Hi,

I need your help and idea on a dolly system.  The boat will be transport by a minivan to a boat ramp.  It is too heavy with all the equipment in it.  I was of some kind of dolly system to roll it down the ramp and into the water.  Here are the two options I came up so far.  

1. wheel system attached to the transom.  Very convenient but stress on the transom.  Should I be?

2nd pic

Option #2.  Dolly system from castlecraft.  Stable but not convenient once I'm in the water.

if you have other idea please share them with me.  I would like to take her out on a maiden voyage this weekend.

Thanks all.

Just to make sure I understand the obvious.  This is not for road travel, but just for backing down the ramp by hand?

I would take the castle craft one and ad an extension to that short handle so it reaches out past the front of the boat. Position the wheels slightly to the back of the balancing point with the boat on it. This would keep a little weight on the extended handle.  With one hand on the front of the boat and the other on the handle you should be able to control the boat well without having to strap it to the dolly.  Push it down the ramp, float it off the dolly, and pull the dolly out of the water.

Define "ramp"

why cant you lift out of minivan, put 1/2 in water and then load gear?

Where I launch, it's roadside and there is all chunk rock between road and water.  I made a board with 4 small caster wheels that I lay across the rocks about 1/2 way down and slowly let the boat roll over the rocks to the water.  Works great.  I'll film it and pm you the link if needed

There is a guy at our lake that has those wheels, had them for yrs on the same old 12' V.  The only thing I don't like is that they are up in the way kinda, when they are folded up.

Surfer ... This is not for road travel, but just for backing down the ramp by hand? Yes, my plan was to park the car, unload the load with every things in it and roll it down the lake.  Remove the dolly and put it on the boat.  This way I will have the dolly with me on the way back.  

I agreed with you about the balance idea.  True, the boat will be easier to roll around if it is balanced.

LBH, Ramp = boat launch ramp for people with trailer.

why cant you lift out of minivan, put 1/2 in water and then load gear?  Because I don't want people to laugh at me.   :-[

Will, if I lift from the front or the back of the boat and try to put that half into the water.  I'm afraid that I might be in the water too.   The loading ramp where I like to fish  is very steep.  The angle  is about 30 - 40 degree incline.  I saw people having a hard time with their truck getting out when the boat is wet.

"There is a guy at our lake that has those wheels"  are you talking about the first one?

yes, 1st ones

LBH, Should I be worry about the stress on the transom with the following design?

I will be in the front push down the ramp is okay I think.  But pulling up the ramp worry me.  I just don't know how strong is the transom.

Most of the people where I fish that do not have trailers, back their van to the waters edge put the boat in then unload all their stuff into the boat.  You will find moving a boat full of batteries and gear is going to be a large under taking.  That stuff gets heavy fast.  I don't know how big a guy you are but a steep ramp like you are taliking about and wheels on the boat sound like a recipe for disaster.  Just back to the water launch and go fishing.  People won't laugh at you, and you will be safe in the end.

Tom D

Is a trailer not an option?

It does not have to be a boat trailer, I used my 6x12 utility trailer quite a few times. Around here small boat trailers run about 150.00.

Thanks all for your input.

I will go with option #2 for better weight distribution even if it is not as convenience as option #1.

Thanks,

Sang

You might also want to consider a small motorcycle or ATV/Snowmobile trailer and just bolt on a piece of plywood to strap your jon boat to. Very lightweight and easy to tow with almost anything. Just a thought.

Small trailer is not an option because my $27K van does not have a trailer attachment.  Cost too much to put one in now.

I am not trying to be argumentive but I think you are making far more work for yourself. What make and model Van?

you can get trailer hitchs cheap at places like princess auto and install you self or go to a local garage and get them installed cheap..for hauling a snowmobile trailer and jon boat youy need only a class one which is cheap.  and it will be way easier for you then your plans.

unless your worried about backing it up and people laughing at you are you are worried about loading.

seriously why do you care if people laugh at you? and why would they laugh at you for loading gear?  just doesn't make sence to me.

yeah wilson is right, its cheap to install that, and i really dont think that people at your lake would laugh at you for loading your boat with gear?

Forgive me if my English was not clear.  The laughing matter is not how or way the boat get unloaded or loaded but rather with the prospect you landing a 170 lbs monster (me  in the water).    Saw one too many AFV video on this subject.

SV1000, not at all, out van is a 05 Odyssey .  When we first pickup the boat we have a hard loading it into the van.  We have a hard time lifting it onto the sawhorse.  Where it is now.  

Wilson, perhaps one day I will get a trailer for it.  Maybe, after I'm done pimping it out.  

I will post the picture of the dolly when I'm done building it.

Thanks all!

Sang,

Don't apologize for your English...if you fish you speak everyone's language around here!

I found a hitch for your Honda online from several different sites. I will link one in this message. It's 139.00 plus shipping and I will assure you that it is easy to bolt up, 2-4 bolts on either side.  

Wiring the lights is too, you will need an adapter that plugs into the existing tail light wiring of your Honda, no cutting needed at all.

I am sure you will enjoy hauling your boat to the lake or river much more and won't take the chance of damaging your Honda loading or unloading the boat.

Hitch

http://search.cartserver.com/search/search.cgi?cartid=a-9041&bool=AND&category=combo_makemodel&maxhits=10&keywords=2005&keywords_2=HONDA+ODYSSEY&GO=GO%21

Trailer Light Adapter

Draw-Tite Part # 118438 Approximately 40.00

http://www.draw-tite.com/

Boston Craiglist:

You could build a small rack on top of this trailer and put your boat on upside down like your van and put your other items in the trailer or use it as is.

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/grd/620551513.html

This may work as is.

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/boa/619479555.html

Thanks SV100!

I bookmark the site for future reference.  

Boston Craiglist:

You could build a small rack on top of this trailer and put your boat on upside down like your van and put your other items in the trailer or use it as is.

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/grd/620551513.html

This may work as is.

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/boa/619479555.html

I saw the trailer a couple of day ago.  Thanks, I will keep an eye out for a trailer, but for now $20 DIY dolly is the way for me.

i'm digging this back up to see how this worked out for you. I designed my own after seeing the first design for like $200 listed on the net. I didn't use it yet, just around the driveway so far. I have a 2 miles walk with the boat to my fishing hole (down a quad trail) so I made my own dolly to make light work of it since your arms get tired from carrying the boat that far.

Here is my diy from hand dolly to Jon dolly ....  of course it can go back again if needed!

Help a lot on unloading at the ramp on Mystic River in Medford, MA.  I have to remove the battery when load because it is hard to pull up a steep ramp.  Also, it float,  I did not expected to but it does.

if you are going into the wood, I would use a bigger set of wheels.  

more pic....

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