Launch Dolly for a Vagabond 14

[octopuswithafez]

Hello all,

I just picked up a Vagabond 14 and am planning on keeping it in a Sail Club's yard on the lakeshore. I noticed many folks have Seitech dollies, but I am curious what other options there are ( Trailex universal?) and experiences folks had with DIY models ( PVC pipe).

The distance isn't far from the yard to shore and it is a mix of concrete ramp and beach.

Thanks in advance

[baboon]

I have a seitech dolly for my laser2, 15 ft, probably close to 200lbs fully rigged and with my gear in it to go sailing. Works good. Kittyhawk and some other companies make road worthy trailers that are light enough to use as a dolly too. Standard trailers are too heavy to retrieve by one person unless a block and tackle systm is availale at the ramp. There are lots of home made wood and PVC dolys at my storage area, most are starting to colapse after a season or 2. I think a home built could work, but should be overbuilt as the weight of a wet boat, gear and the harsh marine enviroment seem to take a rapid toll on gear. If you have drag it over a beach the big wide balloon tires are a must have. By the time you buy those, get a proper axel to support he weight the boat, and get the other materials together it might be easyer to just buy one.

[liberty12]

I just took my 16 1/2 foot saroca boat (150 lbs) out of the water, up a ramp, and a 7-8 minute walk up a paved street to our condo using a daggerboard dolly from rollaboattote.com. Take a look at their website, and send them an email, they were very helpful in fitting my sailboat with a teardrop shaped pallete that fit into the centerboard trunk nicely.

[ffiill]

This may or may not work-I have two tenders for my boat one a heavy old glassfibre pram dingy and an ordinary inflatable with slatted floor.
Both are just too heavy to move about single handed so-
Get a two wheeled sack trolley-one of those things delivery men use to move heavy boxes;washing machines etc around with.
Replace the existing usually hard wheels with a pair of inflatable wheels like those you find as a steadying wheel on a trailer.
Add a couple of wooden skids and some foam padding where necessary
You then hook it under the boat transom and fasten off the handle end lying under the boat keel to a bow warp or similar.Equally it works with the boat upside down.
I can now shift my dingys across the hard;soft sand and even pretty rough /rocky ground.
The sack trolley I have also folds in half so is easily stored.
Oh and certainly here in Uk you can get one of theses trolleys for no more than about $30!