Outboard trolley

Geoff Higginbottom props and wheels his outboard

Moving my 4hp outboard, a relatively lightweight 2-stroke, is still tiresome so I needed a cost effective and portable wheeling solution.

A recent crewmember came on board with a folding trolley which was surprisingly rugged, while being compact and light weight. One Amazon Prime order and 24 hours later, and I was in possession of a suitable trolley.

A problem with the trolley was that the base was not designed for the point loading of the weight of the outboard, and was distorting when I tried to use it.

The answer was to take a piece of plywood which was lying around in the garage, and cut it to match the base plate. I painted the ply with exterior paint to protect it, and to stop it from falling off the trolley I used three bolts which protrude from the bottom and interlock into the trolley base. This way the board can simply be lifted off to allow folding, but once under load is totally secure.

To prevent the fin of the outboard slipping off the board while in use, I simply cut out a groove into which the fin can sit.

The outboard is then tied onto the trolley with a luggage strap, which I found was much more secure than using a bungee/shock cord. The two are a perfect match, and once the outboard is attached it’s very stable and can be safely left standing without fear of it falling over.

Telescopic trolley is just the right size...

... and the outboard can be easily wheeled around

Luggage strap holds the outboard firmly to the trolley

ABOVE Painted ply baseplate. Note notch for outboard fin LEFT Nuts and bolts stop baseplate from sliding around, but it can still be lifted off

LEFT The outboard fin sits securely in the baseplate notch