El Cheapo Sunfish Dolly

Stache

Member
When it stops raining I will test this down by the lake.
More photos later

Sunfish Dolley/Cart
1- 2x10x8' Cull piece from Home Depot (Cut to two 27" pieces and one 42" piece $01.01
6- 2x3x10" pieces cut from left overs of another project. A new 8' piece would be $02.15
Scrap 3/4" Plywood cut 9" x 12" Expected to be replaced by a longer piece. $01.00
Leftover 2-1/2" Deck Screws from other project, but if 1 box purchased $06.93
2- 5" casters (may not be large enough for rough ground or beach) $8.98 each $17.96
1- 4' Swim Noodle from Dollar Store cut in half and slit lengthwise $01.00
8- 5/16 x-18 x 2 in. Carriage Bolts with Nuts $06.80
8 - Dabs of Gorilla Glue (on hand) Maybe $1.00 worth at most. $01.00
Total Cash investment approximately $37.85
Total Time Investment = less than two hours.

PS. One of the biggest reasons I live in NH is NO SALES TAX.
This project would have cost me another $3.03 if I still lived in NY.
 

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KO, after two rainy and one very still day, I got the dolly down to the shore today.
After Six attempts to pull the boat up and lower it onto onto the dolly, I gave up and pulled the boat up on the shore, rolled it onto it's Starboard side, put dolly in place and rolled boat back down onto dolly.
These photos taken before launch.
 

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Ayup, you are my inspiration.
Challenge was getting small enough diameter wheels to get under the boat where I pull it up over the bank and onto the grass. I'm still afraid my wheels are going to prove too small for rough terrain or sandy beach.
 
If you entertain the notion of another DIY option, I have had good success with my dolly I created out of mostly PVC pipe.
You can see the details and download plans here: http://my2fish.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/sunfish-pvc-dolly-plans/

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I've since added a handle, also made using PVC pipe.
this is the PVC dolly with my Minifish on it.

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I am looking to make this dolly and printed off your plans (thank you by the way!), but I have a question. What keeps the two bars from collapsing when you put the weight of the boat on them? It looks to me like they would pivot down unless you ran bolts through the pvc and 45 elbow joints. Is that really not necessary? Did you use glue?

Thanks!
 
What keeps the two bars from collapsing when you put the weight of the boat on them? It looks to me like they would pivot down unless you ran bolts through the pvc and 45 elbow joints. Is that really not necessary? Did you use glue?
I glued every single PVC joint, so it is all pretty rigid. I don't think I've ever had any of it rotate in any way.
 
I glued every single PVC joint, so it is all pretty rigid. I don't think I've ever had any of it rotate in any way.
Thanks! I bought the stuff to make it last night, although I just realized that the foam tires I bought at Tractor Supply are 5/8's so time for another trip to Lowe's to convert my hardware.
 
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Best of luck! I hope it works well for you.

I knew I should have trusted my gut. My 1969 sunfish probably weighs twice as much as yours. I wish I would have built in a cross bar and bolted it. I tested it out and one of the arms fell over. I went back and added some screws to the weak spots.

Now my bailer plug is broke. Will the plug work to keep the water out of the boat without the ball underneath?
 

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Oh no! That sucks... I think the bailer will still bail water out, but the ball prevents water from flowing back into the boat.

Sorry I led you astray!
 
Oh no! That sucks... I think the bailer will still bail water out, but the ball prevents water from flowing back into the boat.

Sorry I led you astray!

No worries! I think I might just drill some holes and ties some lines to make sure the arms don't collapse. I need to weigh this boat. Sucker is heavy.
 
Now my bailer plug is broke. Will the plug work to keep the water out of the boat without the ball underneath?

I have two Sunfish with bailers broken like yours. :oops: I've eliminated the bailer on my most-used Sunfish today. I bought an $5 adjustable automobile "freeze-plug" of the size 1¼". Although I will reverse its position tomorrow so that the (bigger) adjustment side is inside the cockpit, it fit perfectly!

Regarding the dolly, I stumbled onto a "trailer dolly" at Northern Tool for $49. It's not designed to be a trailer, but if the trip to the ramp is a short one, NT's "trailer dolly" could be modified with suitable bunks to carry a Sunfish. Perhaps add a trailer hitch, and make a trailer out of it!

The not-a-trailer trailer:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200437627_200437627?gclid=CL7ixuO91sUCFcMSHwod7q8AnQ

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Oh no! That sucks... I think the bailer will still bail water out, but the ball prevents water from flowing back into the boat.

Sorry I led you astray!

Simple modification to the dolly and I shouldnt have that problem any more! See photos.
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Thanks for the tip! I will head to autozone tomorrow.

Regarding the 1¼" freeze-plug replacement for the bailer, I stumbled on a plastic knob that screws firmly onto the exposed ¼"x20 threads. The nut that comes with the plug takes a ½" socket, and not the expected 7/16ths. I've forgotten what object the knob came from, but I save interesting hardware from broken items I throw away—like lawnmowers and drafting tables. Sears might have them.

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A nylon "acorn nut" would also protect the threaded end.
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1- 4' Swim Noodle from Dollar Store cut in half and slit lengthwise $01.00
PS. One of the biggest reasons I live in NH is NO SALES TAX.
For those who want more "air" on their suspension, Wal-Mart has a Mega Monster Noodle in red, green, or blue with a 6" diameter x 48" length foam Swim Noodle which has a whole lot of flotation. It's $5, but if bought in New Hampshire, there's no state sales tax.
 
Original dolly wheels were (as expected) too small to roll over grass or in sand.
Replaced with fully pneumatic dolly wheels with grease fittings ($42 each at Tractor Supply). Larger diameter and footprint.

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Regarding the 1¼" freeze-plug replacement for the bailer, I stumbled on a plastic knob that screws firmly onto the exposed ¼"x20 threads. The nut that comes with the plug takes a ½" socket, and not the expected 7/16ths. I've forgotten what object the knob came from, but I save interesting hardware from broken items I throw away—like lawnmowers and drafting tables. Sears might have them.

nitro_lawnmower030003.jpg


A nylon "acorn nut" would also protect the threaded end.
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The black hand-nut looks like those found on appx 20 inch push/self propelled lawn mower handles.
 
Simple as can be, ready for asphalt, gravel, down hill, or lawn. Tire pressure is key in avoiding bounce/rocking
 

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Nice. I think I might have doubled or tripled the load carrying pieces. I'm concerned mine does not spread the load far enough along the hull. Would love to know exact location of the support structure on the inside.
 
..the load carrying pieces are also scribed to the SF keel. Longer might be better, but didn't seem necessary, weight seems to spread nicely so far.
 
So what should I run across today—at a yard sale—less than 9 months after suggesting modifications to a Northern Tool "trailer dolly"?

:) Yup...a $20 Northern Tool "trailer dolly".

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If you entertain the notion of another DIY option, I have had good success with my dolly I created out of mostly PVC pipe.
You can see the details and download plans here: sunfish PVC dolly plans

sunfish-pvc-dolly.jpg


I've since added a handle, also made using PVC pipe.
this is the PVC dolly with my Minifish on it.

View attachment 15661

I followed the design almost perfectly except: (I didnt want to drill through the 3/4 inch axel, so I used one nut, locking washer, then another nut, on EACH SIDE of the axel. In order to make room for the extra nut on each side of the axel, I made the axel 17 inches wide instead of 19 inches. It works perfectly – and needs no major tools or skills to make.)

Cost for the dolly alone without the handle:
Wheels: @ tractor supply 16 bucks per wheel = $32 (worth it – very beefy)
Parts list: axel, washers&nuts, all PVC (all of it @ Lowes) = $64

Out the door total = $96 bucks. (Buying on line from store new costs for manufactured dolly is $300-$800 bucks)

Dont forget you will need (all can be bought at Lowes):

PVC glue

PVC primer

2 1/2 inch PVC cutting tool – (an extravagance, but very worth it. Its a cross between hand held pliers and a heavy duty exacto knife, that cuts through pvc safely, exactly, and quickly. Allowed me to finish the job in under 2 hours from start to finish).

Nice job Tag! Lots of fun to build. Will build the handle today!
(His dolly plans are located here)
https://my2fish.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/sunfish-pvc-dolly1.pdf
(His handle plans are located here)
https://my2fish.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/sunfish-pvc-dolly-handle.pdf
 
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I followed the design almost perfectly except: (I didn't want to drill through the 3/4 inch axle, so I used one nut, locking washer, then another nut, on EACH SIDE of the axle. In order to make room for the extra nut on each side of the axle, I made the axle 17 inches wide instead of 19 inches. It works perfectly – and needs no major tools or skills to make.
Using a drill by hand, drilling through the axle is no fun; however, a grinder can make a "flat" area to start drilling—graduating from smaller-to-larger drill bits. Drill at a slow speed, and make sure that chips are still flying. An oil drip will keep temperatures under control. I keep used oil around for that purpose. :cool:

Wheels: @ tractor supply 16 bucks per wheel = $32 (worth it – very beefy)
Around here, wheels that "sit" start deteriorating and leak air. I've had valve stems fall off tube-type tires :( each made in China. :confused:(Except for tires I've filled with Great Stuff, I haven't bought any of those foam-filled tires).

'Think I'll take a page out of my car-show days, and spray-paint them with Rustoleum in satin-black color—and see how that goes. :)
 
L&VW's,
Thanks for the tips! I was just too worried about drilling through the axel and ruining the threads on it. The whole process of drilling seemed unnessary to me, as all I had to do was buy an extra nut and lock washer for each side - very easy to do and turned out perfectly whith no extra hassles.

As for the tires leaking over time? You may be right there. I have a wheelbarrow like that. Each time I use it (about 4 times a year) I have to take about 30 seconds with the bicycle pump and hit the front tire. I may have to do that process with my new dolly over time. (Or Ill just replace those wheels in a few years - we'll see how it goes). Thanks again for the input on this one.

Here is how Tag's plans turned out:

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Thanks again, Tag. Your dolly plans appear to be a fun and cost effective way to get my boat back and forth from my shorline to my garage (without waiting on help from my neighbors to carry it all that way).

Ill end up using the dolly for the first time today, to facilitate the addition of a hiking strap; Ill keep you all posted on how it goes.

Hope this helps somewhere.

Warm regards,
Whitecap
 
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Dolly report:

SEEMS TO WORK VERY WELL.

1. The dolly gently floats, and the rights itself perfectly as it floats off the ground, making it easy to fit the floating sunfish onto it.
2. Walking the dolly into the water, with one hand on the dolly handle, and the other hand on a line attached to the sunfish bow handle, I was able to easily pull the floating sunfish onto the dolly. Due to the weight of the Sunfish on it, the dolly sank down underwater to make contact with the ground. Then I pulled the line again, moving the sunfish bow under the front of the dolly handle and tied the bow line to the dolly handle to keep the boat in its proper position. Perfect line up - Effortless really.
3. The dolly was completely sturdy enough for the job. No extra supports, or scews needed for the dolly - just follow the plans.
4. Use ziptied, 1" pipe insulation to cover the dolly where the sunfish contact to it.
5. Was easily able to pull the dolly and boat over a sizeable pile of shoreline debris and leaves, then up the boat ramp. (3/4" axel and and wheels seem very beefy - seems to easily support the weight of the sunfish.)
6. The 36" wide axel (per the plans) is wide enough to securly transport the sunfish across rough, uneven gound over fairly long distances.

A) Strengths - At first use, this seems to be a very easy way for lakehouse owner to get his boat to and from the shoreline with out any help from anyone else. Im very happy with it so far.

B) Weakness - its big. (with the handle in place, its a little over half the lenght of the boat). For me, thats not a problem. I will store the dolly behind the shed in the back yard. For a person who does not live on the water, I DONT think this dolly, with the handle in place, will fit in the back of your truck. (The handle is not needed - its a luxury that makes the dolly more effective as a whole. The dolly, without the handle, WILL fit easily in the back of your truck.)

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Thank you Tag, for a great project that my son and I could do together!

From the dolly, to all the help all of our Sunfish Forum members gave me - bringing this old, broken, beast of a sunfish, back to life - I am very grateful.

Last year was a fantastic year for us. These are the days in my life that I want to spend with him, building those memories, and fostering a love for the water, the Sunfish, and for sailing - and you all are part of that.

Warm regards,
Whitecap
 
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Whitecap - looks great, and I'm glad my plans worked out for you. I trailer my Sunfish, and just set the dolly on top of the Sunfish after I have it back on the trailer, and then use ratchet straps to hold the dolly and Sunfish to the trailer.

cheers,
tag
 
Hi all making the dolly and handle at the same time as we speak. The handle plans don’t have specific dimensions for the lengths of pvc, just says overall +-84″. Any thoughts? Using it for a 1973 Sunfish. Will add the extra line braces… Thanks!
 
I'm looking to make the my2fish dolly with the handle. My one question before diving in here - can I safely store my Sunfish on the finished dolly during season and off season? Right now she sits on a 20' wooden ramp with rubber rollers that I use to ease getting her in and out of the water, but the ramp is heavy and stationary (and beginning to rot) and at the end of each season I have to haul them both separately away from the shoreline for storage. Moving it the other day with no help, I realized I'm getting too old to do that kind of thing alone and need a less physically strenuous option for the future. I would also want the dolly to be able to launch the boat in/get it back out of the water (and move about 25' to level grass), and this would mean navigating a loose shale shoreline with a 20-30 degree smooth slope each time I need to do so. Is this dolly appropriate? Should I look for a different type of wheel given the type of terrain? Thanks!
 

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