Dolly wheel

[Meriachee]

'nothing like this' had a rather interesting thing happen to the retractable spare/dolly wheel last year. The support steel bent, for no apparent reason, leading to the logical conclusion that there must have been a fair amount of weight on it. The push bar is 1/4" wall 2" tube aluminum, and had the issue been lateral force, the tube would have snapped like a matchstick.
So after adding a rather heavy gusset to it, away we go again. As you can see from the video, the wheel works just great, the pivot for the tube works great, and the boat is a dream to launch.
Ready for travel!
https://youtu.be/mUXYqxIjiec

 

[Chief RA]

Meriachee: glad your launched safely. I am of course much lighter than you but notice that a Cat 250 trailer has a drop down spare tire to act as the dolly wheel if needed. Have not had to use mine yet but always am aware if I need it. How many feet to get yours to float? I need 6' to just float her off the trailer! I have 2 extensions: one on the trailer and another one on the truck receiver. If that doesn't work then 25' of chain! Chief

 

[justsomeguy]

Congratulations on being back on the water!

 

[Meriachee]

Jim,
I need just under 5'. I could have dropped it another 8" on the trailer, but the spade would have dragged if I drove over a newspaper. Not a good scenario.
Now, if the spring hurricane season would let up, I can get the kite loaded up on the top down rig and see if all that winter building frenzy came to anything!

 

[Meriachee]

Congratulations on being back on the water!

Oh yeah. Oh yeah! Even motoring down the lake with an untuned mast and the boom still down below, in a 25kt crosswind that was freakin cold was just fine!