Dinghy Wheels

[SKI3PO]

Has anyone added retractable wheels to the transom of their Ranger Tug RIB? What do you think? What brand did you use? Do they work as advertised? How was the install?

We frequently beach our dinghy to take our dogs ashore and the rocky coast line tears up the bottom. Looking for a good solution to protect the bottom.

 

[Red Raven]

If you are going to store your dinghy onshore the wheels are necessary and work well but it is still a pain to haul the dink up the beach. However, for short term shore excursions we use the Anchor Buddy system below:

https://www.overtons.com/anchor-bud...9bv6idlbouvtwuKBqu8aArKZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

It keeps the dink off shore via a giant shock cord connected to the anchor. A long line to shore allows me to pull the dink to the Beach when we are ready to depart. Some beaches can be a challenge for long stays as the anchor buddy only stretches to 50’. I sized the dinghy anchor large enough to stay put but small enough to pull I free if necessary. I have 10’ of chain on the anchor to give the anchor line a little more length. I use a 150’ line to tie to shore to deal with large tides. In Alaska you may need longer with the bigger tides but only if you are going ashore for hours.

Curt

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

We’ve got Weaver dinghy wheels on our RIB. They were easy enough to install and leave them attached onto the dinghy most of the time. I agree with Curt that they are a bit of a pain to deploy, as the wheels are hollow therefore float which requires some work to get them set when the dinghy is in the water. Once that’s done it’s easy enough to bring the dinghy ashore however a good pair of rubber boots come in handy to wear as you bring it out of the water ir redeploy.

Jim F

 

[ALICE J]

I put a set of wheels (10") on my Avon inflatable 310 for my trip to Alaska, used them once. The problem was the balance with the motor on, the weight was too much to haul it easily up the beach. Had the motor been located behind the wheels the balance would work. :cry:

 

[SKI3PO]

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. Jim, I saw yours in a photo on your blog. Looks like a good set up. I think I will give it a try.