Hand Carrying an 18

I made a similar post in the Sailing Forum but thought I would appeal to the sages in the 18 Forum.

I only need beach wheels once or twice a year - they are great but I cant get myself to spend $450 for so little use.

Does any one have a good way that 4 - 6 guys can carry or move an 18 about 50 yards (once a day) mast up through sugary beach sand. Good ideas for handles maybe? Other handy carry methods?

Thank you!

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1984 Hobie 18

Don't carry : roll it !
You can make/use rolling material that is cheap : On a trekking voyage with my 18 round Corsica ( Mediterranean) we used 4 inflatable fenders, just 2 people and a very heavyly laden cat : no problem. The cat rolled smoothly on those fenders.
If you want to do It VERY cheaply you could use filled up plastic waterbottles I suppose.
Good luck !

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Michel

Search this site for information on building two PVC rope ladders. Each hull rests on ladders that you can "leapfrog" as you move the cat forward. You can see a version of this at 2:35 in the Hobie 21 promotional video. I'm guessing you could build them for less than $40 and the only tools you would need are a drill and a handsaw....

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

You can easily make your own wheels. I have done it with golf car tires and rims and a wooden frame and I made a set with galvanized pipe and atv wheels. Both worked well but nothing compares to the cat tracks with the large inflatable wheels. I can single handedly roll my boat anywhere on those wheels. Homemade will work but has a limited lifespan.

Bite the bullit and get some wheels, you will not regret it.


If you want to carry it then some foot straps placed on the outer lip at the rear and a loop at the dagger bungee tie off will work. It takes 4 guys to move one safely, 3 can do it but it can get sketchy.

+1 best 450 of sailing $'s I've ever spent...hands down

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

It takes only one minor injury (even a twisted ankle!) to offset the cost of the proper tool - beach wheels. Have even a slight back or neck injury and all bets are off.

My beach wheels have served me and my 21SE for 22 years.They still look new too.I have had one flat that was repairable.The cost of these wheels was totally worth it.
Good luck,Bill 404 21SE

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Bill 404 21SE

Beach wheels make moving your boat ridiculously easy and two people can do it. You may also find them handy for other uses you may not have thought of yet. Your problem is the "mast up" part, which makes the boat a bit more unwieldy. However, if you must be cheap about it then move the boat with the mast down with one person at each corner.

I can tell you from personal experience that 4 guys can pick up a fully rigged 18 with wings from the deck lip and move short distances. I've done this a ton. It's not my favorite way of moving the boats, but it's not impossible. I wouldn't consider drilling holes and installing foot straps in my boat for this purpose only. There are other ways of accomplishing this without making permanent alterations to your boat.

If you plan on doing this on a regular basis and it's fairly flat build 4 of the PVC ladders.

Of course the best way of doing things is to bite the bullet and get the beach wheels. My new boat came with them and they have most definitely make life so much better.

Adam

Thanks for all the ideas guys. Last year I was able to rent ($50) for the week a set of wheels for this annual trip and I know how great they are. I dont think they are available anymore.

We will have up to 6 very willing (younger than me) guys each day to help carry so I am going to look at these ideas.

One idea I am considering as well are drywall carriers. These have a handle and a lip that would fit right under the deck lip and are very sturdy. Put one in each hand of the six guys and have at it.

Here is a pic of one- They can be found for about $7 ea.

http://www.hardwarestore.com/pop-print/larger-image.aspx?prodNo=34319

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1984 Hobie 18

I have to ask... Why?

The drywall lifters are a waste of money. Have the 6 guys just lift the boat from the lip. Its fast, easy and cheap.

I would position 2 people behind the rear crossbar inside the hulls. Each grabs the lip of the boat in one hand and the crossbar in the other and lifts.
Same thing 2 more people infront of the front crossbar inside the hulls, facing forward, grab the crossbar, and the lip and lift. The other 2 guys help whereever needed from the outside of the boats hulls.

You're only going 150ft at a time. Save the money and buy a couple of cases of beer.

Just my 2 cents.

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1992 Hobie Cat 18 #16943
Hobie Fleet 198, Rapid City, SD