Moving around an AI or TI on the beach

Hello to all of you on this forum from a new user!

I am right now on the brink of putting down my deposit on an AI or TI. I'm still on the fence as to whether the AI or TI is better for me, and have read all the various and valuable posts comparing these two boats.

In the meanwhile, I have a question for experienced users of these craft.

The boat will be kept at my beach house on Isla Holbox in Mexico. My house is in the front row on the beach about 150 feet away from the water line (depending on the tide). Between the area where the AI/TI will be stowed and the water, there is nothing other than soft sand. Is there any problem with dragging one of these boats (either the AI or the TI) fully rigged across the beach in front of my house and into the water. I understand that the AI weighs in at around 115 pounds fully rigged, and the TI is presumably alot more than that. Do I risk any damage to the hull from dragging it over the beach? Would it be preferable for me to remove the akas/amas to perform this operation?

I'm hoping that I don't need to buy a cart, and that I'll be able to move the boat in and out of the water by myself. Any comments?

Thanks very much in advance!

The TI weighs about 190 lbs. when fully rigged. That doesn't count food, beer, or water.

Dragging anything through the sand will will cause damage. If you're going to sail alone the TI will probably get damaged less because more than likely you won't be able to drag it very far.

Seriously, spend the money and get a good cart with wheels designed for the sand. It will save your back and the bottom of your boat.

If you end up with a tandem I want to be the first to come down and visit you to help you get comfortable sailing it.

¡Buena suerte!

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Jerry D.
St. Johns, Florida
2010 TI
2008 AI

??

http://www.digitalmisery.com/2010/07/be ... edgeekdad/

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Alan W.

Papaya AI2 to replace my well worn V1
TheTwins - His/Hers 2007 Papaya Hobie Adventure Island's (v1.00.01)
.. and a Hobie Outback SUV

What kind of sand? Is it quartz or limestone/coral? It makes a big difference as to how much abrasion it causes. Quartz and igneous sand is like sand paper. Limestone sand is like talc.


We just drug our brand new TI up out of the waves onto a high point on the beach yesterday for the first time. It's too much for one guy to drag without a cart or rollers or something.



The amas and akas DO come off easily, as does the mast. So you can lighten it up considerably if you do have to haul it alone. That's gonna get old, though.

After what I've been reading about the scupper hole carts, I think I would make my own using PVC and 4 wheels and a couple slings.

Or walk out on the beach with a six pack of cerveza and find three other guys to carry it.

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Island life in the Devil's Triangle:
http://2gringos.blogspot.com/

I've dragged my fully rigged AI over soft sand heaps of times with no apparent ill effects.

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From personal experience...dragging the TI on (clean) soft sand is easier without the Hobie Heavy Duty Cart.

I've tried it with the cart and the wheels simply dig in. It could even cause cracking problems with the scupper holes (as per Paul67 post - viewtopic.php?f=71&t=33601) as a result of excessive force against it.

The Hobie Heavy Duty Cart wheels are simply too narrow for soft sand. And the buggy (sand) wheels are too weak to carry the weight of the TI.

Which leads me a question....has anyone found where you can get heavy duty beach wheels using the Heavy Duty Hobie Cart frame?

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H@mmer
"Intelligence is nothing without imagination"

Give these guys a look, it may be what you are looking for.
http://www.wheeleez.com/

I have always used wheels to drag my TI across the sand to the water; its hard, so hard that I only move the hull and then take everything to the TI hull to assemble. If you are getting the TI/AI a few extra dollars (pesos) will be worth keeping your baby in good nick

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Paul, Rebecca & Stephanie

I have about the same conditions as you have, over a little lawn, than over a few sand bags and down the beach a couple of hundred feet. I have two different carts a KFS plug in that is about the same as the Hobie Heavy Duty cart, I bought the wheels from Wheeleez and they are the wide sand wheels, added padding at the bottom of the posts and across the top of the frame. I don't assemble the TI but do stack everything in the kayak, strap it down and haul it all to my launch location, I stack it because there is a narrow passage through the landscaping and the rigged boat won't fit. I find the fully loaded kayak pretty easy to pull to my launch site, it is a little more challenging pulling it up the beach and over the sand bags but still doable, I'm 63. The wheels are the key to success.

If you love your AI or TI like I do, try to drag it as little as possible to prevent and reduce hull scrapes and scratches.

Get the Wheeleez mini kayak cart with big sand tires for about $100 or find a buddy to help you carry it to the beach.

Enjoy!

Alex near Pensacola, FL

Got a great deal on a used AI in Nov. 2010 from a guy who just bought a new TI.

Sugar - Check the models. http://www.wheeleez.com/canoe-kayak-carts.php

The full-sized Kayak Cart Beach with 30cm Polyurethane wheels is the one that's rated for the TI. It has a double kickstand too.

The mini cart uses the 24cm balloon wheels found on the new Hobie cart. They can barely handle a loaded AI on level ground,

Unfortunately, they do not make a scupper cart with 30cm or larger wheels, something that is badly needed for our sailing models.

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

I think you can use the Wheeleez 30cm tire on the Hobie cart, I used them on the KFS cart and they work great.

Nope.

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

Drats

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H@mmer
"Intelligence is nothing without imagination"