Dinghy trailer, trolley whatever

[Refueler]

The mobility scooter "Shop Rider" as in the Utube are quite expensive new. (3000squid plus) However they do become available second hand as the oweners tend to get a better offer of residence (heaven) So keep an ear out for availability. ( 5 to 10% of new price if you are lucky)
The wheels on the transom work out very well for me. I can drag the dinghy by the bow from the parking spot for the shoprider to a poinnt with bow over the water. I just flip the dinghy over and drag into water. On recovery drag the dinghy high enough out of the water that I can then flip it upside down and drag it up a few feet to hook on the shoprider. For the first really steep part of beach I walk next to the shop rider while driving it cos my 100kg are a bit too much load. It will do it.
Unfortunately there is a tendency with mobility scooters to go light weight folding with lithium batteries and smaller wheels. Great cos you can get them into a larger 5/3 door type car. I saw a lady recently with a electric hoist fitted into her little car to stow the scooter. Great. But I suspect the smaller scooters will not have the larger wheels excess power you might need. The shop rider must weigh 150kg or so. (with 2x 40 AH deep cycle LA batteries)
Might suit Nigel but the shoprider has a differential drive to back wheels. So not great for difficult traction.
Incidentally the shoprider brand comes in essentially 2 sizes. The bigger one I use has longer wider wheel base while the smaller version more suitable inside a shop is narrow shorter and has anti tip tramp wheels at the back. Is inclined to lift front wheels especially if you have the seat pushed back.
I have a big one and a small one. Small one has enough power to tow dinghy but can be a bit more unstable. I did however take off the tramp wheels when fitting a tow hook and managed to tip it right over backwards. Quite spectacular with me sitting still in seat stopped by head rest on ground. Front wheels up up wards. (no harm done. ( 2 scooters? his and hers, getting practice for old age) In both cases owners were glad to get rid of scooters after owners passed)
Both scooters charged by 2x 10w solar PV panels in series no controller. ol'will

I've ben searching online for a suitable E-Quad ... as the trikes wheels as too small for my ground. I also need the off-road tyre tread. I can get a gasoline powered 125cc Quad for about 900 quid here ... but I wonder if it can actually pull anything up the incline I have from the water ...
E-Powered I found over here start for a lot less power at 1600 quid !! and only capable for a chiold ....

Caravan movers are no good on my ground as well ..

Looks like snow chains on my Lawn Tractor again.

 

[Boathook]

At least the RR can pull off the track and go round you !!

You have ignored the words 'Thames Valley'. Majority don't seem to be able to reverse and getting it dirty is a no no !

 

[Refueler]

You have ignored the words 'Thames Valley'. Majority don't seem to be able to reverse and getting it dirty is a no no !

The term I used to hear was : Chelsea Tractor ....

I did understand what you meant ..

 

[Boathook]

I've ben searching online for a suitable E-Quad ... as the trikes wheels as too small for my ground. I also need the off-road tyre tread. I can get a gasoline powered 125cc Quad for about 900 quid here ... but I wonder if it can actually pull anything up the incline I have from the water ...
E-Powered I found over here start for a lot less power at 1600 quid !! and only capable for a chiold ....

Caravan movers are no good on my ground as well ..

Looks like snow chains on my Lawn Tractor again.

Post in on the level ground and an electric winch attached to post. Pull boat and trailer up and then hook on tractor.

 

[Refueler]

Post in on the level ground and an electric winch attached to post. Pull boat and trailer up and then hook on tractor.

I was meaning to replace use of my Volvo XC70 or the Range Rover ... such overkill for the job. Once boats on trailer and up the steep slipway I have ... then the Lawn Tractors can cope ... except if I stop and a trailer wheel is in a dip or against a lump. Then the Turf Rider riders just slip.

I have two Lawn Tractors and my idea was to remove the grass cutter bed from one and have it as a utility machine ... put knobbly tyres on but my gardener tends to be a bit of a disaster with the tractors and I need both to cut the grass - so one can go for repairs ...
Garden Service also advised that high grip tyres would probably overload the belt drive ....

I would like a mini Tractor .. something like the Kubota 13hp jobbie ... with a side-arm grass cutter to cut the grass on the channel bank ...
Such tractor could handle the boats easily ...

 

[Daydream believer]

Post in on the level ground and an electric winch attached to post. Pull boat and trailer up and then hook on tractor.

Why not hook the winch on the towing eye of the car.
The OP is talking about an 8-10 ft rowing dinghy here. Not some small cruiser. So really,thinking about it, if he cannot pull that up a slight incline, one might ask if he is safe in the dinghy in the first place.

 

[wombat88]

I have a launching trolley with jockey wheel. The jockey wheel is steerable and has quite a long handle that could be tied to the ring on the car if it has one.

In the past I have been known to simply drop the handle over the tow hitch on the car...but never downhill.

The OP has pointed out that the distance is around a mile. I've never dragged a dinghy a mile by hand. He needs to do it with trolley/trailer and car...or lift it onto an old pick up.

 

[Refueler]

Why not hook the winch on the towing eye of the car.
The OP is talking about an 8-10 ft rowing dinghy here. Not some small cruiser. So really,thinking about it, if he cannot pull that up a slight incline, one might ask if he is safe in the dinghy in the first place.

Boathook was posting in reply to MY problem ... not OP's ...

 

[Refueler]

I have a launching trolley with jockey wheel. The jockey wheel is steerable and has quite a long handle that could be tied to the ring on the car if it has one.

In the past I have been known to simply drop the handle over the tow hitch on the car...but never downhill.

The OP has pointed out that the distance is around a mile. I've never dragged a dinghy a mile by hand. He needs to do it with trolley/trailer and car...or lift it onto an old pick up.

Handle lashed to eye or towball is fine and is how I have done it for years ... in fact one of my hand trailers - the T arm is bent to one side to compensate for where the towing eye is on a car ... otherwise whats towed sits out to one side ..

 

[DoubleEnder]

Handle lashed to eye or towball is fine and is how I have done it for years ... in fact one of my hand trailers - the T arm is bent to one side to compensate for where the towing eye is on a car ... otherwise whats towed sits out to one side ..

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. I’m away at the moment so not sure where the eye is located but I reckon it’s offset.

No way am I going to pull this by hand for a mile so either I load it on to a roof rack, borrow a pickup (not impossible but not something to do regularly) or tow it somehow.
Anyway I’m going to inspect a candidate dinghy soon and its size & weight will be useful in assessing what I do.
When it comes to launch and recovery I’ve got 2 options. I can slide it over a muddy, grassy bank, the drop depending on the river’s height, but in ideal conditions about 30cm. Or there is a disused ferry ramp, concrete. When the river’s low this only extends a short way in to the water, probably less than 1 metre. When the river’s high you wouldn’t want to go rowing.

 

[dunedin]

Light weight should be a priority for the OP to aid usage. A wooden clinker boat is the opposite - something like this perhaps Our rowing boats - Liteboat UK

 

[DoubleEnder]

 

[DoubleEnder]

It hasn’t changed much but the ferry no longer runs

 

[ashtead]

Based on experience of wheeling a Topper down the road to launch in Chi Harbour even with 2 the attraction of pulling back up a slight incline of say 500 yards tends to lose appeal after a year or so. Now clearly the weight of topper plus trailer might be greater than proposed clinker dinghy but guess it depends on how fit the clinker crew are. Another idea short of a full trailer is what amounts to an axle with wheels on a square frame pulled by a rope. It needs largeish wheels ideally and the frame is say 2 foot square with pads. This was how dinghies were pulled up slip at folly inn medina river to the dinghy park . I believe most frames were DIY jobs but maybe an idea short of a full collapsible launching trolley. That said when the tide was low the dragging of dinghy plus kit was a longish haul.

 

[Iliade]

Good quality transom wheels will be lighter than a trolley and should suffice for occasional use if the boat is light, or a pram so you can fit wheels at both ends:

Pardon our interruption...
or
Rugged Heavy Duty Launching Wheels

Just don't try it with this type as they cannot handle much use:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/MiDMarine-...Launching/dp/B079L78WQ9/ref=asc_df_B079L78WQ9

Of course, one of these would be fun, but probably rows like a dog.

 

[Daydream believer]

Boathook was posting in reply to MY problem ... not OP's ...

you can sort yourself out

 

[Refueler]

you can sort yourself out

Dinna worry you head about me !!

I can use my HIAB which has a 1ton winch slung under the main arm ... as well as the HIAB itself if needed.

That trailer and boat gets pulled by car or Lawn Tractor depending on how wet the ground is ....

My weekender after repairs :

transfer to older trailer for winter :

 

[Mister E]

The car towing eye will be towards the side, so the trailer will be offset. This could present a problem on a narrow lane.
If the trailer is attached to a car on a public road and doesn't have lights fitted some idiot will run into it, trip over it or otherwise be a legal pain.

A second hand mobility scooter would be cheaper all round.

 

[Boathook]

you can sort yourself out

I suspect he can but sometimes someone else making suggestions can be helpful

 

[Wansworth]

A Coracle……on your back