Also, the target weight is 40 pounds total without cradles. I weighed my old set with knobby wheels and several cans of green slime inside and they were 43.5 pounds (no cradles).
Anyone got a brand new set and a digital fish scale handy? I could have sworn mine are much heavier than others I've used (they even have a handle welded on) but Murrays told me a new set weights "about" 40 pounds.
Homemade Beach Wheels
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Posted: Apr 03, 2015 - 03:19 PM
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Posted: Apr 03, 2015 - 06:25 PM
Weight on the axle, not weight of axle
Why 3.5 lbs more means failure where 3.5 less lbs means success
Why challenge targets determined after real prices furnished. Seems invitation to challenge is an invitation to fail. Why's that. We were already failing before you decided to start the challenge, which is why I'm not participating. How could I. I was failed upon the start of the challenge.
Damon, you won!
Side note: I'm building a two hull outrigger boat. I need an axle 3 ft long with two wheels to move that hull the reason I'm researching wheels etc. I don't even need beach wheels for the hobie 18 as I'm launching that at a boat ramp. Now it would be nice if the wheels I buy for the outrigger would work for hobie cat but it's not that important at the moment. I already have the tubing for that axle.
All the best.
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Goodsailing
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Posted: Apr 03, 2015 - 06:31 PM
I must say, I paid full price and shipping for them and they may seem expensive but are worth every penny. I've seen so many bad homemade cat tracks its starting to get hilarious. One of my friends actually has a really good set of homemade tiger tracks, but the wheels leak and they are about 80 lbs. Honestly I the cat tracks I have aren't complicated to make. If something breaks I can source almost every part locally (escept the end pieces and the fire hose rubber, if I need to. However, if I wanted to build a full set and sourced all the parts, the cost would be similar to just buying them from florida sailcraft. Then I would have to spend the time drilling the bits and putting them together. In the long run, I'd rather be sailing. This is one of the few sailboat parts that I would say are not overpriced for what you do. ANdd besides you can use themfor other purposes. I use mine to move my 16' aluminum boat around and float out my rail system for my ski boat. :)
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: Apr 03, 2015 - 06:50 PM
Where do you get the plastic rims? To fit the nanco 21 12 8 tire? Steel ones are about 8lbs each. Not sure the weight of tire.
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Goodsailing
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Posted: Apr 04, 2015 - 06:12 AM
goodsailing...just my $.02 for what it's worth. made these almost 10 years ago and haven't had any problems here on our sandy beach.yeah they can pull harder than "official" beach wheels but it works for me
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures?g2_itemId=82521
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Mike Conway
H16
Hilton, NY
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Posted: Apr 04, 2015 - 08:10 AM
goodsailing, will you be in fresh or salt water? (i asked somewhere else but i can't find it) -
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Posted: Apr 04, 2015 - 08:53 AM
Brakish
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Posted: Apr 04, 2015 - 10:50 AM
Mike, plastic dock wheels under consideration...
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Posted: Apr 04, 2015 - 01:44 PM
Built these for my Wave as the full sized wheels rubbed the hulls. Probably could have redrilled the axle and made them adjustable but just wanted to see if I could do it.Got the whole thing done for under a hundred bucks. 22x11-10 ATV wheels and tires off Ebay for 25 bucks (cost 35 to ship), 2"ID aluminum tube...1/16" wall. Wheel hubs were pvc compression fittings.
Holes in fittings actually matched the rim. Collars were cutting board material. Wheel mounting bolts were plastic 3/8" toilet seat mounting screws (the rounded nuts actually center the rim to the hub)
It went together quickly and I have been pleased with it. The Wave sits on the carpeted 2x6 and the straps are then cinched tight over the top. For my next project I was toying with the idea of a motorized set of beach wheels to move the heavier boats back into our mast up storage area. How about a Rascal motor or wheelchair motor for each wheel controlled by two-way toggle switches for each motor. You would have forward, reverse and toggle steering. Moving a Getaway a hundred yards by yourself takes more balls than I have. So, any ideas?
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Posted: Apr 04, 2015 - 03:03 PM
We have supersoft sand here and I can promise those plastic wheels would sink right down. Even the plastic wheels that Cat Trax makes, with their sweet bearing system, were almost impossible to move across the dune to the beach.
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Paul T.
6 Hobie Getaways, 3 Waves, & an H16
Sea Island Water Sports, GA
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Posted: Apr 04, 2015 - 07:41 PM
Which is why I brought up the quality of sand here:
http://www.thebeachcats.c…c/15522/start/0#pid55520
Probably good to beach launch when the parking lot is filled with cars and people. This way you can pull some help from curious onlookers. Perhaps even offer rides for help.
Is this a community sport....
Looks like these guy's have it down in how to move a boat..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWpsuQe5zg0
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Goodsailing
Laser-Standard Rig (Sold 6/15)
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Posted: Apr 05, 2015 - 06:26 PM
I built a set for myself. IMO, they are pretty darn close to the real thing in weight and performance. Delrin bearings would make the difference for me. I use them most of the time now. They cost me about $300 to build. If I added my skilled larbor in machining and TIG welding, They would cost more than the Sailcraft Wheels.
http://www.thebeachcats.c…opic/topic/14435/start/0
The link also includes a weight comparison, my wheels currently weigh 11lbs more than most Cat-trax. All of that weight is in the tires alone with are substantially heavier than the smooth ones. That 11lbs is pretty dang noticeable after a hard days sailing.
Using steel hubs and axle would push the weight up FAST! I would advise you weigh the wheel/tire combo your looking at before you start.
I have been able to purchase several used sets at $250 or less which is by far the best way to go. -
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Posted: Apr 06, 2015 - 07:07 AM
Here's what I'm thinking
Rims
http://www.mfgsupply.com/az1006.html
Hub:
http://www.bmikarts.com/4…1-ID-Bearing_p_1644.html
Nanco wheels same ones on Cattrax
http://www.tires-easy.com…t_kw=&wt_mc=sortpricecom
Or buy the tractor supply rims& wheels with 20 x 10 x 8 tires and use the above hub. These tires are rated at 1,000lbs whereas the nanco are 350lbs..
Not sure about weight and then again its the combined weight on axle not weight of axle making impressions on the sand. For instance, if you removed the mast the whole thing is 50lbs lighter etc.
Edited by goodsailing on Apr 06, 2015 - 07:08 AM.
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Goodsailing
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Posted: Apr 06, 2015 - 12:16 PM
I would not be concerned at all with the tire rating, I would be very concerned though with the 1" axle. I have had a couple sets of wheels that had slightly bent axles from the weight of a 400lb boat. Mostly happened when pushing boats up, over, and off of obstacles. Even a nice beach often have some humps and bumps in the dunes. That was with a 2" .120" wall axle. A 1" (solid?) axle would be hard pressed to survive in such conditions.
The weight of the wheels themselves is only a concern for the person that has to carry them around. Sometimes you have to haul them a long ways, you really start to feel those pounds when you have to carry them back up a boat ramp to lock to your trailer.
As I said before, my wheels are currently about 50lbs or 10lbs more than the factory trax. You really feel that difference when you have to carry them. Luckily I am a bigger and younger guy and can deal with it enough to not bother changing the tires out yet. If they weighed another 10lbs, I think that would really bother me. -
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Posted: Apr 06, 2015 - 06:45 PM
There are no 2" bore hubs that will fit a 4 bolt 4 circle rim.. the reason you machined one.
4130 aircraft tubing, 1" .156 wall is pretty stiff, 1.4 lb per foot. It's used for aircraft. BUT as you say...would it support 400lb boat. Wouldn't you put a lasso around the wheels and pull it back and forth, not carry it... so it's about carrying the wheels, not weight of axle has on going through sand.. OK...Need a dolly for the beach wheels perhaps..
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Posted: Apr 06, 2015 - 08:12 PM
Check this site out, pretty cool tool to compare the stiffness of different tubes.
http://metalgeek.com/static/deflection.php -
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Posted: Apr 07, 2015 - 12:09 PM
That is cool.
I took a 3 ft section of 1" 4130 and put it between 2 bricks and held 50lbs (250lbs total) while standing on it. Didn't budge. Still not sure it would hold boat.
Here's the dilemma. If I go steel rims, aluminum 1" hubs and nanco tires and it doesn't work I'm out $300. The wheels probably wouldn't be worth anything to anyone else so I'd be out $300. If I bought the lawn mower wheels and tires 20 x 10 x 8 and it didn't work, I probably could sell the wheels and tires.. so I'd be out perhaps $200... there seems to be much discussion about lawn mower wheels not working, yet no one has mention the size of the tire on the lawn mower wheel that didn't work. I saw J. Deer tires in Lowes yesterday sporting 21 11's Buying the cattrax, I'd be out $250, provided I could sell them down the road for half of what I paid. Decisions, decisions, not knowing exactly the type of sand I might be facing as I intend to travel up and down the East coast launching my boat.
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Goodsailing
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Posted: Apr 07, 2015 - 12:49 PM
Goodsailing,
The whole homemade beach wheel thing is fun but for your specific situation with a Hobie 18 launching from boat ramps, you may not need wheels at all.
I have a set but only use them down on the Gulf Coast when I need to move my H18 a good distance across soft sand to leave it on the beach overnight. Or those rare locations where there is no ramp and you need to drop the boat directly on the sand and have a distance to the water.
At my home lake and places where I am day sailing and there is a ramp I don't use them at all.
So go sailing for a while this season and see how many times you wish you had wheels. I sailed Hobie 18's for at least 12 years without beach wheels.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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Posted: Apr 07, 2015 - 01:44 PM
Well here's the beach:
https://www.google.com/ma…e3!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0
They have ramp to the sand... then sand to the water... 60' or so stretch.
Now here's the boat ramp. Notice how you have to go from boat ramp along the BAY BRIDGE to get to the water. Nearly impossible to sail that. Rock jetti on one side and bay bridge on the other via the channel from pond to Chesapeake Bay.
https://www.google.com/ma…e3!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0
The reason I'm thinking beach wheels.
They have overnight trailer parking here. Which is a good thing
Edited by goodsailing on Apr 07, 2015 - 01:47 PM.
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Goodsailing
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Building 19' Tacking Outrigger
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Posted: Apr 07, 2015 - 02:46 PM
Looks like you are definitely in the " drop the boat directly on the sand and have a distance to the water " category.
Carry on.
Major plus is that looks like a great place to launch and sail a beachcat!
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