A light, adjustable boat dolly is built to easily maneuver small boats (sailboats and dinghies) or canoes across land for ease in accessing a favorite fishing hole or hunting ground.
Small dinghies are difficult to maneuver single-handed. If a vessel is too heavy or too big to transport, its use is often limited – but with the help of a lightweight boat dolly, the effort required to transport is greatly reduced.
If a vessel is stored in close proximity to a water source at a marina, boat yard, or dock structure, than boat dollies – pushed or pulled by hand – need some thought.
Paved or challenging terrain
If stored on concrete or paved-surfaces, a cart equipped with standard foam-filled wheels is often enough.
On the other hand, if a boat is transported over challenging terrain (sand, loose peddles, rocky surfaces, etc) normal tires will not be much help. A low-level platform, equipped with soft, low-pressure balloon-type wheels is a must, and these are the only wheel-types able to move a boat across soft sand with ease. Low-pressured tires, inflating to 2-3 PSI, offer enough performance to flatten soft sand, rather that slicing out a ditch as a boat travels through.
Configurations
Boat dollies are available in several different configurations:
Option 1 Straps to a boat (pulled by hand over short distances) or Option 2 Similar to a mini-trailer
- Straps – A small boat dolly constructed in a heavy-duty anodized aluminum with struts in polypropylene and bunks in non-skid santoprene (a thermoplastic rubber able to improve the adhesion to a vessel – both wet and dry) – bunk supports are fully-adjustable to fit hull configurations of different boats. Pneumatic tires offer ease in allowing a single-person roll a heavy boat over rough or rocky surfaces, soft sand, pebbles, or similar challenging terrain. Weight capacities are in the region of 200-pounds on hard surfaces, and 100-pounds on soft surfaces. In addition, a lifting pin or rod holds the dolly in a vertical position to facilitate ease in single-person loading.
- Mini Trailer – Similar to a miniature trailer, a trailer-type dolly, constructed in 100% stainless-steel, is designed to rest the weight of a boat over the wheels and the main support rail – making it possible to man-handle a boat down to a slipway with complete ease. An all-purpose trailer is perfect for a variety of situations – such as those that relate to repair facilities, private boat owners, or boat dealerships, and its supporting pads accept a weight capacity in the region of 150 to 250-pounds.
Electric Boat Dollies
Easily maneuver large boat trailers in or out of a warehouse, garage, or dealership floor with a compact-sized, variable speed, and effortless electric boat dolly – perfect for maneuvering in confined areas, as well as being a more cost-effective solution to move recreational vehicles, when compared to relying on a tow vehicle. Also, an electric or motorized boat dolly eliminates a lot of the risk that comes from boat yard staff attempting to manually move trailers or boats.
DIY Plans
Elsewhere, a DIY boat dolly, using an authentic set of plans offers an alternative solution to pushing or pulling a portable watercraft from place of storage to launch site. Plans are available at several different destinations across the net to help in each step of the building process.
All in all, a versatile boat dolly offers a perfect opportunity to transport a small-sized boat, kayak or canoe across concrete or soft sand for complete ease in getting as close to a water destination as possible.