Cat Trax HELP me understand

I live on a lake - I have 3 16's We don't trailer them. We don't have sand. But we do have 100ft or so of "wetlands" This is muck, sand mixed here and there, lots of roots of cat tails etc. (bumpy, mucky) from where we start sailing to shore. At present - I keep all 3 boats in the water. (not good I'm seeing) so I purchased 100.00 in wheel chocks) rubber blocks. And after we pull in I put the chocks under the hulls to keep them an inch or (less) out of the water. Kinda works - but I'm often alone and the hulls are heavy. Bottom unstable - works but not ideal.

I have sold items and have some extra cash - 400.00 for cat trax is pretty pricey. But well worth it if they'd be of value to me? do you think they would be in this situation? can one person walking in muck - pull a 16 80 ft or so to the shore? Will the hulls stay on them? or if the wheels get hung up will they just slide off? (with one set of trax) does the hobie balance on them? 400+ is a bit much to find out that they're a total waste for my needs.

Here's the situation - notice about 80ft. The one boat on the beach is there before 2 of us wrestled it up there. We don't mind this once a year, but every time out? No way.

Can one person handle a "MAST UP" 16 on cat trax in this situation?

Thanks for your advice! Water is often up and down - at times all this muck is underwater and the boats will float up most of the way. But late summer, it's down and there is more muck than water. SEE PHOTO

You could make a roller track to pull them across with 2X4s and pvc or abs pipe. You can usually find these things for free if you know where to look. It will look like two narrow ladders. I used 3/4" pipe and drilled 2X4s with a 1" spade bit every 16"

Not sure I'm into that, or allowed to do it. (wetlands n all)
to Cat Trax owners? would they work well over this terrain?

I don't think cat trax would work in this application. When you travel across the muck with the cat trax a suction would develop by the wheels in the muck, making it more difficult to move the boats. You need something that has more surface area to disperse the weight of the boats.

You definitely need to check on impacts to the wetlands. I know down here in Florida, wetland impacts are a nono.

_________________
Paul

2013 Tandem Island

Well if you put something under the hulls and used a winch to pull up the boats, that could solve your problem with minimal impact

I dont see why not, there is a dock right there, some other lumber over there on the right, and all that vegetation has been cleared, 3 catamarans sitting there, lol the 9" wide roller tracks would be the least, and much less of an impact than all that, or even less impact than the cat tracks which would bog down in the muck, which im sure you are definitely not into.

With the mast on the cat, the wheels are not easy to manage, or to get underneath while in the water.

If it really is a protected wetlands, you should probably delete the picture you posted.

The roller tracks would be less work to put together than dragging the boat through that muck just once IMO. I think it would glide across the level pvc rollers like butter.

I wasn't aware of wetland/rules and had 200 yrds of sand installed here. Then DEQ came and I had 200 yards of sand removed. So learned the hard way. I'm permitted to do what I have now.

I don't understand how the rails would look/work? PVC rails? How do the boats slide on them? One set of rails? and maybe all 3 boats slide up in a line? I just want them out of the water. Not necessarily on shore, however shore is usually in shade... and that would be a plus to the boats.

I've also wondered about 12" PVC pipe. (10ft long.) what if I put it in the water so taht 2-3 inches are above and then rolled the boats up on 2 of these? I don't mind leaving them off shore, as long as they're a inch or 3 above the water line.

I was allowed to have sand (out) so there is sand on the bottom under those boats further out.

So what sort of design would the rails be?

Basically like two ladders. The lumber as the support on the sides and PVC or ABS for the rungs.

_________________
Marc...
1978 Hobie 16 Keoke, sail# 36 84

Email sent with sketch/design. Feel free to reply if you have questions.

I agree that cat trax wouldn't likely work well in that muck. I have to push mine through a ~30 degree incline of deep, soft sand and it's a job. I can't imagine trying to get cat trax through that slop.

The link may help. I did not build this myself, just saw it posted and thought it was interesting. I've seen others built differently (larger PVC) but essentially perform the same function.

Not saying this would necessarily work as a solution to your issue considering the distance you have to cover, just sharing what I have that may be relevant in some way. If nothing else it might get some other ideas flowing.

You could build two sets of these 12' long. Placed end to end and alternating as you go would get you there, eventually. To keep them from sinking you could put pressure treated plywood on the bottom, and/or boat fenders, and/or PVC endcaps to gain some additional buoyancy. Just thoughts!

Good luck!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 8356_n.jpg

_________________
'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

Too much work and money to build those ladders long enough. Too much work to build a set and keep moving them.
What I would do:
1. Borrow some trax and test. May be the surface is stable enough. Local dealer, sailing folk, club?
2. Leave in the water but paint a waterline on the boat out of good marine paint for bottoms.
3. Get three cheap boat lifts and modify. (bulky and what do you do in the winter?)
Scratch that idea
4. Modify the block system you have to make it easier (perhaps a pry bar system where you have leverage to lift a corner AND reach over and install block.

_________________
H18, H17 & Various motor boats

There's the most plausible answer. When you want to move the boats to dry land it is going to be work drugging through the muck, whether you have cat trax or not.

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

I still suggest building the the ladders full length out of cheap or scavenged 2X4s and 3/4" pipe every 16 inches.

It takes about 20 seconds per hole.

I got some cat-trax a few years back and kick myself for not getting them sooner. I solo a H17Sport and the tracks have made it so much easier on me and the boat. I have not used them in the situation you have, I guess it would depend on how soft the muck is.

Depending on how deep that muck is, I actually think Cat Trax (rubber tire version) would work quite well here. Keep in mind you can increase the surface area on these things significantly by simply lowering the tire pressure. Earlier this summer when I didn't have any help, I managed to get my Trax in place on my H18 by submerging them underneath the stern while the boat was still in the water (bows on the beach at water's edge). Once the wheels were in place I was able to pull the boat out of the water "oxen-style" by walking it up with the bridal wires. This might be your best option. As far as moving your 16s through the muck, I doubt think you would have much of a problem. Having said that, my concern would be the presence of submerged sticks and other sharp objects that could puncture your tires. I've seen a homemade set of beach wheels made out of 55 gallon plastic drums and a long aluminum pipe. Perhaps something like that would work.