Looking for suggestions here. My team is doing the 90 miler in a C-4. Need to purchase wheels for the various times on this race where my paddlers will need to move the canoe quickly on wheels.
For what it is worth:
Get one with the largest wheels you can find.
Hopefully Plaid Paddler will chime in here with the make his C-4 team used
You are very late getting wheels ! Your team should have been practicing getting in and out of the boat and loading/securing the canoe, or your not going to be “happy paddlers”
Also, keep in mind that if you are in the racing class you must carry your wheels all three days
Open touring. Still have to carry wheels all 3 days? Thanks for your advice.
@PuddlerCrew said:
Open touring. Still have to carry wheels all 3 days? Thanks for your advice.
No, see “Wheels” on page 5 of the Paddlers guide
I have always used the large wheel “Canadian walker” as it was once known, now under other names. I have used it for years with voyageur and C4 canoes. Have also just carried both overhead on the shoulders of two people, not bothering with wheels at all, switching out people as they get tired, which you will have to do if you decide to go without wheels on the Raquette Falls carry on day 2 and at Bartlett carry on day 3 (which is legal in the Open Touring Class).
Whatever kind of wheels you use, be sure to fasten wheels tight to the canoe, and practice with them before the race as a team effort to install and remove quickly, if not for your own sake, but also to quickly get out of the way so other paddlers may be on their way past you. Please don’t unnecessarily block the access for boats to land or launch coming behind you. If not fastened down tight, when you hit roots and rocks on the 8th to Browns Tract carry or elsewhere, the canoe will shift and no longer be squarely sitting on the wheels, making further progress a pain. Note that you will be required to remove the wheels as you enter the long narrow boardwalk at Brown’s Tract, it will be a no-wheel carry at that point.
Here is a photo of our voyageur getting ready to put in at 6th Lake with the CW style wheels.
Yukon Paddler has it right. The cart I use was originally the Swedish boat cart and then the Canadian copy took its own name and now several sources have it as a Chinese copy. I don’t know where you are located, but Oak Orchard canoe in Waterport and Rochester NY have the current version of the cart in stock. Mine is 116 years old and has been used in the 90 miler every year since 2002. You do need to secure a long canoe better than 2 belly straps. I have 4 straps attached to the corners of the cart and Fastex buckles on the ends of these short straps. From the front corners of the cart the straps attach to mating straps attached to the rear corners of seat #2. The rear cart straps attach to mating straps attached to the front of seat#3. The straps have colored tape on both mating parts and the frame of the cart is color coded front and rear so I goes under the canoe in the right direction. practice getting the cart under the canoe and centered. Do NOT rush this step. Being off center or cocked will make your cart run doggy and with a C4 your ends will be off the trail on Browns Tract. Have your team members assigned to specific sides loading and undoing the straps. Have the slowest and strongest paddler do the lifting at the end to get the cart under the canoe. and as Yukon Paddler states above, carry your canoe away from the take-out to the designated loading zone and move to the side out of the way. At 5th lake that means up the trail to the first bend and load on the outside of the corner. At 7th lake, go up the beach and load on the right side of the road. At 8th lake you can load on the beach, but stay off to the right side. At the Marion River carry, get your canoe up the bank onto the RR bed and get off to the side to load. On Day2 at Raquette Falls you Must carry up the stairs and up the hill to Campsite 1 on the right and follow the Rangers direction. It is always crowded and narrow. I do not use the wheels on the C4 at Raquette Falls. We will double carry all the way. The Baldpaddler and I single carried one year and changed off at the top of the hill by the Rangers checkpoint. He was my hero for doing the single carry up the hill in traffic. Good luck and see you in Old Forge by the tennis courts. Bill
Once again I appreciate your very detailed advice! I am happy to hear from you Bill. We are getting excited for this weekend. Was up to LP for a wedding this past weekend and checked out some of the water levels. Still a bit low. He got in a paddle yesterday near Lake Clear and the Seven Carries. Saw some loons and heard an eagle. So beautiful. I will try to find you at the tennis courts. Are you in C-2 or C-4?
C-4 again this year. we will be at the corner of the tennis court fencing near the fence. And probably wearing Nick Tahou, Home of the Garbage Plate tee shirts. Have Marco get lots of rest, this will be a shallow and slow year.