolt the timbers and put the 4 axles and cradles in the backyard under a tarp. Safe for your boat, cheap and ready for use next time. You already have had a fire drill at launching. Getting her out is fighting gravity and you want all your attention on keeping an eye on the whole set up - not worrying about small wheels getting caught or rollers going sideways. I moved a 38ft cat with a 4x4 on tickover. The whole neighbourhood came out to watch and no-one got worried, no harsh words said and my boat made it in, back out and then in again without a scratch.

I can't see why anyone would not go the safe and secure route.

cheers

Phil

 

I agree it needs to be reliable, though bulletproof I'd reserve for someone that's going to haul the boat with considerable frequency.

Rollers, like pipe are a great way to lose control, though if enough are used, it's not the roller so much as the decrease in friction. Hell a cradle with a set of skids can do, if you have the power to haul it out.

 

Hey Charly, long time no see. We went to the the fireworks at Mary Ross park, I looked for your boat but didn't see it. That is a long assed set of docks Toras has there!

I was thinking for rollers you might get some old fire hose, cut it into three foot lengths and clamp or put plugs in the ends somehow. They're such a small diameter that if you filled them with air I imagine they would squash flat, but if you filled them with water they might not squash so much, but would still remain somewhat flexible.

Here's some on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-x-18-Sing...hash=item35ff715423:m:meTNo0vabAzR6jKGvHdxIjQ or here... http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...e hose&geo_id=10232&poi=&crdt=0&ul_noapp=true Google 'used fire hose' , it seems to be a big business. They all seem to collapse to flat when unpressurized, they would take up little room on your boat and don't weigh much at all.

I also googled 'inflatable rollers' and this was there, amongst others...


http://www.duckworksbbs.com/gear/beachroller/index.htm

Here's something kind of interesting although I don't know if it would work for you...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
.

 

Hey Sam Sam!

Thanks for that. That is exactly what I need! seventy bucks apiece is not too far over the top. Ill have to save up for a few of those. I would probably want three per hull, if they are rated 2000 lbs each. Four per hull would be better, but then you are talking real money.

I love the "drag gin wagon" too. but I don't think I would want to go to that much trouble for something that might not work.

Boat is now down at Golden Isles. Right out in the middle there. Its too hot to go out though right now. I am usually there late evenings. Stop and say hello!

 

I had another idea. If you got some innertubes or firehose close to the size of those soda bottles we used, you could stuff two of them in bottom to bottom and tie the ends of the innertube closed. That way they would be a little wider compared to just one soda bottle and it might keep them going straighter also. Twelve bottles would give you 6 rollers about 2' wide. I think it might be handy to control the load better with winches or block and tackles so it would be easy to transfer rollers to the front of the boat as it rolls up and down the beach.