A 2.7m dinghy with a solid aluminium floor is great, until it comes to moving it around on land – it weighs more than 45kg and is quite a lump.
To reduce the strain I produced a set of dinghy wheels that can be mounted onto the transom.
I bought the wheels from a screws and fixings store for £6 each, and made the framework with plastic overflow pipe and solvent weld fittings left over from a bathroom upgrade.
I removed the roller bearings from the wheel hubs and repacked them with water-resistant grease before pushing the pipe for the axle through and constructing the frame around them. The frame is attached to the transom with pipe clips when in use, and can be swung up and held clear of the water when not required.
After three seasons’ use the grease in the bearings is still intact and the wheels allow easy handling of the dinghy onshore.

Richard Stone