Features and selection of boat carts

Absolutely every owner of a rubber inflatable boat, no matter who he is - a hunter, fisherman or an ordinary traveler-tourist, at least once encountered some difficulties in transporting it. Especially often such problems arise if the boat is equipped with additional equipment and a motor. Of course, the boat can be transported using an ordinary car, but often this is not the most profitable and convenient option.

For example, if the boat is inflated in advance, the motor is already attached to it, that is, the boat is ready for operation, you will not be able to comfortably carry it in a passenger car, at least because it will take up the entire luggage compartment and passenger seats. Just to avoid these inconveniences and quickly solve all the difficulties, special trolleys for transporting PVC boats were invented.

Today, there are a huge number of such carts on the market, and each has its own characteristics that you need to know in order not to waste money and not regret your choice.

On sale you can find 2 main types of carts. The first type is a cargo trailer. These carts will allow you to attach your boat to them and take it to the fishing spot or any other destination. A significant disadvantage of this type is that you will need helpers to load the boat onto the cart.

There are also some difficulties already when lowering the boat from the cart: you must first remove it (most often not without assistance), and only then float it into the water. Such trailers are not suitable for the elderly, lone fishermen, as well as people who are not particularly physically fit, because for these categories of people the operation of such carts will be either incredibly difficult or impossible.

This cargo type, in turn, is divided into 2 subgroups.

• For the transport of flat-bottomed boats – flat bottom. Such carts are inconvenient in that you will not be able to transport boats with a keel.
• For transporting all types of boats - with a frame. The designs of these trailers include special recesses for the convenience of transporting boats with a keel.

The second type is special construction trailers equipped with special cradles. The latter are two pipes installed longitudinally. Such trailers are used to transport not only boats, but also boats, catamarans. The undoubted advantage that distinguishes this type from the previous one is that boats can be launched from these trailers directly into the water. It is very convenient that most models with this type of design are collapsible.

This type of trailers is also divided into 2 subgroups.

• Uniaxial. Such structures are much cheaper, but it will be much more difficult for you to transport boats on them. Problems while driving with it can arise even due to the slightest turns.Another serious disadvantage is that such trailers are not universal - you will have to select the exact dimensions for your boat in order to transport your watercraft more or less normally.

• Biaxial. These trailers can be found already at a higher price, but they are much better balanced. Good balance allows you to achieve high maneuverability and cross-country ability even at a relatively high speed of movement. Their advantages include the ability to transport motor boats with a higher carrying capacity.

Boat trailers cannot be classified on the basis of "professionalism", but experienced people are more likely to choose biaxial carts because of their convenience and the possibility of parsing.

As with choosing any other product, you must understand what you want to see as a trailer. For ordinary inflatable boats, ordinary cargo trailers are quite suitable. If you own a motorboat (whether with or without a keel), don't even look in the direction of single-axle bogies. Only two-axle cars will suit you. Yes, they will be more expensive, but you will experience many times less problems during transportation.

The price of the issue will depend not only on the above factors, but also on:

• sizes, which are determined solely by the size of your watercraft;
• trailer load capacity, which also depends on the weight of your boat;
• the quality of the materials from which the trolley is made;
• type of boat.

One of the biggest mistakes newbies make when buying a trailer is that they are careless about measuring the dimensions of their watercraft. In no case can such measurements be carried out by eye, because a cart model that is average in terms of characteristics and price costs about 40,000 rubles. Take all measurements scrupulously and carefully so as not to waste your money.

Do not forget about the quality of the materials from which the trailer is made. Decide how often you will use it. If at least once a week - in no case try to save on quality. Will not work. With frequent use, a trolley made of cheap materials will deteriorate in a few months from constant loads.. If for you the transportation of a boat is a rarity (once a month or less), then you can safely take goods from cheaper raw materials.

If you are the owner of a boat with a keel, then be sure to see that in your wheelbarrow the keel notch is 1.2-1.3 times larger than the size of the keel itself. This will provide protection from damage. When choosing, do not forget to take into account your personal physical capabilities. If you want to carry out a minimum of manipulations with the transportation of a watercraft to different places, your choice should be trailers with cradles.

If you want to keep not only your boat in good condition, but also the trolley for transporting it, then make sure that a special cover comes with it. Such a cover, of course, will not protect the trailer from accidents or any serious damage, but it will help you keep the cart clean and beautiful.

Of course, when choosing, one should not forget about the price. Although the price is formed by all other factors, in some cases you can still save. When the question of price is an edge, but you don’t want to give up quality, you can take a used cart.

When choosing a trolley for a watercraft, its type is also important.

• If you have a regular rubber boat (no motor), a single-axle trolley will be enough for you, because simple rubber boats cannot create a strong load even on one axle, therefore, you will not experience difficulties during transportation.
• If you have a boat (or boat) with a motor or made of durable materials (wood, special plastic), you are unlikely to fit a single-axle cart. The fact is that such boats have an order of magnitude higher weight than rubber ones, which means that they will give more axle load. When there are two axles, they will withstand this load with ease, and you will not experience any problems during operation.

Remember that a trailer is a vehicle. After selecting and purchasing it, you need to register it. Like any other vehicle, carts for transporting PVC boats are registered with the traffic police. No more than 10 days must pass from the moment of purchase of the trailer to its registration. If the total mass of the boat (or your boat) and the cart is more than 0.7 tons, then you will need the appropriate driver's category.

In order to register a trailer, you will need the following documents:

• Your passport;
• contract for the sale of your trolley;
• PTS;
• a paper or electronic receipt confirming your payment of the state duty for the issuance of a registration certificate;
• application from the owner for registration of documents for the trailer;
• trailer transit numbers.

For those drivers who have category B rights, there is no need to take out OSAGO insurance. If your cart was made by you yourself (or by a custom-made master, but not at the factory), then it must also be registered. Otherwise, your trailer may be taken to an impound lot, and you may receive a fine.

How to make a do-it-yourself PVC boat cart, see the following video.