Cat Trax - near impossible to find - Make Your Own?

After months of scouring Craigs List I have not found anyone willing to separate from their cat trax. Paying $850 for new trax (includes shipping and cradles) from Murray's does not seem reasonable since its not much more than an aluminum axle with 2 beach tires and plastic roller bearings.

Would anyone who has made their own trax for a Hobie 16 be willing to share some tips on how they did it?
Or maybe some one knows a guy trying to offload one? I'm in Boston and willing to drive for pick up.

Also, I already got 2 beauty 16s so not buying another boat just for the cat trax - tempting but no.


Fly the Hull,
La Flama Blanca

Join us in fleet 448!! I am also from Boston

I was super lucky and found a set for $200. Megrew's boats has a set for $450 with cradles. https://www.megrewsboats.com/used.php

I have found that used market price is around $375-$400 w/o cradles and $425-475 with them. They are hard to find on the used market though especially in New England. I think that there is a guy selling two slightly damaged sets $300/ea, but he is down in NJ

Megrew's is great though, and I think that you could find a way to get them from them even now

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Fleet 448
Amazing Grace

I made a set of beach wheels.
I ordered Otter dock wheels from Mill's Fleet Farm. They are 24" diameter, 9" wide with a 2" axle hole. $86 for 2 including shipping. SKU # is 006364657.
Used 4 aluminum 2" shaft clamps from McMaster Carr, $56 plus shipping.
Axle is an 8' length of 2" OD aluminum tube with .25" wall thickness from Onlinemetals.com for $107 including shipping.
I put foam pipe insulation over the piping and wrapped it with duct tape, and put a rope through the pipe, going through a tennis ball at each end of the pipe. I figure the total cost was about $250. Also got 3/4" plastic plugs from Home Depot, drilled the drain holes in the wheels to 3/4", and sealed the caps in with silicone sealant to prevent water intrusion into the wheels.

Photos: (link is fixed)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100085529@ ... 017809482/

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Icebirds" - 1974 Skeeter iceboat
Too many canoes and kayaks

The Flickr link is broken

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Fleet 448
Amazing Grace

If you haven't yet, check out the write up on beachcats. The one with the plumbing parts for a hub, allowing you to use a standard set of atv wheels also looks promising, because this soft balloon tires make movement on sand magic. Used originals still seem like the best design, though. Needle bearings are hard to beat.

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ChuckC
H21SE- 408

Might wanna check on these:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/246840526627432/

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

Damn that's a great find! Sold already

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Fleet 448
Amazing Grace