Do I need launch wheels?

[rossco]

Hi All, I'm a newbie and still haven't managed to get out from Brighton in my new T32 air floor yet. Im starting to get paranoid about launching solo from the beach. Current plan is to carry boat / outboard to the water's edge and inflate there. Am I better off with transom wheels just to have the height to get the outboard on safely and the boat in the water? I guess it's daft to try and put the outboard on when the boat is in the water (if I don't have wheels)? This issue is putting me off a beach launch on my own so keen to hear any advice. Also, if wheels are essential then do I have to buy the (expensive) honwave ones or is there any way to fit alternatives to the transom such as railblaza? Many thanks

[simonk]

For the sake of making your life easier wherever you launch it, I’d put some transom wheels on. I don’t have a Honwave but from reading here, the Honwave wheels seem compromised and not popular. I put some Beachmaster type wheels on my Frib and they’re perfect.

[Stray]

Beachmasters won't fit on a Honwave because of the way the floor/transom is constructed. There are better and cheaper after market launch wheels available than Hondas. Do a search of the forum as they've been mentioned several times over the years.

[ChrisParish]

I feel that launch wheels are essential for solo launching without a trailer, the alternative is either dragging the boat along the sand, even if only a few feet, or putting the engine on once you are in the water. If you are launching in calm waters then putting a small, lightweight engine onto the transom while in the water isn’t too hard, but a beach launch with any surf would be very difficult. I have a foot long patch on the bottom of my Zodiac which says that pulling the boat over the sand is a bad idea.

The launch wheels for the air floor boats are a bit of a bodge to be honest, as they have to go around the tabs at the bottom of the transom, but they do work and they work fairly well. You might be able to come up with a way of mounting something like the railblaza kayak launch wheels if you really don’t like the honwave ones.

If you opt for the honwave wheels then the recommended set is the one from Pacermarine rather than the genuine Honda ones but they are all expensive.

[rossco]

Thanks guys. Sounds like wheels are the way to go then. I'll do some research. I don't mind paying for the Honda ones...they just seem quite chunky with the steel tubes so wondering if there is a more compact solution. I guess wheels will make it easier if I decide to launch from a ramp too. If anyone has used any alternative wheels for a Honwave transom I'd be keen to hear! Many Thanks.

[ChrisParish]

I have only used the aftermarket version of the Honwave ones - if you can find a better alternative to the bent steel tube type I would be very interested.

[Martin]

The genuine Honda launch wheels are utter junk imo, The aftermarket ones aren't what they used to be but they are better than the genuine Honwave set.
Alternatives..
Folding launch trolley
Inflatable boat rollers
Diy made up board that hooks over transom lip, drops between the trim tabs and has an axle attached to mount the wheels.

Martin