Cheap Beach wheels for my Hobie 16

I was looking to buy beach wheels. I called Murray's and the advice I got was not to get plastic wheels if I would be using them on sand - much harder to pull the boat. At around $500, I could not do it.

Being patient, I was able to make a set for under $60. They weigh in at around 80 pounds though.

I scrounged the following for free -
Rusted out catamaran trailer, no longer usable (Craigslist is great!).
Old ATV wheels/tires that did not hold air

1) Cut the trailer up with a saws-all, saved the axle and cross members that originally supported the catamaran, and couple of 3 foot pieces from the rest of the trailer.
2) I cut 16 inches out of the axle, welded it back together.
3) Put two new inner-tubes in the tires (ouch - cost me $35.00) Bought some tire dressing at the 99 cent store to clean them up.
4) Painted the rims white, the rest black (ouch again, $15 in paint)
5) I got lucky and the axle bolt pattern fit just inside the rim opening - used big washers to "pinch" the rim between the hub and lug nuts.

It works great, very sturdy.



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1980 18 foot class A Unicorn catamaran
1977 Super Sunfish (sold)
1979 Hobie (sold)
1983 Hobie 16 Hawiian Sunset (sold)
1981 Hobie 16 Tequilla Sunrise (sold)
2008 Hobie 16 (sold)
2023 Hobie 16
Founding member of the "San Dimas Yacht Club"
John

In time, when the money is there, you may want to change out the steel supports with some T6 aluminum square tubing. It'll cut down the weight a ton (pun, get it, ton). How do you secure them to your boat? Aside from that you did an outstanding job, they look great! Are you going to bring them to Lake Havasu in November for HAVAMEGA?

Awesome job.

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Alfred
'87 H16 Sail 89907
If you aren't sailing on the edge, you're taking up too much room.

Weight seems to be the main concern her. The fat rubber wheels, the axle that is designed to handle >500 lbs at highway speeds, the frame around it... all that stuff probabely weights many times as much as the Murray beach wheels would weigh. I guess it is O.K. if the Hobie rests on the those beach wheels during the season, but if you have to transport the those beach wheels no your trailer and unload and load every single time you take the boat out the weight of the construction will become a pain real fast...

Patrick

It looks like they would be great to leave on the beach that you keep your hobie.

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Bodhisatfa

To dispel any "rumors" or wives tales. I see this time and time again
while Murray's is a great source of parts...
they do not manufacture Cat Trax...Florida Sailcraft does
http://www.floridasailcraft.com/
and...you can just as easily purchase these through your local Hobie dealer

ps Murray's Marine is not a Hobie dealer ps

thread hijack off...carry on

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Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com