So, the PVC cat in the other thread got me thinking a bit. I see lots of discussion about beach wheels, cat trax, Etc., but no mention of just sliding the boat around on a couple PVC tubes. I kind of sail in a bit of a vaccum (same lake, same boats, each year) but that's what we do at my local lake. Stick em under the boat and pull. On firmer sand they'll actually role with the boat. Move em a few times if you have to go far. This morning, I had to move my boat about 40 feet to back up from a rapidly rising shoreline - couldn't have taken more than a minute. Not sure if this is a commonplace practice or not - thought I'd mention it as I see a lot of folks balk at the cost of wheels, whereas a couple tubes will set you back about 15 bucks.
Chris
PVC tubes
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Posted: Jun 30, 2011 - 01:04 PM
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Posted: Jun 30, 2011 - 01:51 PM
That's great for what you describe but I've moved my boat on trax over 100 yards or so. One beach I launch at the water is (or was) below the ramp and they were launching boats with giant tractors for people. It's not worth waiting for the right time to pull in and have people waiting for you too so we just pull over tot he parking area and drop the cat on the trax and head to the water, no waiting. The boat moves very easily on flat ground and only a little harder on a mild incline. The only times I have had trouble is when there are dune like mounds to get over or when stupid kids have decided it would be cool to build a sand castle or dig a hole (or both) right where I need to go.
If I had to run pipes from back to front over and over I'd just wait to launch.
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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
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Posted: Jun 30, 2011 - 02:43 PM
I have to agree with Quarath. Cattrax are one of those products. Simple in design yet completely effective. I've seen quite a few contraptions now and none of them are as simple to use, convenient or work as well for hauling around a 400 lb cat, possibly one of the most unwieldy objects you can move.
The price looks expensive but once you price out the induvidual parts yourself you realize that any profit Florida Sailcraft is making from them is from thier ability to buy parts wholesale. The wheels themselves are well over $100 a piece retail.
There is a reason you very rarely see them for sale unless the person is getting right out of sailing. And the used price is almost always within $50 of brand new!
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Dave Bonin
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Posted: Jun 30, 2011 - 05:55 PM
We keep four 1.5 inch PVC sections in our hull while sailing. They are about 18" long and don't weigh more than 2 lbs. We do alot of ocean and intercoastal sailing and sometimes we get screwed by the tide when we land on shore. If we are on shore for more than 30 minutes and the tide is going out, unless you constantly move the boat into the water, you can wind up with the boat 100 feet from floatable water.
When this happens, we pull out the PVC sections and use them to roll the boat back to the water. It sure is much easier on the hulls and my back to roll the boat versus dragging it through the sand.
The PVC pipe also makes a nice holder for flares I carry.
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Posted: Jun 30, 2011 - 06:09 PM
Yeah, that's one of the only short comings of the Cat Trax, kind of hard to take em with you when sailing to a destination beach. Although I have done that by sitting them on the hulls in front of the mast.
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Posted: Jul 01, 2011 - 08:25 AM
Yeah, for portability you can't beat a couple of pieces of plastic. Another cheap, well free method for those short distances is a couple pieces of 2x2, or in my case a couple 3" diameter driftwood branches that washed ashore. Occaisionally I move my Cat up on the lawn to tip it over. With a driftwood branch under each hull I can easily slide it along solo. Only downside is the kids keep placing my "Cat Traks" in the firepit.
It would suck to move your Cat over dunes with this method, but it's hard to beat for 50' or so.
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Posted: Jul 01, 2011 - 09:21 AM
most of us take our wheels to the islands when we camp (often). we place them on the front of our bows (most of us have spin poles that prevent placing them near the beam.) Works well but is a pita to get under the spin bridals, and makes the boat handle poorly.
There is a sailor in Cali that used to carry 3 pvc pipes with boat bumpers on each end when he sailed to Catalina to use as wheels so he could pull his cat up the rocky beaches. -
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Posted: Jul 01, 2011 - 12:25 PM
like the pvc tube trick! i was camping last month and beached at high tide, next morning the boat was a good 50' from the shore...got my morning exercise for sure...will try them next time, thanks cbb and ericweller!
Edited by coastrat on Jul 01, 2011 - 12:28 PM.
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bill harris
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Posted: Jul 14, 2011 - 02:52 PM
I'm kind of interested in this PVC pipe idea. I am going to myrtle beach in two weeks and don't own nor wish to own cat trax for the 1-2 times per year I would use them. I'm usually at the boat ramp on a lake. Do the pipes actually roll on the sand, or do they stay put and the boat slides over them? Or is there someone in MB who would loan me theirs (assuming they would fit my boat)?
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Posted: Jul 14, 2011 - 05:16 PM
I used the pvc idea in the past with my H18, but noticed that there was a lot of abrasion on both the pvc
and the hull from the sand. There is an H16 on the beach that uses 6" pvc cut in half with the rounded
side up. He has used these for years and there are some deep grooves worn into them. I have switched
to Prindle petes idea of using plastic lattice. I leave them on the tramp for trailering and then set them on the
sand to hold my spot. hulls slide nicely on them.
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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
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Posted: Jul 16, 2011 - 08:40 PM
Any ideas as to where I can store the trailer while I'm there?
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Eric C
Force 5 project boat
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