RAILBLAZA C-Tug Dinghy Wheels, Set of 2 with Transom Mounts

The RAILBLAZA C-Tug Dinghy Wheels take the worst part of owning a small boat, dragging it across the sand, and turn it into a two-minute job. This is a set of two launching wheels with a pair of transom mounts and the stainless steel hardware to bolt them on. Fit them to the transom of your inflatable, your RIB, or a lightweight aluminum boat up to 12 feet, and you can roll the whole rig down to the water instead of hauling it.

If you keep a tender on a mooring or a beach, you already know the routine. The dinghy's not heavy in the water. But out of it, loaded with a fuel tank, an outboard, and a couple of bags, it's a back-breaker. These wheels carry up to 200 pounds as a working load and 260 pounds static, so a fully rigged 10 or 12 foot inflatable sits well within range. Drop them down when you hit the sand, lift them once you're floating, and go.

The wheels themselves are 10 inches across and puncture-free. There's no inner tube to go flat, no valve to corrode, nothing to pump up before a trip. That matters on a boat that lives outside. A solid wheel like this rolls well over hard sand, gravel ramps, and packed dirt. Soft, deep mud is the one surface where any narrow wheel struggles, so if your launch is a soft tidal flat, keep the boat light and take it slow.

Everything's built from UV-stabilized fiberglass reinforced plastic in black. That's the same tough material RAILBLAZA uses across its mounting gear, chosen because it shrugs off salt spray and sun far better than bare steel or untreated plastic. Rinse the wheels with fresh water after a salty launch and they'll keep looking and working right for years.

Mounting is straightforward, but it's worth doing carefully. The two transom brackets bolt to the back of your boat, and the wheels pin into them. On most inflatables and small aluminum hulls you'll be drilling fresh holes rather than lining up with anything pre-existing, so measure twice, use a backing plate or large washers on the inside of the transom to spread the load, and go with the supplied stainless hardware. Stainless matters here. Plated steel bolts on a saltwater transom rust out in a season. Set the brackets high enough that the wheels clear the ground when they're folded up and you're underway.

Once they're on, the wheels fold up out of the water when you launch, so there's no drag and nothing dragging in the prop wash. Back at the beach, flip them down before the bow touches and walk the boat straight up above the tide line. For anyone launching solo off a beach, a boat ramp with no dock, or a campsite shoreline, that's the difference between getting on the water that day and deciding it's too much hassle.

They come apart for storage too. Pull the wheels off the brackets and they'll tuck into a cockpit locker or the trunk of a car, which is handy if you cartop the dinghy or store it over the winter. The brackets stay bolted to the transom year-round.

Who's this for? Owners of inflatable tenders, small RIBs, cartop aluminum boats, and jon boats up to 12 feet who launch and retrieve by hand. Who's it not for? Heavy fiberglass skiffs, anything past the 200 pound working load, or boats that live on a trailer. If you're regularly loading two adults, a motor, and gear onto a 12 foot inflatable and pushing the static rating, ease off and make two trips. Pushed past its limit, any launching wheel will flex. You get two wheels, two transom mounts, and two sets of stainless steel hardware in the box. It's a simple bit of gear that quietly makes a small boat a lot more usable.