Launching Wheels for Inflatables

[captain]

Have a look,


www.defender.com/category.jsp?path=-1|294&id=101765

 

[refinished]

I had a Zodiac that lived on our beach full time and had a pair of wheels much like Nemrod's. The wheel brackets bolted on the transom and the wheels flipped up and down as needed. A few advantages of that arrangement are: that there is nothing left on the beach as you depart since you take the wheels out to sea. You can roll the boat around with the engine down which is handy for certain insecure engine tilt locks taken over big rocks. You can store and move the boat upside down with the wheels in the 'up' position. Also, the wheels are FIRMLY mounted to the boat so you don't have to be too ginger while moving the boat and engine. A downside is that the wheels can be obtrusive when locked in the up position. I often took them off for long voyages by pulling the pins. They were aluminum and bombproof. They were purchased from a Zodiac dealer in Royal Oak, MI - I always assumed they were Zodiac or Achilles branded.

While my presently landlocked self doesn't have a lot of use for my lovely old black Serie 1, I still have it. Great boats!

 

[Nemrod]

I was asked if the wheel assembly I showed was damaged (bent). No, it is not damaged. They were factory bent. The arms are stainless steel and very strong. The bend allows the wheels to be forward of the engine when flipped down thus shifting the weight--allowing the weight of the engine to be BEHIND the center of the wheels and thereby greatly reducing the effort to lift the bow. Of course, that just means you can pile more scuba gear in there--lol. N

 

[Nemrod]

That was weird, double posted. N

 

[krawdady]

Good suggestions guys and thanks for th website link. Nemrod, I was looking at a set similar to the picture you showed and I migth go that route. I decided against the smaller Pelican wheels. I have heard too many things about them not moving through sand very well.