Need a simple design for a two wheel transom mount boat dolly

[32251]

I need to make me a two wheel boat dolly to mount on the transom of an aluminum jon boat so I can wheel it down to the water by myself.

Anybody got a simple design for this that I can make.

[TommyBass]

No, but if I were you Id try to keep it simple and make it permanant.  Maybe attach a shaft permantly to the back of the boat and run a shaft through that one with wheels on it.  Just make sure your wheels provide enough clearance to role the boat.  Maybe add sometype of handle to the front for easier lifting.  To me it seems like alot of trouble to use an actual dolly style lift and pick your boat up and set it on then wheel it down and pick it back up and off again... wheels hanging down into the water shouldn't hurt you much if you use the right materials.  There are several small boats out there that come this way from the factory now you could look at for help.

[CFFF 1.5]

I have done this to my jon boat so I could roll it from my house down to the water probably 100yards. Get a normal dolly the one with the extra wheels on the top so when you lay it down it is level. Put the boat on top and strap it down with some tie downs. It works really well. Just make sure you get a dolly that has the inflatable wheels. It isn't permanent but it works really well.

[lunka4me]

The way i have been doing it since I was a kid is with a creeper ( the kind used to get under cars.)  Put it in the middle of the boat and can go on any pavement with one hand pushing.  Not good for grass though.  

[bass or bass ?]

I did this with my aluminum boat and it worked great. Get 2 gate wheels in the aisle where they stock casters and wheels at Home Depot. These wheels are made to be mounted to a swinging gate and have a spring loaded swiveling wheel mounted in a steel frame. Bolt them to the back(outside) of your transom on each side with the wheel pointed up, making sure to use marine grade silicone to seal the bolt holes. Then just pick up the bow of your boat and walk it down to the water, flip it over , and away you go.     Happy fishing.

~B.A.S.S.~N.A.F.C.~BoatU.S.~

[Wayne P.]

Some of those ideas are OK, but if you use bicycle wheels, the effort to move it will be a lot less over any terrain. The one I made a few years ago just utilized a 2" X 6" board with the bicycle wheels attached to a home made axle. I used a tie down strap to hold it under the boat close to the balance point. There was no need to turn the boat upside down so I could carry my stuff in the boat as I rolled it. I went thru several versions using lawn mower wheels, heavy cart wheels, to wheel barrow wheels before getting to the bicycle wheels which made the moving effort a lot less.

[32251]

I thank you guys so much for the great ideas.  I have a little trailer about 50 yards from the lake so I want to be able to roll my 12 ft. aluminum row boat down to it and back.  Some paved and some grass to get through.

The bike tire thing sounds really interesting with the ability to leave some things in the boat.....

[CFFF 1.5]

With the set up I suggested, you can also leave everything in the boat.

[32251]

Small dolly wheels won't get me through the mud/grass etc.  Maybe a 6 or 8 inch inflatated tire on a dolly would.

[CGH]

Something like this might work.

[fishizzle]

how about this?

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

With the set up I suggested, you can also leave everything in the boat.

Agreed. I do the same thing. Inflatable tires are the way to go.I use a ratchet tie down to strap the boat down and load all my stuff,battery included. If I don't want to cart the dolly around with me all day then I just take and stash it at some unreachable location on the lake such as an island.