Transom wheels and max weight

[two stroke mick]

I am considering purchasing or making a set of transom wheels for a boat I hope to purchase in the future. The boat is a whaly 380 (weight circa 150 kg) and I have purchased a 15 hp 2 smoke Johnston circa 33 kg).

Is it practicable to move such a weight with transom wheels?

Real world experiences need only reply


Regards

TSM

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by two stroke mick

I am considering purchasing or making a set of transom wheels for a boat I hope to purchase in the future. The boat is a whaly 380 (weight circa 150 kg) and I have purchased a 15 hp 2 smoke Johnston circa 33 kg).

Is it practicable to move such a weight with transom wheels?

Real world experiences need only reply


Regards

TSM

i put some on my sib Mick 100kg motor 62 kg which you would think would make the bow liftable, failed for me but would work with a dolly on the bow the problem i find is digging in the beach hard work on your own just how i find them sticking with my trailer.

[Fenlander]

Well I have huge real world experience of many SIBs and many transom wheel types if not your exact boat and like Jeff have a good idea that scaling my experience up to the weight of the Whaly is going to say it would be difficult unless you are very able lifting the bow and on good surfaces like a concrete slip.

It's the boat weight that causes the problem as it loads the bow lift so much that moving more than a few feel is a real struggle.

If you do it I would only consider the Zodiac HD OE or Trem HD types where there are two attachment points to the transom wheel legs so that aspect is strong. Like Jeff I think you might be looking at needing a bow dolly... certain i'd say if you need to have all the kit and fuel loaded when you're wheeling it about.

Would a cheap folding beach trailer be better or did you want transom wheels to be able to pull out at a destination?

[jeffstevens763@g]

to be honest the transom wheels are in the wrong place for balance at any rate, which makes the bow dig in ok on small sibs but having said that i had some on a zodiac 310 solid with 15 hp johnson and that was a pain on gravel /soft sand. i dont know your scenario for launching but i would rather go for inflatable rollers or just stick to slipways on the trailer. old plastic gas/water pipe would work well with the pvc boat too they dont have to turn then just slide across them.

[The Gurnard]

I have had a life time of moving boats around that weight across beaches on my own TSM ..so my first thought is why would you consider transom wheels in the first place ..they are designed for lightweight SIBs ?

This small hardshell that I owned for many years weighed 150Kg and the last thing I would fit to it is transom wheels. I have never seen a hardshell boat of that weight fitted with them although Im sure perhaps someone somewhere has ? I used the trailer to launch and recover it. I used an electric winch to pull it up and down the beach..or a long rope tied to the car if space was there to tow it off the shore. I could shove it on my own down a smooth beach on a trailer.. but needed mech aids to get it back up the beach. If I unhitched it on a slipway..the weight would have pulled me down the ramp after it. I had to have a rope wrapped round the tow hitch to stop it running away



My Quicksilver is around 120-130 Kg bare boat ..and I tried home made transom wheels on it.. on their own it was not feasible for me to move on my own.. but by using inflatable roller boats to assist the bow I could just manage to move it across shores..but I seldom did it as it is very hard work. It was as easy using the trailer with wheels on the drawbar ..so I dumped that idea.



Of course..you have not said how many will be assisting you ..or what kind of surface you are crossing..so Im sure it is possible if you have the mechanical means to assist.. the people ..and also most importantly..the masochistic will to do it.

From my experience for small boats (not SIBs) inflatable rollers are OK ..but a trailer / trolley is best.

[two stroke mick]

i am hoping not to have to purchase a second boat trailer as i have a box trailer

see links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9m2TZpB3Qw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRnf4tiOX4w

[Max...]

I think you need to really clarify exactly how/where/who will be manhandling the boat?

ie - concrete slip - sand/pebble/shingle beach - farm track? Flat - sloping?

10ft? 100yds?

Alone? + wife + 3 big mates?

etc?

[The Gurnard]

The boat in your video is only 69 kg according to the web ..you mentioned 150kg + which is the same weight as my old hardshell ..which I referred too for comparison ..

to use your own words ..the video you posted is not real world experience of a 150kg plus boat

[Mikefule]

Three things to think about:

1) The structural load on the transom. All of that load is transmitted through the brackets that the transom wheels are attached to.

2) The balance. Transom wheels are at the stern of the boat. The longer and heavier the boat, the more of your strength is taken up lifting the bow before you even move the boat.

3) The total weight when you are hauling it up the slipway or beach.

Solo, I can pull a 310 SIB with a 9.9hp 4 stroke engine and full safety kit, fuel tank etc., up a steep slipway. I'd struggle with something much heavier.

My sailing dinghy is longer and heavier but I can move it easily on its launch trolley because the wheels are further forward and the whole package is better balanced. I'd have no chance if the wheels were as far back as the transom. However, the boat is so heavy that I sometimes struggle on steep or rough slipways.

I'd say you could move the boat you've described on the transom wheels, with or without the engine, as long as you were on the flat. It would be hard work as soon as you hit a slope (such as a slipway) or soft sand (beach) or rough ground (boat park/campsite?). You'd be better with some sort of launching trolley with the wheels further forward. That would make it less nose heavy, freeing up some of your strength for pulling instead of lifting. Transom wheels are primarily for small light SIBS.