Slipway Wheels

Whatever type of vessel you have or use, there will be times when you need to get it in and out of the water. A recreational dinghy or other small boat may be stored on land and only be put in the water at weekends and holidays. Larger recreational boats and commercial vehicles, however, may spend most of their life in the water and only come out for maintenance and repair.

Moving Boats Easily with Slipway Wheels

All types will require a means of getting them in and out of the water. At a commercial yard, this may be a hoist, which can be used when launching a newly constructed vessel as well as for service and repair. In other cases, depending on availability and the size of the vessel, a slipway may be used and boats will be transported on trailers or bogies fitted with slipway wheels and will be winched up and down the ramp.

Getting the Right Slipway Wheels from the Experts

At Richmond Wheel & Castor Company, we’re the industry leader in slipway wheel manufacture and supply. We have a wide range of wheels that are suitable for all kinds of vessels and slipways, and for situations where no slipway is available. The type of boat you have and where you will normally launch it will determine the type of wheels you need. For example:

• relatively small ‘dolly’ wheels will often be sufficient when launching from a concrete slipway
• some slipways have railway type tracks to the water, necessitating track wheels with an appropriate groove size to fit the steel rails
• launching from a shingle beach will require pneumatic tyres that won’t sink in and which are solid or otherwise puncture proof due to the presence of sharp stones
• wider pneumatic wheels may be needed for soft sand and will also work on shingle if puncture proof.

Pneumatic wheels will also be fine on concrete slipways, and so are the most adaptable. If you are a commercial boatyard owner or manager, you may need a variety of wheeled bogies to handle different types and sizes of vessels.

Buying the Best and Most Suitable Slipway Wheels

We have a wide range of slipway wheels for the different launch situations and also supply suitable axles. They’re also available for various weights and can be fitted to bogies, trailers, trolleys, carriages or other structures that are designed to carry boats while they’re winched into or out of the water.

Each wheel is designed and manufactured to carry the stated weight and will also withstand the harsh treatment that is likely when moving boats. This includes a high resistance to the corrosive nature of saltwater so that the wheels won’t deteriorate in use.

Richmond Wheel & Castor Co have over sixty years of industry experience and a reputation for quality that we work hard to keep. All our products are intended to make moving and handling goods easier, and that applies as equally to boats as to any other items like hand trolleys and cage trolleys.

We have ISO19001:2015 for quality management, which guarantees every product conforms to high standards. Each slipway wheel will enable you to move your vessel safely and more efficiently so you can get it in and out of the water quickly and then concentrate on other things. And because we make everything ourselves, we can offer expert advice and, if necessary, custom make wheels to suit any requirements.