Calling all fellow engineers (and wannabees)... This almost sounds too easy and obvious, so please tell me why it won't work...

Standard Cat Trax (without cradles) are horrible, if not impossible, to use singlehandedly, because they just roll back out from under the boat before you can get around to the outside to tie them off.

When I bought my first pair, after borrowing a bunch of standard sets, I got cradles. I was the only Hobie 16 sailor with cradles, anywhere in the northeast, and constantly was mocked for wasting my money. That was until I showed people how you can kick them under the boat, and they stay put while you go to the sides of the boat to tie them off.

Flash forward, I have a Wave, and standard Cat Trax (adjusted for width). I'm back to square one, but don't want to spend the money on cradles if there's a cheaper way. After hearing a great suggestion for using wood and carpet, here's what I'm thinking:

Take a 4x4 (or 6x6 if necessary), and bore out a 2-inch hole lengthwise. Remove the caps, slip that over the ends of the Cat Trax, bolt in place (recessed holes for bolt heads and nuts), wrap in marine carpet, reinstall caps, and you're done.

Since this is using square stock, there will be no cradles to constantly be upside down (without adding counterweight), because there wouldn't really be an "upside down."

What am I missing? This seems way too simple (and should work for any boat)...

Mike

I'd go with the 6x6. Should work though. Have fun boring a hole that deep/long

Sounds heavy. Especially 6x6.

Yes, Mike being a solosailor myself, I know exactly your problem with the trax. I've tried also different solutions too.

I think your idea is about right; my only doubt is the the square wood part that you use.

By doing that you connect again the leftside to the right side because the hull-bottoms will forcefully choose the same side at the same time of the square wood. That could give sometimes troubles?????? Especially at the front side of the hulls which may have a stark slope in the hullbottom line (at least my cat have!)

Ofcourse you can round off the wood , but then why not choose a round model in the first place. I know the bearing surface is less.

I've searched many years for this reasons fore a thick rubber hose that would just fit around the traxpipe. Never found it.
And it must be thick because my assymmetric hulls are very sharp at the bottom (so there is a lot of pressure on the hullbottom by half of the total weight of the cat).

Since a few years I use a long strip of EDPM-rubber (which is used as roof-cover) and wrap that around the traxpipe about twenty times (and glue it the same time). The rubber is about 2 mil thick so it will end up as a hose of 5 cm thick wall.
If you are interested I can post a picture.

But reading your post again now, it may well be a genious idea of you for the modern cats with a straight bottom line.

There was a pic online a little while ago from a wave sailior who simply tied a long line to the cat trax axle, ran it under the boat, around the back crossbar and through the traveler cleat. Once he got the wheels in place, he tightened up the line and it prevented the trax from rolling forward. Seems like a pretty simple solution.

sm

The problem has been solved several years ago. First you DO need cradles, second you need the handle.
Now, the handle comes with bearings, just like the wheels, but you don't want the axle to rotate, thus making the cradles turn upside down.
So, you put a through bolt in to keep the cradles right side up.
Then it is so easy. Just lift the bows slightly to get the cradles under then slide them all the way under.
No need to tie anything. Sure, there is the investment, but think of all the money you save from going to a doctor with a bad back.
Here is the link to the handle:
http://www.onlinemarinestore.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=14184&idcategory=287

Thanks guys.

The rope trick sounds good, but the CoG of these Waves is very far back (behind the shrouds), and they will roll out the back just as easily without some sort of cradle/friction.

I like the handle idea, and have used them. Maybe I was doing something wrong, but it didn't seem like a huge improvement.

I realize that boring the hole will be a challenge. I may get machine shop help if needed. I don't think the weight would be substantial.

Mike

I have some 4x4 fiberglass tube laying around that may be a lot cleaner and lighter.

Seems like a flat plate bolted to the wheels would work just as well though.

As an engineer I have an easy solution:

Buy an F18, then you have a crew to help tie the wheels.

done

PVC 2 sided junction fitting that slide over the tube. 2 fitting,some of 90's and straight pipe. Screw to cross bar.
Simple cradle. Not designed to take weight but will keep the tracks in place.

Instead of tying a line to the trax axle and going around the rear crossbar, extend the length of the length of the two ropes on the ends of the trax axle (like 10 feet each or something) so that you can rest the wheels at the bow and have the line wrap around the shroud and come back to the front crossbar. Then push the wheels under the hull to where they need to go, take all the slack out of the lines, and tie off to the front crossbar. The tension in the lines will keep the wheels from rolling backwards and the shrouds will catch the lines and keep the wheels from rolling forwards.

sm

Flip the boat over. put two layers of carpet where you want the wheels to be normally. Lay some wax paper over the carpet then a few layers of some heavy glass. Now lay some wax paper on the axle and again drape a few layers heavy glass over the axle. After it's kicked, put the wheels on the boat with the two parts together and glass them together. After its kicked take the part and trim it up. One layer of carpet glued in the cradle. Done

Smartest thing I've read on here in a while.

The handle really is popular with almost all the Wave sailors, both at PIB and Key Largo.
THru bolting was easy.., I used my 18v drill and a bolt long enough to go through the outer casing and the axle.

I have heard of using large sewer pvc (about a foot long), bolt them to the axle and some old carpet.

Take a swazall and cut a notch into the keel skeg so the axle keys into the hull at the CG.

sm

You could just leave the wheels tied under it, I'm not sure it would be much slower.

It works for Jake.

I just knew this was going to get around to me eventually.

Well, you did kinda set the bar! Any pictures layin' around, you know, just in case someone in the civilized world missed 'em the first time?

Thankfully, no. You only have Karl and my story telling post on here (and good luck finding that).