Bringing a vehicle

OK so I can't bring a car on board but we have a small motorcycle (large scooter?) weighing in at around 250 lbs. Anyone on here carry anything more than a bicycle for cruising around port when you get there? If so, how do you store/load/unload it?

We haven't figured out the loading/ unloading part of this. We've got the deck space and I'm wondering if I could move the dinghy davits somewhere or something....

I have one of these: 125cc/ 75kg /55mph top speed.

I have contemplated it in a thousand different ways including towing a custom dingy set up like a landing craft.

In my travels I was surprised at how many marinas we're against unloading motorized vehicles on their docks.

Enough didn't note it...so I may still give it a try.

One needs a suitable vessel to transport a personal automobile.

Regular ol' pedal bike for me. $89.95 at K-mart Key West. Can get on and off the boat even when bulkhead tied. Dinkable, but gots to be careful of sharp edges and other pointy things. Exercise is good for me too.

Has anyone used a Segway for ground transportation?

Many years ago I carried a folding bike with a small gasoline engine. I even carried it in the back of my Cessna 172. I could cover a lot of ground on it.

Richard on Dauntless bought a battery powered bike while he was in Miami. He ran all over on it. He let me try it, now I'm looking for one. I wonder if he's using it in Ireland?

This is how I prefer to roll...

The Airwheel USA

On our 40'er we had a post on both port and starboard in the cockpit that fit the davit. Schedule 40, stainless. The davit would be attached closest to the pier for off-loading the bikes and then moved to the other side to get it out of the way.

There was a simple hand crank and even I could hoist my minibike off the boat by myself. This was in the early 60's and mine had fat tires. It would only go 25 mph and I couldn't convince anyone to take off the governor or explain it to me well enough to remove myself.

In retrospect, that was probably a good thing!

Anyway, as I recall the wire was thin -- perhaps 1/8" stainless twisted stuff... it's been decades so I might be wrong on the size wire. The davit (singular) worked well.

Another benefit for having the davit in the cockpit was that we could if necessary get someone out of the water without their assistance. In a worst case scenario the large canvas could slide under the injured one, and the simply crank 'em up. Fortunately we never had to test that in a real-world circumstance.

Thread drift for future thought: how would you get someone back aboard who could not assist you in any way?

I too am looking at battery powered/ assisted bicycles. Markpierce the boat pictured in your post would be a great post in interesting boats.

stubones99 said:

Has anyone used a Segway for ground transportation?

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Yes. On the last boat I ran we had two off road Segways and two Vestpa type scooters. The Segways were pretty handy.

I'm just going through this at the moment, we already have 2 bike's which have done sterling service, the amount of stuff you can carry is amazing but advancing years are making us think.
Tried a Segway but they're heavy to lift on and off and there's no suspension, fine if your in your first flush of youth.
Electric bike's are heavy and both them and a Segway raise the question of, how do you charge them ?
By the way when we visited Richard in Waterford we didn't see a bike so he may have left it behind.
The most practical for us that I've seen was this aluminium framed bike with a small motor http://wwwengine-1.com.tw try as I might I've not been able to get in contact with them, maybe some of you IT techie guys can raise them, or maybe you have a contact in that region, if so I'd be very interested in buying a couple as they have the benefit of light weight loading/offloading, no charging problems, unlimited mileage and the carrying capacity of a bike.
Any help welcome.

Irish Rambler said:

I'm just going through this at the moment, we already have 2 bike's which have done sterling service, the amount of stuff you can carry is amazing but advancing years are making us think.
Tried a Segway but they're heavy to lift on and off and there's no suspension, fine if your in your first flush of youth.
Electric bike's are heavy and both them and a Segway raise the question of, how do you charge them ?
By the way when we visited Richard in Waterford we didn't see a bike so he may have left it behind.
The most practical for us that I've seen was this aluminium framed bike with a small motor http://wwwengine-1.com.tw try as I might I've not been able to get in contact with them, maybe some of you IT techie guys can raise them, or maybe you have a contact in that region, if so I'd be very interested in buying a couple as they have the benefit of light weight loading/offloading, no charging problems, unlimited mileage and the carrying capacity of a bike.
Any help welcome.

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The Peugeot 50cc mobylette is still available, just 42kg and €900.
VOGUE 2T Fiche Produit

These are the ones I bought that go much faster, but 75kg not 42kg...
http://www.skyteammotorcycles.com

Thanks Peter for the link.
We looked at them but the aluminium bikes come in at 21 kgs with a very low centre of gravity which would suit us fine if we could get a hold of them.
Actually, I'd like a Honda 400/4 but the chief engineer won't hear of it !

Irish Rambler said:

Thanks Peter for the link.
We looked at them but the aluminium bikes come in at 21 kgs with a very low centre of gravity which would suit us fine if we could get a hold of them.
Actually, I'd like a Honda 400/4 but the chief engineer won't hear of it !

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What you need is a big crane mounted on your transom; swing the beast onboard!

I walk mine onto the back of the boat; the front wheel then the back etc etc.....

This is the motorized folding bicycle I had about thirty years ago.

The bike was made by Worksman Bikes and the engine by Bumble Bike.
Take a look at their website. Worksman builds some really unusual bikes.
Cargo Bikes, Industrial Bicycles and Industrial Tricycles from Worksman Cycles Factory Direct Store

I see that a similar engine kit is made today by Bumble Bee Bolt On.
Bumble Bee Bolt-On™ Friction Drive Motorized bicycle Kits

I've decided I don't want to try to lift anything awkward that weighs more than about fifty pounds. A motorized bicycle fits that standard.

HopCar said:

This is the motorized folding bicycle I had about thirty years ago.

The bike was made by Worksman Bikes and the engine by Bumble Bike.
Take a look at their website. Worksman builds some really unusual bikes.
Cargo Bikes, Industrial Bicycles and Industrial Tricycles from Worksman Cycles Factory Direct Store

I see that a similar engine kit is made today by Bumble Bee Bolt On.
Bumble Bee Bolt-On™ Friction Drive Motorized bicycle Kits

I've decided I don't want to try to lift anything awkward that weighs more than about fifty pounds. A motorized bicycle fits that standard.

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Wow!
Fantastic idea. I love it.
Could be problems here in Europe with the regulations.

stubones99 said:

Has anyone used a Segway for ground transportation?

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I thought about one of those as well!

The problem with a motorcycle to me is the danger factor. Its easy to get killed on a motorcycle due to someone else's fault.

Something you can ride on the sidewalk seems safer to me.
Something with an electric drive because then there probably wouldn't be motorized regulations to deal with.

As for the Honda 400/4, I had one some years ago (I used to play with the spanners and race an old English hybrid Triumph 650 twin in a Norton featherbed frame before works teams priced me out). So I guess I'm just a recycled teenager at heart !
Rustybarge, does the name mean you have an old CIE barge ?
We'll be passing down the Shannon from Belturbet en route to Dunkirk in the 3rd week in June, if your around you'll be welcome to come and say Hello, our boats name is Snow Mouse, it's an ex Emerald star Broom 42.
I'll start a new thread to cover the trip.


Looked at the Worksman, great bikes but didn't see what would be most suitable for our cruising style/area.

Irish Rambler said:

As for the Honda 400/4, I had one some years ago (I used to play with the spanners and race an old English hybrid Triumph 650 twin in a Norton featherbed frame before works teams priced me out). So I guess I'm just a recycled teenager at heart !
Rustybarge, does the name mean you have an old CIE barge ?
We'll be passing down the Shannon from Belturbet en route to Dunkirk in the 3rd week in June, if your around you'll be welcome to come and say Hello, our boats name is Snow Mouse, it's an ex Emerald star Broom 42.
I'll start a new thread to cover the trip.


Looked at the Worksman, great bikes but didn't see what would be most suitable for our cruising style/area.

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I'm in Athlone on a self built barge: you'll see my little cat moored up beside it when you pass underneath the white railway bridge, so please drop in. I think you've already met Richard of trans Atlantic fame: he came up from Waterford and dropped in a couple of weeks ago for lunch and a chat. Very entertaining and interesting person. More guts than I will ever have!

It's a very very small world: I had a 350ta Triumph on narrow Norton frame and roadholder front forks. Cafe racer road bike, I bought it in Dublin for £180 and sold it 15 years later for £280..... Now it's worth £4k. Damn.

I'm sure you've cruised the lough Erne's; gorgeous countryside. I was telling Richard to get his boat up here for a spring cruise.

Unfortunately Richards boat's air draught is too high and my boats being worked on to be ready for the trip to Dunkirk or I'd give it him for a couple of weeks to look around.
I suppose you'd know the oul Iron Lung ?
We'll drop in on the way past to say 'Hello' on the way down past you.
Ah ! old memories of the bikes, they were great craic before all the rules, regulations and 'elf n safety crap but at least we were sensible with it and only drunk 4 or 5 pints before we rode home !

Irish Rambler said:

Unfortunately Richards boat's air draught is too high and my boats being worked on to be ready for the trip to Dunkirk or I'd give it him for a couple of weeks to look around.
I suppose you'd know the oul Iron Lung ?
We'll drop in on the way past to say 'Hello' on the way down past you.
Ah ! old memories of the bikes, they were great craic before all the rules, regulations and 'elf n safety crap but at least we were sensible with it and only drunk 4 or 5 pints before we rode home !

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The handling on the little sky bubbly 125 is 'interesting ' to say the least. The tiny wheels make it as twitchy as hell, you have keep a good look out for potholes. It's a nightmare in the wet, as you have to keep the power on through the corner or it weaves all over the road.

I don't fancy being catapulted over the handlebars much.
Could be embarrassing on a tiny monkey bike, and hurt lots.

Ps: my son rode it down to Clifden and back and got over 100mpg! He said he got it up to 60 mph while being sucked along by a truck on the motorway.

Irish R. I was thinking the Worksman Ice Cream vending bicycle would be good for cruisers. When you hit a new town, sell some ice cream, buy some more fuel. Actually their folding bikes are nicer to ride than the others I've ridden and I think would be good cruisers bikes.

Pura Vida said:

... Markpierce the boat pictured in your post would be a great post in interesting boats.

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A common sight on the Rhine River.

GoCycle is pretty sweet. Lithium powered folding bicycle. Goes about 15 mph and weighs around 35#. I saw it at the MIBS. Only problem is they want ~$4.5K for one right now.

Gabe n Em said:

OK so I can't bring a car on board but we have a small motorcycle (large scooter?) weighing in at around 250 lbs. Anyone on here carry anything more than a bicycle for cruising around port when you get there? If so, how do you store/load/unload it?

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Hello Gabe n Em,
We cruise around with two 50cc scooters, and we love 'em
They've justified the maintenance & cost - every time, as transport is readily available at the other end,,, It's liberating.
We have a 1500 lb hydraulic davit which gets them to the quayside. Sometimes we are looking over our shoulder during unloading/loading but we haven't had any negative feedback yet. In fact it can become an ice-breaker in a new location, as cruisers wonder over (often with a spare beer) and we discuss the oddity. Anyway, we're sold. So good so far.

I used to bring a Batavas 50cc moped with me when I was island hopping around the San Juans and Gulf Islands. I think it weighed around 100 lbs and a top speed of 30mph. Loaded it with the mast and boom and strapped it to the railing on the stern deck. Haven't done it in years, but it was nice transportation for around town and on the islands without bus or taxi service.

How about just towing one of these?

Gabe n Em said:

OK so I can't bring a car on board but we have a small motorcycle (large scooter?) weighing in at around 250 lbs. Anyone on here carry anything more than a bicycle for cruising around port when you get there? If so, how do you store/load/unload it?

Click to expand...

I am presently designing a small hydraulic crane to lift and service the generator as well as load and unload my Harley. I am planning a trip to Florida and would like to bring the bike along. I'll let you know how we make out.