Watertender 9.4 and Beach Wheels

[monroe0]

Hi,

I have a WaterTender 9.4, and I'd like to attach beach wheels to it. Problem is, the moulded in aft seat prevents thru-bolting. I thought I could put a waterproof port in to the aft seat, to use the aft seat for storage AND be able to get to the transom, but the aft seat is full of Styrofoam. I've thought about digging that out and moving ahead, I've also thought about attaching the wheels to StarBoard and attaching the StarBoard to the transom with 5200. But before doing this, thought I would reach out to greater wisdom.

Has anybody attached, or seen attached, beach wheels on a WaterTender 9.4? And if so, how is it done?

Also, it there Styrofoam in the middle and forward seats also?

Thanks,

Doug & Cindy Monroe
s/v Spartan
Ensenada, Mexico

[GordMay]

Watertenders are made of polyethylene, to which, 5200 will not adhere. Actually, I don't know of any adhesive that will.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Watertenders are made of polyethylene, to which, 5200 will not adhere. Actually, I don't know of any adhesive that will.

On top of that starboard won't allow 5200 to stick worth a damn either.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[micah719]

Is there enough room left over on the outboard mount to clamp on a wheel strut?

I cribbed the following from the .pdf user manual, so at a guess there is flotation foam under the seats; maybe a good idea to throw the manufacturer an email. From customer reviews on amazon and walmart there are some models with stern storage compartments, but apparently not quite waterproof enough. Perhaps a local business could weld in a decent hatch for yours?

http://www.pedalboat.com/pdfman/klm/...hy_08-2011.pdf

If you wear a hole in the boat below the waterline HDPE is very difficult to repair. Nothing sticks to HDPE other than molten
HDPE. Most adhesives even those that are very aggressive will only make a temporary bond and probably will not be waterproof.

Drain any water accumulated between your deck and hull.

Don’t allow water to accumulate between the deck and hull and freeze. Freezing damages the polystyrene flotation foam.

[svhydra]

hello from vancouver island; the only transom plate i have ever seen on your boat was a fabricated aluminum c-shaped bracket that dropped over both sides of the transom leaving a nice metal gunnel top. sadly your dinghy is very prone to uv damage and water leaking from any drill holes into the foam adding needles weight so keep the boat well sealed and covered. all the best; R

[Mojadito]

Dig out the foam, through bolt it, then pour in new flotation foam. Be sure not to contain the foam, or it will balloon out the hull.

[monroe0]

Anybody have any experience with a product called Poly-Weld by TAP?

[onestepcsy37]

My watertender is a bit old, maybe ten years, but has held up pretty well and done us great service. The Admiral prefers it to our inflatable.

I once considered wheels and decided the best way to do it was to use the outboard bracket. With a bit of ingenuity you could make one yourself out of aluminum stock.

[capt jgw]

I bought the West Marine version of the 9.4 this spring and plan to add wheels to it once the warrantee is out. (2 years). My plan is to make 1/4" thick aluminum backing plates with threaded bolt holes, and slide them in between the hull and foam, using the existing access plate to get in. (Only the WM version has the plate, but you could add your own easily.) I may make the backing plates long enough to extend past the foam block to make installation easier. I may have to crush the foam a little, but not remove any. I'd also like to put a storage compartment under the center seat for life jackets if I can find a waterproof hatch to fit. Don't know yet if there's foam under there, but there probably is. 5200 won't glue HDPE , buy it should seal OK of you keep the screws tight.
So far I like the boat a lot. They're real popular here with about ten boats out of sixty or more in our mooring area using them. And they're made right here in Muskegon Michigan.

[onestepcsy37]

And, if you are really adventurous, you can take your Watertender apart!

Not sure about the newer Watertenders, but mine is older and was having some "hull to deck" separation problems. So I took out every screw - and the rubber strake - and then carefully pried the two halves apart. When I reassembled it later I used silicone sealant on the joint and stainless bolts with nyloc nuts.

Two years later its still watertight.

[capt jgw]

The new ones are held together with pop rivets. Certainly could be disassembled.

[sgilman099]

I currently have a walker bay and I have been dragging down a rocky beach for 10 years.
The walker bay is indestructible.
Can anyone comment on the robustness of the Watertender?
How thick is the bottom?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, sgilman.


I had an old (90's) Watertender, which was VERY durable.