Launching trolley vs launching wheels

[Thunderwow]

I have bought my first SIB! Its a 3d tender 2.7m lightweight which I needed because a) I shall probably be launching from a steepish shingle beach in East Sussex and b) I am an old codger.
My dilemma is whether to get a collapsible trolley for her or whether to fit something like Beachmaster wheels on the transom. Apart from the actual launch, I will probably wheel from home which is about 200 yards from the beach.
All advice gratefully received.

[Max...]

Hi Thunderwow and welcome to the forum.

I know Seaford and like you launch mostly on East Sussex beaches (Bexhill, Cooden, Hastings etc) and horribly sharp, shingly, steep things they are as you know.

Whatever you use you will need the wider sand/beach wheels rather than narrow small pneumatics which are crap on our local areas.

You should be fine with transom wheels with what will be a very light boat. Going down is easy but coming up (depends if you are alone or not) will be a struggle with any weight. We bring the bare boat up and then the engine (on a wheeled trolley), fuel, Pelicase etc separately.

It can be pretty choppy coming back in at Seaford if the sea changes while you're out - noted from your info you list an electrickery OB ( ) - have you got a petrol OB too?

[Thunderwow]

Thanks Max. I was sort of veering towards dinghy wheels as long as they are easy to detach to enable rolling the boat up. Is there a detachable brand that is worth exploring apart from Beachmaster, do you know?

[kaman]

Hi Thunderwow and welcome.
I have a little Seago Sib 2.6m Slat floor.
It's a doddle to wheel along on its transom wheels even on sand and shingle.
The key is in the wheels relative to the weight.
Being a light Sib on big wheels it wheels along very easily.
The aluminium wheel legs were bought from Pacer Marine around 4 years ago - they came with little wheels.
I replaced them with large wheel barrow wheels soon after.
They flip up and down .
They are very easy to use.
I even use them on my larger Sib for wheeling it on and off of it's trailer.
Something similar would be well suited to a your Sib and launching needs.

[Paul_S]

I launch my sib down a particularly nasty albeit short, rocky pathway from the boathouse to the Clyde. I did put on the plastic waveline dinghy wheels that fold up, but honestly over uneven rocky terrain they are useless. I then bought a launching trolley and that's a pain too. My sib just doesn't sit nicely on it and if the surface was level either would be ok. I wish I hadn't been a cheap b@stard and gone for the big fold up wheels, although I take Max's point about them potentially being a pia on sand.

[thestig1973]

Not helpful I'm afraid, but I'm still jealous about the "home which is 200 yards from the beach" 😳😀

[Max...]

Pic of the ones I use here:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f8/beach-la...tml#post479701

[Mikefule]

You can only use a trolley where the trolley is. If you have transom wheels then you can haul the boat out wherever you land.