A Kayak Trolley that Works (but isn't perfect)

For the times that you're paddling solo, carts are super helpful.  This is the best kayak cart/trolley I've found for general use. It's not perfect, but it works. (See photos).

I've owned a number of kayak transport carts in the past. I had a folding kind with large inflatable wheels placed close to the center of the boat which was great for travelling over a long distance - most of the boat's weight is placed on the cart so it's nearly effortless to pull.  But over rough terrain or when going over sidewalk curbs, these foldable carts are prone to collapsing - bam, you come to a grinding halt. I've tried straps, rope, placement on either side of the cockpit to minimize the collapsing - at some point the cart will collapse no matter what you do (if someone has a magic solution I'm all ears).  Similar carts that are non-folding made of a one-piece metal frame won't collapse but are bulky and some cost over $100.  I had a very small stern-mounted cart that came with only one cross strap. I was able to hook the strap under my deck lines to minimize the risk of it slipping around but it wasn't bomb-proof. It was so small I could fit it in my day hatch, but it wasn't big enough to go over rocky terrain.  At one point I even resorted to using a modified boogie-board that I carved into a narrow "sled", which worked great, was incredibly light weight, and could be stored in the boat - until it disintegrated from being dragged across the rocks/pavement too many times.

This cart - the Quantum Engineering Stern Wheels Cart -  is available from REI (haven't seen it for sale elsewhere).  It is a stern or bow mounted cart, so the boat is a heavier carry than with some carts.  But the key (KEY!) is that it has two straps and a hook that grabs the cockpit coaming. It WILL NOT slip off while you're pulling the boat no matter what terrain you traverse and no matter what direction (pushing or pulling the boat) you're moving.  FINALLY, a cart that stays on no matter what.  It also has quick-release buckles on both straps so it is installed and removed quickly.  AND (ta da), the entire cart fits in a 10" Romany hatch if you squeeze it a bit. No folding or dismantling.

There are definitely things to improve on this cart.  It's shape is one, the rounded base appears made for the central keel of plastic, recreational sit-on-top kayaks - it doesn't fit well on the hull of a typical sea kayak. Plus the cart should only cost $40 or so, but costs $80 - way more than it should. The wheels are on a narrow axle and are small/hard so it doesn't roll efficiently - you're dragging the boat more than rolling it easily.  So long transports would be tough. But it works for shorter distances and won't come off!

Pros:

- Won't Slip Off!

- Easy to install and remove - quick release buckles
- No need to inflate tires (hard rubber).
- Fits in 10" hatch
- Few bits to rust - mostly plastic

Cons:

- pulling boat is more effort than center-mounted carts
- round shape of base does not fit sea kayak hulls nicely

- expensive for what you get
- wheels are small, narrow, and hard

Extra Thought:  These days, when paddling in a group I try to offer and ask for a hand to move boats from the cars to the launch.  After years of huffing it myself, some back issues made double-carries a wise plan and this was drilled home to me when I worked for Atlantic Kayak Tours.  We staffed many trips and hauled many boats so it was essential really to have two-people-per boat. No shame in asking for a hand.  Also, I've never owned a carbon/kevlar boat and have tended to own heavy-layup British boats that seem to be a few pounds heavier then their American counterparts. For solo paddling, I decided at some point that I'd had enough wear-and-tear on my body - so moved to using carts as often as I can.   

Bring Back the Crying Indian! – Mamaroneck River “floatables” – Saxon Woods Park

Plastic Bottles on shore of Mamaroneck River, NY - 10.5.11

I took a hike along the newly cleared floodplain of the Mamaroneck River this week – hurricane Irene and the subsequent storms really re-oriented the latticework of stream courses. Interesting to see how an urban stream can move sediment around. New piles of sand on the banks, all the invasive porcelainberry knocked back and moved out (at least until next spring). If I had a little WW kayak I’d poke around here – it’s the biggest “river” close to my home and seems to have enough flow to struggle downstream past shallow spots in a plastic boat.

But what really got me was the piles of plastic bottles everywhere – “floatables” in the parlance of stormwater engineers. I’m amazed how so many people just throw trash on the sidewalks these days, 40+ years after the first Earth Day. It all gets washed down the stormdrains and ends up on our stream shores and coastal shores. I’ve been to areas by the mouth of the Hutchinson River that have layers of plastic bottles several feet thick – the streambank stratification that forms by the accretion of sediment is now using plastic refuse to “build” the streambank! Pretty sickening.

Mamaroneck River Floodplain 10.5.11

 
 
 
 
At these times I just wonder whatever happened to the old “Keep American Beautiful” commercial that had the Crying Indian riding his horse and seeing people throw trash along the highway and paddling his canoe and looking at all the riverbank garbage. As a child, I know this had a profound affect on me and many of my peers. It enlightened us, shamed us, and stopped us from becoming litterers ourselves. In my opinion, if you show these things to kids when they’re young, it can make a real, lifelong difference in their behavior. How many thousands/millions of American kids saw that commercial and came to learn that littering is bad? Think of how much littering was prevented by the commercial in shear tons of garbage. And just think how inexpensive that ad was considering the many people it affected – probably the single most cost-effective anti-pollution measure of all time.

But they no longer show the commercial on TV and haven’t replaced it with something similar - now several generations of kids have grown up without the shame they should feel in littering. Not long ago a young man pulled up at a red light in front of me, opened his car door, placed his soda can on the ground carefully, then sped away at the green light leaving his empty can upright in the middle of the road! In the parking lot next to my apartment I witnessed another young guy dumping the contents of several fast food runs from his car onto the ground and he was within 20 feet of a garbage can!!

Bring back the Crying Indian before it’s too late – we need him again.