Launch wheels query .

[elzah1234]

hi i am insured with noblemarine.co.uk and its about £35 a year, its a lot cheaper than previous years,

[prairie tuber]

Originally Posted by TIMO

Hi again guys.. i have a launch wheels issue.. ok , i fitted some launch wheels to the transom and also the motor ,( im just in practice atm in my garden ) now i was hoping the weight of the motor would counterbalance the weight of my sib 4m honwave , but it didnt and the front is so heavy i can hardy lift it , so dragging it to the waters edge would be a right nightmare .. whats the best way to overcome this ?,, ,

Best thing is either a single wheel or a folding double wheel dolly that would go under the nose. Something along these lines:

Wheel-a-Weigh Kayak Dolly by Davis

[prairie tuber]

page 31 of this PDF has bow launching wheels.

http://medias.zodiacmarine.com/pdf/0...en-de-4162.pdf

[chris123]

I use a C-Tug:

C-TUG The Ultimate Canoe & Kayak Trolley, Great Adventure Gear for the paddling enthusiast

Cheers

Chris

[prairie tuber]

Chris123,

That looks very good. How do you like it so far?

[chris123]

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

Chris123,

That looks very good. How do you like it so far?

It works well, but to be honest I have not used it that often. Most of the places I launch I can get very close to the launch site so I just use transom wheels, there is only one that I end up about 100 yards away where I use the C-Tug.

The webbing straps supplied are not much use (being designed for kayaks and therefore too short and thin) so I made my own from 50mm webbing. I have a couple of handles near the bow of my SIB I can pass the straps through whioch locates them nicely - the straps need to be pretty tight so that when you lift the bow of the SIB the C-Tug stays right way up and I think without the handles the straps may slide out of position.

The other issue is lack of steering - I end up having to lift the bow up and pull it round to change direction.

Having now had a chance to look at the bow wheels in the Zodiac PDF, I am inclined to say that they may be a better option.

A bit more info about the C-Tug on this thread:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/c-tug-anyone-31564-2.html

Cheers

Chris