[SROY]

I JUST BOUGHT A 10' ALUMINUM MINI DRIFT PRAM THAT IS 54" WIDE AND WEIGHS APPROX. 100-125 LBS. IT IS TOO AWKWARD AND HEAVY TO CARRY TO THE WATER WHEN THERE IS NOT GOOD LAUNCHING ACCESS BY TRAILER. WHAT DO MOST SOLO PRAM FISHERMEN DO? DOLLY OR EIDE FLIP UP TRANSOM WHEELS? I WOULD RATHER NOT DRAG THE BOAT TO THE WATER.(GETTING OLDER). ANY SUGGESTIONS ...BRANDS.... OR PLANS? I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. THANKS

 

[Kent Lufkin]

I had (and subsequently sold) a used 10 foot Jon Boat a few years back that was similarly heavy and awkward for one-man use. It's previous owner had included a set of transom wheels which worked great for getting the boat from the bed of my pickup to the water - as long as the ground was firm with no rocks which would stop those little wheels cold. Otherwise, I'd end up bringing a buddy along . . .

K

 

[SROY]

DO ANY DRIFT BOAT COMPANIES MAKE A GOOD DOLLY?

 

[Tom Bowden]

I made a PVC cart for my kayak a few years ago. It works great, especially when the tide is way out and you have to haul the boat across the beach. I can take it apart and stow it under the front hatch while I'm out fishing, and then assemble it for the trip back.

My kayak weighs 56 lbs. and is narower than your mini-drifter, but you may be able to use this design as a starting point for building your own cart. You might need to use something strurdier than Sch 40 PVC to support the additional weight, and get larger wheels. Here's a link to a picture and some plans.

http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/building/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=0

Tom

 

[Steelheader69]

Get yourself a deer/elk cart. Most are designed to carry a nice sized elk unquartered over rough terrain. Could easily be strapped to cart so it won't slide off, then wheel down to the water.

 

[Jim Wallace]

SROY, My 10' mini drifter probably weighs more than your's does, and I have the same problem. So I've only launched it at places where I could back my trailer up close to the water.
Some guys have been known to winch their boats down from a bridge. You might need a "spotter" or maybe even someone to help direct traffic.
The only advantage of a mini-drifter besides its squirrelly handling is that you can easily drag it solo if you have to, and haul it in the back of a full sized pickup. Turns out that you don't really have much advantage when it comes to choosing launches.

 

[Wayne Kohan]

I bought a kayak/canoe cart and placed some boards across it to carry my Walker Bay 8 footer. It is lighter than yours, more like 65 pounds, but with that I was able to get my boat to Lenice by myself, even with all the anchors, oars and fishing stuff in it. I found mine on sale at Joes several years ago for about 30 dollars. It has 8 inch and wide tires and moves well on the trail. Just go to Lenice and see all the carts that people use to get their boats and pontoons to the lake and see what you can come up with.

Wayne

 

[Fitzfish]

Koffler Boats has a dolly that goes under their prams

 

[In_too_deep]

This is the one that I use for my Spring Creek Pram - the wide one
http://secretdepot.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=7

 

[Michael Nelson]

The worst thing I can see about aluminum prams is that they apparently cause caps lock keys to get stuck.

 

[Michael Nelson]

This is the one that I use for my Spring Creek Pram - the wide one
http://secretdepot.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=7

I use that Wide Rider dolly with my Spring Creek Hopper II. It works great, but man... that's one grossly overpriced dolly! Must be all of $20 worth of parts, if that.

 

[Daryle Holmstrom]

The worst thing I can see about aluminum prams is that they apparently cause caps lock keys to get stuck.

LMGON