Hi,

I've recently "lost" my dory launch site to a bureaucratic mess. A potential one would require moving my 16', glued plywood, 140 lb Stickleback dory over cobble, rough ground and loose sand for some distance. I can't use a road trailer or beach rollers here. Guess I'm looking for small boat dolly opinions. I'd prefer one that just straps to the boat (no long frame) letting me pick the boat up by the bow. Kayak/canoe dollies I've looked at have tiny narrow wheels that will bog down immediately. Anyone found a dolly with nice fat inflatable tires that can handle a rough beach?

-- Allison Banks (Allison_Banks@nps.gov), October 05, 2004

Answers

I have a fat tire canoe dolly (tote) that I got from REI that looks very much like this one:

http://www.roleez.com/view_kayak_canoe_cart.htm

If you don't mind having to balance the rig this might work. I also own a Sietech dolly for my dory (250+lbs) and need the long arm to help balance the rig. Plus its easier to get the boat up on the dolly. 140lbs is near my lifting limit.

In part is whether you need to carry the dolly in the boat once you launch or can you leave it on the beach with a cable lock or something to prevent the "tide" from taking it.

Yours, -Gary-

-- Gary Powell (gwpowell@hotmail.com), October 05, 2004.

Here's a link to the canoe cart.

http://www.seattlesportsco.com/consumer_paddlingnav.htm

I have the deluxe version, my brother has the basic. Works great for the canoe. (80 lbs or so.) I have launched off of packed sand but not that deep soft stuff. -Gary-

-- Gary Powell (gwpowell@hotmail.com), October 05, 2004.

Thanks Gary! The Rolleez looks more like what I want. It's no problem picking up one end of the dory to put on a cart, just don't know how the cart will balance (that little kickstand may do the trick) while I'm loading it and whether there will be enough contact with the dory's flat bottom to keep it stable and strapped tight while moving it over rough surfaces. No, I don't need to load it in the boat...I have inflatable rollers so it can stay on this one not-so-nice shore. At lower tide I've seen slimy popweed that should be fun. Well, it's better than barnacle coated rock or not using the boat, I suppose.

-- Allison Banks (Allison_Banks@nps.gov), October 05, 2004.

Allison - Pygmy Boats sells a strap-on, collapsible dolly for their wherry, which has a narrow flat bottom like your dory: pygmyboats.com

-- Ivor Thomas (ivordthomas@yahoo.com), October 05, 2004.

Hi Allison,

When I load my canoe, I use that kickstand just long enough to get the canoe on the cart. With a two wheeled stand they have a tendency to want to roll away before the boat is on it. Then I position the boat such that its a bit bow heavy and set the bow down. Then I use a couple of rope ties from the cart to the boat to make sure that everything stays in alignment for the ride to the water. Then I load it. Single handing this can get a bit tricky to walk the boat onto the cart. My suggestion is to first brace the cart with a log or rocks, and pick up the stern of the dory and walk it over the cart setting it down on top of the cart at an angle, then strap the two together loosely, then pick the bow up and align the boat and then strap it tightly. Getting the boat off is not nearly the chore as you don't care whether the cart tips over as it comes out from under the boat.

Also, what sort of beach rollers are you using? Just curious.

Yours, -Gary-

-- Gary Powell (gwpowell@hotmail.com), October 06, 2004.

I use the 600 kg capacity inflatable rollers from www.praktek.com

They are great! They will eventually suffer from our barnacles, but so far so good. You can patch them as they are similar to inflatable boat material.

-- Allison Banks (Allison_Banks@nps.gov), October 06, 2004.