Making the C-Tug Cart TI friendly.

I’ve been using a C-Tug cart as a secondary cart (under the rear scuppers) mainly for retrieving the TI, or getting it on/off the trailer. I have never liked the C-Tug flat supports that don’t conform to the hull shape so it has never been the TI’s primary cart.
By adding the new Hobie #80044202 CRADLE / PLUG-IN CART FOR TI USE to the C-Tug cart it becomes much more suited to carrying the TI. The hull is evenly supported and the C-Tug becomes an effective dolly cart. The original straps hold the cradle well and the whole thing can be easily dismantled for storage.


Fitting the cradle is simple:
Drill two holes slidely wider than strap width about 15mm in from the end.


Using a dremel grind a slot between the two holes and then a centered slot to make a “T” slot


The strap can then be inserted and removed easily




The strap locates the cradle and the non slip C-Tug supports self adjust to hold the cradle well


The C-Tug is now an effective dolly cart. It is easily fitted by running the two straps either side of the hull, sliding the cart into place and tightening/ locking the strap.


It’s early days but so far this cart has a number of advantages over my previous (viewtopic.php?f=73&t=40346) trailer cradle based dolly cart:
-its cheaper (around ($200 all up)
-the wheels are below the hull and don’t rub on the ama.
-the hull sits higher and is less prone to stern scrapes
-the cart dismantles easily for storage, is light, strong and well made with a 120kg rating.
I plan to add the solid HD Wheeleez wheels to eliminate punctures.
The only negative so far is that if the cart gets hung up on an obstacle it can rock slightly until the wide base support hits the hull. Some foam to raise the height either side of the cradle should eliminate that.

Cool. The ground clearance looks good.

Are you strapping it on?

All you need is 2 of those rigs joined with alum pipe through the center hole. Instant BatCart "V3" .

Well done mate. Does it all fold up enough to fit in the front hatch ? And are the axles metal or plastic? Are there bush's or bearing's in there somewhere ?

_________________


Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

Nohuhu,
It's strapped on, right around the hull. The original strap fits easily. Once you get the hang of the C-Tug strap you can get it so tight it doesn't move when underway. The cradles hull-molded shape and the carts non slip support pad work well to hold the TI securely. Fitted over the balance point (aft cradle edge just over forward scuppers) I haven't felt a need for a Bat Cart though yes it should work as you said.

Slaughter,
Thanks. The C-Tug is a very cleverly designed cart which breaks down in seconds (search Youtube there's plenty of clips...even a comp for the fastest assembly time!). It fits in an 8" hatch (except for the wheels). It has a stainless axle encased in plastic and a plastic hubbed wheel which rolls smoothly without bearings. I have the older pneumatic wheels. Newer carts come with an all purpose wide wheel though I'm not sure how effective that would be in sand? I'm going to add the HD Wheeleez foam wheels to it. They are puncture proof. If I could work out a way to fit balloon wheels it could be the best all purpose cart, but the axles are too short!

Here's a breakdown shot of the cart, showing the axles/hubs.

Thanks for the post. I believe I will have to try your solution. While I have not had any problems with hull deformation on the C-Tug, adding the support should eliminate any possibilities. Granted, when my boat goes on the cart, it's usually for short distances.

The modification I would really like to figure out would be to put some balloon type beach wheels on the cart. Currently, this is the one big limitation. I've thought about buying the solid wheels (I still have the inflatables) to see if that improves it. However, I'm guessing it would still be a struggle.

I agree with you flaneur. I'm a bit sceptical of the sand claims they make with the new hard wheels/sidewinder extensions. I'd love to be proved wrong on this though. If they were effective it would really make the C-Tug the most versatile of carts.

Nice! I have a CTug and it has worked just fine, but I only used it for short hauls, so I have not seen any problems with hull deformation. I like that I can break it down and stow it in a hatch. It may be a worthwhile enhancement, though, to get a cradle. Not terribly expensive. It goes on the list right behind tramps (and/or hakas) and a spare tire for my trailer.

I have not seen the sidewinders. Those may be a worth trying. They don't appear to be available in the US yet.

Just Wondering..... Is there an Add On to hard wheels that would increase the footprint to handle sand??? I was thinking something similar to snow chains that are added and strapped onto a tire. I was thinking of small plastic bars that were connected by a flat strap and then tied onto a tire thereby increasing it's surface area enuf to handle the weight on the sand. This would be laid out flat on the ground and then attached to the wheel as you roll trailer forward continuing to attach the bars. Seems that you could deflate the tire quite a bit and then pump up once attached to tighten the entire rig.

Anyone??

FraznDaf - What you describe appears to be what the sidewinders are. Unfortunately, I can't find a retailer in the U.S. Check out the video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg__ZZOYSjY[/youtube]

Update:
I've eliminated the cradle rocking on the C-Tug support bases by adding some 25mm aluminium tube with semi-circles cut in to them to accept the cradles strengthening groove:



Clamp the tubes together and cut holes using a 28mm hole saw



The tube clips secure the tube to the carts cradle platform


Rocking is now eliminated and the hull is held securely

Nice. Clever design!
What were the clamps original intended purpose? How did you come by these?

Thanks flaneur.
I used a Kincrome clamping workbench.
http://www.kincrome.com.au/web/catalogu ... mber=k9900

Setting up the tube so that it would only require two holes drilled was probably the hardest part of this mod. I also used a couple of G clamps vertically at each end of the tubes to secure them as well.
The other tricky bit was getting the holes started. I used a step drill initially then swapped to the hole saw.

Another great Stringy solution.
Looks good

Those sidewinders look interesting too

_________________
Mickey
2016 AI Hibiscus
purchased NEW Nov 2021 - My 5th
Adventure Island Sailing since 2008