The beach has gotten very steep this year. It would be great to have powered cat trax.

Assumptions, it won't go in water
Smooth tires will grip in sand

Maybe driven with a Dewalt portable drill and timing belt.

This may become a huge project t fast. I have access to a machine shop and welder.

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John

Nacra 5.0
CT
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It's an interesting idea, but Cat Trax are a fixed axle with free-rotating wheels on delrin bearing rods. There is no place for a drive mechanism. I have used block and tackle, and could see a winch being used to move Cat Trax a short distance up steep beach. I'm in the same situation this year as the beach has eroded out enough that when I try to muscle the cat up, the wheels get caught on the face of the cut. That's not too bad, but it would be nice to get some mechanical assist.

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Tom
NACRA 5.7 (1984 Sail 181)
Pennsylvania
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https://www.homedepot.com…gTVEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

If the embankment has fallen away, can you keep a couple of 2x10s on the beach to put out as a ramp?

MN3

Aluminium A frame that clamps to the Cat Trax axel with a couple of large hose clamps, the pointy end hitching on to a unit like this, I like it.

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1335 XTSea Nacra 5.8 NA
605 Nacra 4.5
Cleveland Yacht Club
Brisbane, AU
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I have a worm drive come-along (a very rare find) that I converted to use a battery drill and 3mm dyneema. Spools up 100ft of line. I hook to the mast base, run the drill with one hand and attempt to do pitch control with the other. The free end of the line is to a danforth in the sand. Handy in a pinch but not a speedy way to move a boat.

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FYC, Nacra 5.2 "Chris's Flyer" & Nacra Playcat & Farrier Tramp
Previously owned: Trac 14, H14, H16, H18, N5.0, G-cat 5.0
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Pease share a picture!
I would not recommend the mast base, i had a very dangerous incident long time ago: was pulling the boat out of the water from the mast base and the mast base came off the mast. Fortunately I got help and lowered the mast safely, but it was very close to disaster. It was a project boat and there were “design” flaws that that I hadn’t seen, but still, it may be potentially very dangerous.

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I would not recommend the mast base

Consider tying a bridle to the rear beam and pulling the boat up backwards. Plenty strong.

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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the ol' atv winch with a remote may be the solution. put the wheels under the cat, hook a line from the cat (make a bridal for the bows or sterns) and walk with the boat (to keep it level) and with the wireless remote .... winch away

winch can be on your vehicle or create a portable system by mounting it on a base and use some type of anchors to keep it in place

Dave farmer used to do this and somewhere on this site is his setup

Edit:

https://www.thebeachcats.…ictures?g2_itemId=113087



Edited by MN3 on Sep 05, 2023 - 07:10 PM.

Great ideas, thanks. The worm drive winch and anchor is a simple solution. This one is $100 DUTTON LAISON WG1500 WORM GEAR WINCH 1500lb

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John

Nacra 5.0
CT
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My battery drill winch. The black tape is to cover the greased bronze bearing.

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$100 DUTTON LAISON WG1500 WORM GEAR WINCH 1500lb

Do the math on the winch speed for this or an ATV winch. Typically it is painfully slow. If you make the drum fatter you can pickup some speed. Also a 1:2 ratio setup (an anchor in the sand by your boat and a block on the winch line) will double the pull speed.



Edited by rch701 on Sep 06, 2023 - 10:22 AM.

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FYC, Nacra 5.2 "Chris's Flyer" & Nacra Playcat & Farrier Tramp
Previously owned: Trac 14, H14, H16, H18, N5.0, G-cat 5.0
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