Sunfish Sailboat Dolly...Homemade Part 1 of 5

I put together an inexpensive Sunfish dolly to be able to transport it from the parking lot of a favorite beach I go to, to get it to the waters edge. The wheels/tires were the most expensive item ($35 each). If I were a better scrounger, I could have put this together for little to nothing. Otherwise, I spent about $100. Corrections to this and the next several videos: I used 2"x4" lumber for the bunks and supporting strut, 1"x2" for the fore/aft supports going at a 45degree angle, and 1"x3" for the lateral supports. I don't think I've come up with anything extraordinary or new, just came up with my own way of making a well built, light, inexpensive and easy to use transporter. Can also be used on the three homemade kayaks I have built. A Chesapake 16LT, Pygmy Osprey and a Chesapeake Pax 18.

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Howto & Style

Tags:

• Sunfish
• Dolly

[montgomery1177]

@cvscards1 Thanks for your interest! Nails to secure everything, non-galvanized steel hollow tube for the axle...it's rusty but no worries. (been in salt water) everything works fine after two+ years. Put carpet on trailer bunks to protect fiberglass from scratching. Dolly works great! Be sure to put securing straps to keep hull from sliding off of dolly. tends to do that over rough ground. Come up with some sort of "kickstand" to level dolly prior to loading boat..... Best of luck!

[montgomery1177]

@orangepanguin Thanks for your interest! Nails to secure everything, non-galvanized steel hollow tube for the axle...it's rusty but no worries. (been in salt water) everything works fine after two+ years. Put carpet on trailer bunks to protect fiberglass from scratching. Dolly works great! Be sure to put securing straps to keep hull from sliding off of dolly.  tends to do that over rough ground. Come up with some sort of "kickstand" to level dolly prior to loading boat..... Best of luck!

[cvscards1]

how did you connect the boards? nails, bolts, screws? And did you buy galvanized iron pipe?

How has the pipe held up to the weight of the sailboat? I'm asking these questions because i'm also building a dolly for my sailboat, and want to know if you, with the benefit of hindsight, would change anything you did to make the dolly better. Thanks!

[orangepanguin]

Thanks for this video!!!!