Portage wheels

[tkettel]

Does anyone have pictures of portage wheels for motor boats or even better some basic plans on how to build them? A co-worker wants to try portaging into Basswood next year vs dipping. I use to be a regular into Basswood via portaging, but it has been many years for me, so I have been trying to advise him through my old memory.

Thanks in advance

[Surface Tension]

BWtrout where are you. bw was asking something similar just this Spring. Lets see what he found.

[chunkytrout]

I couldn't believe I couldn't come up with anything on the net picture wise. Do you have welding skills? If not, most of the welder/fabricators up here make them all the time for people. Essentially (per wheel) you have two triangular frames welded together with an axle on the bottom angle. The usual set up is a front wheel off a dirt bike. The top corner towards the bow has a welded shaft hole that the whole rig slides on to. The top corner towards the stern has a hole as well that matches a hole on the boat for a key-pin. When you're at your destination you can either remove the whole assembly or flip and lock them in place upsidedown for lake travel. I'd draw you a picture but my 2nd grade art teacher failed me . Never quite got over that one. Hope this helps a little til BW speaks up.

[9joey1]

The bigger the wheels the better. Do not use small fat trailer tires! It is not fun to portage with those........

[tkettel]

Thanks Trout, it sounds like you are describing the type of wheels that are mounted to the boat? I think he wants the type that slide under the boat, at least that is what we use to portage with. I will ask him though and maybe will consider both.

[Down Deep]

Just in case you don't want to construct one, Voyager's North in Ely rents them for $10 for a few days.

[bwtrout]

Mine have been done weeks ago, I haven't had time to go get them. I hopefully can get them this week. I had the swing down one's made.

[Surface Tension]

Thats what I was thinking of, swing down portage wheels. They're a while lot easier to use then trying to get the type you have to get under the boat.

[chaffmj]

I have seen both the swing down and the slid under in action. I would go with the swing down. With a nice pair of knee high boots you are off and portaging as soon as you get out of the boat. Sorry I don't have a picture to show you. There was a video of Dietz and a trip he took last year with Rob a guide from Ely and it showed them portaging with the swing downs. It may still be on here.

[tkettel]

Would it be possible for someone to send me a pic of the boat mounted set of wheels? My friend is looking at both options.

Thanks!

[Surface Tension]

You can send them to me and I'll post them.

[Markerboy1]

I have made several sets and continue to re-design them as needed. My last set was made for the 19' canoe that allows you to have a 3rd person oar if needed and a comfy seat to boot. I could not find all the pics taken when they were built but have some. The sport boat is an older design with aluminum. I will take some more pics next time at the cabin and send an update. There are 2 basic designs used ones with cross bars all the way across so the side walls do not push in under heavy loads and the other is pined and the bracket is bolted to the side of the boat. Some boats have 1 cross bar for the pivot point up/down and then pin in the rear. My last set has both cross bars and can pivot on either end when portaging/motoring. I run with the smaller wheels so the canoe is not so top heavy and have an adjustable plate so I can adjust the ground clearance with wheel size. I like to pull the wheels back away from the boat splash/heavy waves and pin the wheels down at the portage

[tkettel]

Thanks to everyone for the input and pics. I plan to have my hands on wheels that go under the boat to look at the design and I will send in pics when I get them.

To those of you using the wheels and boats like in the pics, how stable are your boats? I have seen the sport boats used up there and always wondered how they are to fish out of?

[Markerboy1]

At the last portage I take off the wheels and usually fish with out. They are some what of a pain to fish with on a canoe/sport boat. I would drop the wheels to help stabilize if anchored. Here is a pic for under the boat setup with no cross over axle. When on the portage you can straddle the boulders and still have ground clearance.

Link with some more pics with both designs

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1894950

[tkettel]

Thanks for the pics and link, they are exactly what I was looking for. The only difference between yours and the ones I have used it we had a seat belt type tie-down attached to them and long handles to get them under the bigger boats.

Again, thanks!

[Blade]

Could you please send me some pictures of your drop down "Babbitt" wheels. Thanks, Paul

[email protected]

[marla]

I am also looking for some pics of the portage wheels that go under the boat 12' have a set of babbit wheels we made but are to hard for us to transport from lake to lake as we do not trailer it. Thanks in advance

[shogun]

yeah it looks like the pics died - can someone re-post using someplace other than villagephotos etc for hosting the images since they delete unactive accounts and then lose any image links there were like ones that used to be in this thread?