Last year I got rid of my windsurfing gear and got something called a
"Hobie Adventure Island": basically a kayak with outriggers optimized
for sailing.

About 220# beach-ready.

Hobie sells a set of beach wheels that work fairly well:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...48948995878306

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...48951297106850

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...48949117328978

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...71011817870194

But the holes they mount into are so far back that the nose becomes
about a 50# lift. Not un-doable by any means, but it's not what I
would call easy on the back - and it has it's problems when a slope has
to be negotiated and something closer to the boat's balance point would
be a beeeeeg improvement.

To that end, I've been fooling around with a frame that holds the boat,
slides on-and-off the trailer, and has beach wheels mounted on it, but
it is flying in the face of the KISS principle and it seems like
embracing the existing wheels is the sensible thing to do.

That being the case, I started off thinking about a pack wheel/game cart
(as in https://youtu.be/4-gt-VF0zEI?list=PL76069A6D971DF3F9) but, once
again, I think I am going overboard on the complexity - not to mention
the price

The Bottom Line: Can anybody think of something off-the-shelf that
could function as a "Nose Wheel" for this thing?
--
Pete Cresswell

On 5/12/2016 4:37 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Last year I got rid of my windsurfing gear and got something called a
"Hobie Adventure Island": basically a kayak with outriggers optimized
for sailing.

About 220# beach-ready.

Hobie sells a set of beach wheels that work fairly well:

But the holes they mount into are so far back that the nose becomes
about a 50# lift. Not un-doable by any means, but it's not what I
would call easy on the back - and it has it's problems when a slope has
to be negotiated and something closer to the boat's balance point would
be a beeeeeg improvement.

How about some pipe fitted into the intended holes -- but, swept forward
(to the balance point) to a cross member on which the beach wheels are
actually mounted?

A risk, here, is the stresses that would be placed on the "holes" would
differ from what they were designed to expect. I assume this would
crack some bit of plastic (?)

To that end, I've been fooling around with a frame that holds the boat,
slides on-and-off the trailer, and has beach wheels mounted on it, but
it is flying in the face of the KISS principle and it seems like
embracing the existing wheels is the sensible thing to do.

That being the case, I started off thinking about a pack wheel/game cart
(as in https://youtu.be/4-gt-VF0zEI?list=PL76069A6D971DF3F9) but, once
again, I think I am going overboard on the complexity - not to mention
the price

The Bottom Line: Can anybody think of something off-the-shelf that
could function as a "Nose Wheel" for this thing?

To be clear, you're thinking of making a tricycle out of the thing?

Can you leave the existing wheels "plugged into" the holes (that
are too far astern). Then, make a fork that clips onto the
cross member of those wheels and extends forward to a point at which
a "pivoting wheel" is mounted.

I.e., the fork is triangular in shape (like an old wooden "crutch").
At the tip, a pivoting beach wheel is mounted facing downwards.
On the *top* surface of that point, a carpetted pad insulates the
fork from the underside of the boat. (The boat *rests* on this
tip of the fork with the pivot wheel beneath).

On level surfaces, the boat sits "flat" on the trike and is
pulled along (perhaps a rope that straddles the boat at the
front wheel and connects to that wheel -- this allows you
to tug on the wheel and, indirectly, the rear wheels as well
as holding the wheel *up* against the underside of the
boat).

If you lift the front of the boat, the wheel can come up with
it turning the boat+wheels into a sort of handtruck (dolly)
that you are dragging along behind you.

You might be able to experiment with SCH 40 PVC as a cheap frame
(for this "fork"). Or, EMT (or even RMC)

Idea for wheel pivot:
https://ldvbeachservice.com/ldv-assets/uploads/2015/02/Beach-Wheel-Chair-Rentals-Destin-300x200.jpg

Could you also use a (wide) "ski" in the front?

On Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 7:37:37 AM UTC-4, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Last year I got rid of my windsurfing gear and got something called a
"Hobie Adventure Island": basically a kayak with outriggers optimized
for sailing.

About 220# beach-ready.

Hobie sells a set of beach wheels that work fairly well:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...48948995878306

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...48951297106850

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...48949117328978

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...71011817870194

But the holes they mount into are so far back that the nose becomes
about a 50# lift. Not un-doable by any means, but it's not what I
would call easy on the back - and it has it's problems when a slope has
to be negotiated and something closer to the boat's balance point would
be a beeeeeg improvement.

To that end, I've been fooling around with a frame that holds the boat,
slides on-and-off the trailer, and has beach wheels mounted on it, but
it is flying in the face of the KISS principle and it seems like
embracing the existing wheels is the sensible thing to do.

That being the case, I started off thinking about a pack wheel/game cart
(as in https://youtu.be/4-gt-VF0zEI?list=PL76069A6D971DF3F9) but, once
again, I think I am going overboard on the complexity - not to mention
the price

The Bottom Line: Can anybody think of something off-the-shelf that
could function as a "Nose Wheel" for this thing?
--
Pete Cresswell

Neither of these are off-the-shelf solutions, but maybe they will give you
some other ideas. Maybe a combination of these would work:

1 - What about building a "hinged clamp" that locks around the hull at
your desired wheel location? Basically a supersized version of this:

https://cdn.mscdirect.com/global/ima...0452268-23.jpg

If built so that it's foam-lined interior surface "mirrors" the shape
of the hull, almost like a mold, it would clamp down tight and not slide
forward or back when in use.

2 - How about a frame that mounts in the existing holes but with the wheels
mounted forward of where they are now?

Hull
Holes
|_______Wheels

The frame could be secured to the hull with ratchet straps at the mounting holes and near the wheels to keep it firmly attached.

Per Don Y:
A risk, here, is the stresses that would be placed on the "holes" would
differ from what they were designed to expect. I assume this would
crack some bit of plastic (?)

Good catch....

I put something like that to a Hobie rep a few weeks ago and his reply
contained the phrase "...think breaker bar...." so I dropped the idea of
messing with anything that goes into those holes.... the downside is
just too severe.


Then, make a fork that clips onto the
cross member of those wheels and extends forward to a point at which
a "pivoting wheel" is mounted.

I.e., the fork is triangular in shape (like an old wooden "crutch").
At the tip, a pivoting beach wheel is mounted facing downwards.

That is pretty much what I had in mind - but was looking for some
off-the-shelf source for the pivoting wheel.
--
Pete Cresswell

On Thu, 12 May 2016 06:37:30 -0500, (PeteCresswell) wrote:

Last year I got rid of my windsurfing gear and got something called a
"Hobie Adventure Island": basically a kayak with outriggers optimized
for sailing.

About 220# beach-ready.

Hobie sells a set of beach wheels that work fairly well:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...48948995878306

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...48951297106850

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...48949117328978

https://picasaweb.google.com/1081497...71011817870194

But the holes they mount into are so far back that the nose becomes
about a 50# lift. Not un-doable by any means, but it's not what I
would call easy on the back - and it has it's problems when a slope has
to be negotiated and something closer to the boat's balance point would
be a beeeeeg improvement.

To that end, I've been fooling around with a frame that holds the boat,
slides on-and-off the trailer, and has beach wheels mounted on it, but
it is flying in the face of the KISS principle and it seems like
embracing the existing wheels is the sensible thing to do.

That being the case, I started off thinking about a pack wheel/game cart
(as in https://youtu.be/4-gt-VF0zEI?list=PL76069A6D971DF3F9) but, once
again, I think I am going overboard on the complexity - not to mention
the price

The Bottom Line: Can anybody think of something off-the-shelf that
could function as a "Nose Wheel" for this thing?


Start with DerbyDads idea of something that mirrors the shape of the
boat. Use somthing like this
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/2000x2000/446/44659_2000x2000.jpg
to wheel it around? What do they use to wheel small airplanes around?


--
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