Any boat cart recommendations for a longer transport to the water scenario, say like Lenice Lake? I would like to avoid a case of buyer's remorse if possible. This would be for a frameless model like a Water Master or Assault. I would appreciate hearing about your experiences and recommendations. It's kind of tough to picture the use of a typical kayak/canoe model, but I know there are a lot of inovative folks here.
The reason I got the Assault is that it weighs only 22 pounds, so I just carry it. I found that if I put heavier stuff, like lunch and the anchors, in a back pack, it is fairly easy to carry. But, with the wind, I feel like some day I may take flight. Wayne
I built a homemade cart out of PVC pipe and a couple of wheels I found at the dump. I just use bungee cords to hold my pontoon boat. I haven't tried it with my Scadden but will check and let you know.
At Lenice/Nunnally I carry my WM in the back back and air it up at the launch. Frees up my hands to hold rods and a dry bag with lunch/water/extra clothes.
My homemade cart looks very similar to that one. I spaced it to mount to the pontoon frame but I bet it would work on one end of the Scadden or a Watermaster.
Thanks for all the responses! I should have mentioned that my boat in question specifically would be either a WM Kodiak or an Assault XX. And... that I always carry too much gear, upgraded oars, and other stuff with me! I think my days of backpacking that heavy a load are over. Wayne and Troutpocket, I have to give you credit for being in much better shape than I am. Freestone... I can see in the picture you attached, that lashing(I think that word really fits the pic) the front end of the WM to a kayak cart would work great! It would be just a matter of choosing the wheel type on the kayak cart. Not sure about the Assault XX with the two cargo decks both front and back. It hasn't been delivered to me yet, so I might have to look for alternatives once it arrives. Islander... Nice fab! Any issues with those wheels in sandy soil?
Greg, I also use the cart in the middle of my WM when it is heavily loaded to better balance the weight. I have a piece of plywood that is wide enough for the WM. I cut slots in it for straps so they line up with the tubing of the cart and the board stays put. Then, I strap my WM around the middle with the weight balanced on the cart. I also have.an Outcast tube/kayak built like an Assualt with front and rear decks. I just run some straps over the tubes. Here are two of them stacked on the cart for a hike up to an alpine lake. (It is narrower than the WM so board sticks out more)
Greg, haven't had them at the beach but so far they are tall enough to go through pretty soft sand & mud.
Freestone... I like the balanced approach for a heavier load, longer distances, or steep grades! I was just a bit concerned about the wheelbarrow effect(needing to lift excessively), or plowing with the wheels located way upfront. But with larger wheels and pneumatic tires, perhaps this is not even an issue in most situations. Islander... Thanks for the feedback on that type of wheel.
Informative thread! I also am getting tired of portaging water craft on my back. I prefer pneumatic tires, but hard ones are OK if they are wide enough. Islander's look kind of narrow, but from what I gather, they are tall enough to compensate for some sinking in the mud. I had a mower for sandy lots where I doubled up on all four of the hard tired wheels. I ended up drilling and bolting each pair of wheels together (using the axle as a guide and making sure that each pair was lined up before I bolted 'em together). The double wide wheels helped keep the mower from sinking in the sandier areas. I plan to see if I can make a wheelbarrow type dolly with four good lawnmower wheels mounted together, for wheeling my Ultimate 12 down a single-track mud trail.. Otherwise I might have to use two 4" pneumatic tires side-by-side. One thing I don't like about hard tires is that they leave deeper tracks and gouge up some softer trails.
Thanks. I love my Wheeleez kayak beach cart with the huge low pressure urethane wheels. Best invention ever for pulling anything over the sand. I can hardly survive getting my Tarpon 140 to the water without it. Using the cart, its a cinch. Unfortunately, it isn't the best cart for negotiating an 11" narrow rut of a path thru tall marsh grass. I tried that once, but it was easier to portage my U-12 the 100 meters on my back than to pull that cart thru the tall heavy grass. I have priced a large low-pressure Wheeleez wheel and the axle plus fixed castor to go with it. That ain't cheap! I've got a few burnt out mowers with good wheels that I haven't hauled to the junkyard yet. Its a no-brainer to try something with those. I might have to buy a section of axle stock that will hold four of 'em. The rest of the project can be done with stuff that's cluttering up my shop.
I'm hoping the $49 Boat Wheeler would work for my purposes. I don't want to break the bank for something that won't see regular use. Not anticipating true sand, just sandy soil. I think the wheels would be equivilent to Islander's, perhaps even a little better? http://www.wheeleez.com/canoe-kayak-carts.php
That should work good for you Gregg. I tried my homemade cart for my Scadden but it didn't work very well. I did find out the plastic cart I have for my Steel Challenge shooting gear, (and hauling my wife's gardening stuff around) worked super. I just set it on top and put a strap around it, then a couple of bungees and it worked great. It's a lot more money that the one you're looking at but I already had it so it's like being FREE. Here's a link: http://www.mightymaxcart.com/
It's a little pricy,but Sea Eagle makes a cart for FPBs. I think it's around 140$ but it's aluminium and is collapsable.
Hi Gregg..been a long time! I checked out the $49 Boat Wheeler and it looks like a winner. I was going to make something similar with schedule 40 for my raft, but after seeing this setup I'll spend my spare time fishing. Tell you what, if you order it and don't like it I would buy it from you! Fred C.
Hey Fred! That is the one I ordered, so I will find out soon enough. Lashing the cart to the open bow, and pulling from the stern using the WM handle should work great for the WM (sure looks like it's working for Alex in the pic). I'll need both the WM and the Assault XX present before I can determine the plywood dimensions needed for the Assault XX, or for balancing heavier loads on either boat. If I decide that I need to go the plywood route, I'll post some pictures. tyeoneon... Thanks for pointing out another cart. I could see where it might have many great applications when used with certain types of boats.
Gregg, I carried my Assault on Sat into Lenice. Doable but less fun as I age. I just ordered the same cart. Wayne
I promised to post some pics if I went with the plywood. This is my 'hell for stout' design for having two rafts stacked, plus gear. I used some 3/4" plywood that I had handy, but 5/8" probably would be fine. Special thanks to Freestone for taking the time to reply to my original post describing this concept.
