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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 5:45 am 
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I was all set to get the larger dolly for the TI until I learned your not supposed to leave it on the dolly long term.

I have property on the water and it will be the only place I sail the TI.

The TI will be about 20ft from the water on sand.

I’ve had a sailfish with no dolly, and a seacycle (2 pontoons 175lbs) and a Force 5 on a dolly.
I’m tired of dragging boats up on the beach and the dolly for Force 5 is great.

It is mostly shaded.

So my question is what’s the best compromise.

1) Could I adapt the Force 5 Dolly and leave TI on it between uses?
2) Use Hobie Dolly to launch and retrieve only and leave TI on sand.
3) Leave on Hobie Dolly and don’t worry about it.
4) Leave on Hobie Dolly but add blocking support on each end.
5) Skip the dolly’s and just drag it

In various options above can I leave Ama’s on?

I’d like the boat to be as quick and easy to setup and go as possible but also protect the lifespan.

I’d probably get the Hobie Cover.
If on wheels I might wheel it over to a covered structure (open on sides to weather) 50ft of wheeling it there.
I’m not sure TI will fit. Force 5 does fit. But if I wheel it over there I’d really like to leave it on the wheels.

Everything I take off the boat will go in the covered structure. Accept mirage drives I will store in a boathouse 200 ft away.

The water is just to the right in this photo.
Docks are not there during summer and exactly where TI would sit.
You can see covered structure with motor boat also not there in summer.

Image

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Last edited by mswlogo on Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:07 am, edited 3 times in total.

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 5:55 am 
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In the same boat. But i am looking to leave mine on a dolly in the garage. Currently looking at putting a cradle set on a Trailex SUT-300 dolly almost like a trailer.


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:13 am 
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My Seitech Force 5 Dolly is very similar to your SUT-300

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 12:18 pm 
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Do not leave a boat on a dolly alone. The load at the single location can (will) lead to damage. Especially in warmer weather.

Polyethylene is a soft plastic and will "creep" over time and gravity / pressure.

Support the boat over a wide area. You can slide supports under bow and stern areas to lift some of the weight off of the dolly.

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 5:25 am 
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Since you seem handy with wood -those dock sections pictured- you could maybe make a cradle of saw horse shapes with flat straps that lay on the ground as you wheeled your TI on it's dolly over them, then tip the horses out away from the boat till that are lifted slightly and thereby full support the weight evenly over the length. Basically your option #4.


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:33 pm 
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AccessAdventure wrote:
Since you seem handy with wood -those dock sections pictured- you could maybe make a cradle of saw horse shapes with flat straps that lay on the ground as you wheeled your TI on it's dolly over them, then tip the horses out away from the boat till that are lifted slightly and thereby full support the weight evenly over the length. Basically your option #4.


I didn't build those docks they came with the property. Also long replaced with Aluminum Docks (on Wheels).

Any who.

I think I understand your idea. The shaped saddles could be "hinged" and "stood up" once the boat is wheeled in place.

Rolling the dolly over anything tends to be a chore though. I suppose the dolly wheels could be wider than the supports and it could straddle it.

I'm leaning towards modifying the Dolly. Could get expensive though, basically have to buy a 2nd Dolly and combine the two.

I'd have to extend it and add either a 2nd Axle/Saddle-Strap or add a couple of those Hobie Saddles they offer for the little "Plug in" Dolly.
Problem is it may weight ton when done and be less maneuverable.

That way when I wheel the boat into the boathouse for winter it could just stay on the dolly there as well.

Too bad Hobie doesn't make a "full time support" dolly.

Hmmm, how about plug in Wheels on one end and the bigger dolly on the other end?

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 6:54 pm 
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What about just making a storage stand out of wood with PVC bunks. Make the stand just slightly taller than the dolly. Just transfer the boat to and from the dolly/stand. With the PVC bunks it should slide on and off quite easily.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2017 4:41 pm 
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TI_Tom wrote:
What about just making a storage stand out of wood with PVC bunks. Make the stand just slightly taller than the dolly. Just transfer the boat to and from the dolly/stand. With the PVC bunks it should slide on and off quite easily.

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If I modify the dolly with the bunks no transfer needed.

Also nice to wheel everything out of the way when cleaning the area.

Also allows it to stay on Dolly over winter in the boathouse. No need to move the stand to boathouse.

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:06 am 
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
We looked at some lake front property at lake Hartwell GA, with a similar situation. My TI with all it's sail sets and twin outboards if darn heavy (possibly tipping 300lbs), and is darn hard to drag over the ground, and too heavy and awkward for a regular scupper cart when fully loaded with engines and all the sails laying across the boat. When we car top I strip the boat down completely removing everything ( including AMA's and motors (27lbs ea)) and roll just the bare hull always from the campsites to the water on a standard scupper cart, no different than when we transported our Oasis. About half the time we just use the kayak alone especially on skinny rivers and very small lakes. Unfortunately it takes a good hr to put everything together and setup that way. I prefer to keep the boat fully rigged and ready to go on the trailer, this way takes no longer than any other TI, just launch and go. Where we live now in south Florida the boat lives on the trauler in our garage, takes all of 5 minutes to hook up to the car and go. When I get to the water I back up to the water open the AMA's and push the boat off into the water. When done I back up to the water and winch the boat onto the trailer, (I bought a cheapo harbor freight winch for around $25 bucks that I operate with my cordless drill, (the socket is the same size as the leveler jacks on our camper).
We ended up not getting that house ( which had boat docks similar to your setup), however I was prepared with a good solution, that will also likely work for you.
What I did was buy a cheap Harbor freight 4x4 utility trailer, (I got it one sale for $140 bucks), it comes with all the DOT legal paperwork so you can title and register it. Before making any mods I just towed it to the DMV and got my title and registration (plates, etc). Once all legal, I went home and bought a couple hundred bucks worth of aluminum and modified the trailer to fit the boat. The normal steel cross bars (3 of them) are easily replaced with 2" aluminum angle, removing some weight, also the alum doesn't rust. To extend the trailer I just used aluminum square stock (forming a V shape up to the reciever. I then took I think 1 1/4" pvc (about 10 ft long) with just plain old wooden broom handles shoved into the PVC (for strength). Later on I found at Home Depot standard 1.5" dia closet poles that already have the PVC skin on the outside, (perfect for the application, and only cost about $12 bucks ea). I then mounted the poles lengthwise on the trailer on 11" centers. Mounted by putting the boat on the trailer, shoving the poles under the boat into the grooves on 11inch centers that run the full length of the underside of the boat, I let the poles self align, then just attached to the trailer at two to three points near the front and back), I left the poles stick out a foot or so past the back of the trailer to help align the boat in cross winds when pulling on the trailer (yes it actually works). I installed a cheap roller at the back of the trailer to make it easier to roll the boat up on the trailer.
In our case if we are using as a launch cart we slide the boat back on the trailer so it is balanced over the wheels, then put a strap on to hold the boat down. We then just pick up the front of the trailer and walk around, (it rolls very easily on the bearing axles and 8" road tires). We even tow the boat downd to Higgs beach near our key west place with either my wifes bike, or her buddy 150 scooter, it's only a few blocks thru town and probably not legal, but hey it's key west, anything goes.
The boat has lived on that trailer full time for over three years now (even in our 120 degree florida garage) with no issues, ( lives on the trailer fully loaded with the motors on, (nothing is ever removed).
In your case you would store the boat fully forward on the trailer. When you want to go out you release the straps and slide the boat back (so it's balanced over the wheels,then strap down with just one strap), then walk the boat down to the water (it rolls very easily). Launch the boat leaving the trailer by the water. When done just winch the boat back onto the trailer and walk it back to your parking spot (not a big deal even if uphill, it rolls realy easily). Once up at your storage spot you slide the boat full forward on the trailer (in it's safe fully supported storage position, which is actually easy because the boat slides easily on the PVC, and strap down. Actually in your case you can leave your AMA's locked out and your tramps on, just cover the whole boat with a tarp, (with weighted corners).
When storing you want to release all the bungys, (I have little spectra strings on all my AMA bungys so the AMA's don't fall off when the bungy is removed,( for both safety and storage).
If your not handy at makin crap, you can just buy a trailex aluminum trailer ready to go and do exactly the same, (Trailex trailer are all aluminum, very light weight, and of the highest quality, I'm sure there are other good brands that others will recommend, I'm just going by what I've seen others use successfully, my problem is I simply don't have that kind of money). It's really up to you if you buy and use the Hobie cradles (which don't come with the trailex trailer), Personally I elected to use $20 bucks worth of PVC instead, (what all of us call PVC bunks), and in my opinion supports the entire boat maybe better. That's a decision you need to make yourself,,,(the safe decision for the non engineer type is of course Hobies recommended bunks installed per their recommendations). Either solution will work just fine and won't wreck the boat, (however with the PVC bunks you are responsible for the proper design)
The Hobie launch cart itself is $519 bucks, and you can't store the boat on it, plus it's still pretty hard to pull a fully loaded TI on that cart. My whole setup complete was under $400 bucks, just took a few hrs of my time to figure it all out and build it.
I'm old and don't have the strength to drag my fully loaded boat anywhere, but I love what I have and wouldn't change a thing.

Another option if you already have a regular scupper cart and want to contine using that. Would be to make a PVC stand with PVC bunks that sits around 15 inches off the ground, (where the boat will live). Shouldn't cost more than $25 bucks to make. Just roll the TI on the scupper cart to the rack, lift up slightly and slide onto the rack, the scupper cart automatically falls away when you pull up on the rack, just pick the scupper cart up off the ground, and drop it into the scupper holes upside down for storage. When you want to go out you slide the boat back a bit, slip the scupper cart back in, then walk down to the water, ( the boat is not stored on the scupper cart). I use the HD foam wheels, (they roll way easier, and can easily support the weight). The rack will likely need 4 cross bars to fully support the AMA's properly.
Just ideas that's all.
Hope this helps
FE


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 9:55 am 
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Be curious to see some pics.

I just sold my Force 5 sailboat and they didn't want the brand new $475 dolly, so I want to try and make use of it, if it makes sense.
It needs to be longer and I'll add the Hobie Trailer Cradles. I'm hoping the boat won't be to heavy to drag around on it.

I'm hoping to maneuver the boat in and out of water stripped down accept I'd like to leave the AMA's on. I'd keep Chairs, Drives and Sailing equipment in the boathouse near by.
I don't think that should take too long to set up and not weight too much (probably close to the Force 5) to drag out of water.

I don't think it will take much to modify the dolly. I'd like to modify it also to be under 5 feet wide, if I can, so I can wheel it into the boathouse for winter.
The Hobie Dolly is just about 5 feet wide. If that proves to be too hard I'll buy the plugin 2 wheeler to just get it in the boathouse and then put the boat back on the customized dolly.

I need to get it through a 5ft opening on the boathouse and it's not a lot of room in front of that opening.

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:31 am 
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It all fit !!

Turns out the dolly was wider than I wanted by like 8 inches.

But the only time that width was an issue was getting it in the boat house for winter.
All I had to do was take Ama's off and push dolly in half way at an angle to get one wheel in.
Then slide the dolly in sideways to get the other wheel in. Then put Ama's back on.

Never have to lift the Kayak up, year round, which is great with my 99 lb weakling wife ;)

All tucked in for Winter :(

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