Pontoon boat hauling apparatus and method

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for transporting watercraft with pontoons, commonly referred to as“pontoon boats.” The apparatus broadly comprises an axle assembly and a hitch assembly. The axle assembly includes beam axle, a pair of wheels mounted for rotation about the beam axle, and a pair of pads or cradles spaced apart at a distance to receive the bottom portions of the pontoons. The hitch assembly is mounted relative to the lower surface of the deck, and includes a hitch bar extending from the front end of the deck which terminates in a cup-shaped receptacle to receive the ball hitch of the tow vehicle. To tow the boat, the cradles are preferably positioned under the craft to receive the bottom portions of the pontoons just rearward of the center of gravity to achieve an acceptable tongue weight on a level surface. The hitch assembly is preferably permanently mounted relative to the lower surface of the deck through welding, mechanical fasteners, or a combination thereof. The apparatus further includes some additional fastener such as a strap associated with each cradle that extends around the outer surface of each pontoon to hold the watercraft in a towing position. To achieve a relatively narrow width during towing, the wheels are preferably mounted for rotation inside the cradles. The spacing of the cradles is also preferably adjustable to suit different watercraft having pontoons with different spacings. The spacing between the wheels may also be adjustable. To ensure transport by vehicles having a hitch ball lower that the bottom surface of the watercraft deck, the hitch bar includes a bend to position the watercraft at level attitude when the ball hitch is received by the receptacle.