I’m looking for a center-mount cart for my Bell Eveningstar. It’s not really a flat bottom canoe, but it is definately flattish, and wide. I live about 200 yards down a paved road from a boat dock. I’d love to just throw the gear in the boat and wheel it down to the lake. Doesn’t need to be real heavy duty, as it is for pavement. I’ve been looking at the Paddleboy Mighty Mite 2.0, because it is cheap! Just not sure if it would work on my canoe? Thanks!
I have that cart
Dear plainsman,
I have that same cart by Seattle Sports. I own a 17 Novacraft SP3 Prospector that weighs 88 pounds and I can wheel it around my property with no trouble.
I live in the wooods and my backyard is hardly golf course quality, there are lots of exposed roots and bare uneven patches. A paved road should be a cake walk.
The only caution I will add is that the straps have to be crossed in an “X” and secured around a seat, or the carry yoke, or a thwart to the opposite side of the cart.
Hope this helps,
Tim Murphy AKA Goobs 
Bean?
If I was in your situation, I would buy the Bean all-terrain boat cart:
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68566
Yes, it costs more, but being from Bean it is effectively guaranteed forever and ships free, and it looks like wheeling a loaded canoe on this thing would be a walk in the park. But I’m generally happy to pay more for equipment that is actually easy to use.
If you’re feeling strapped, you might look into making a ‘canoe walker’, there are DIY plans available, or many people retrofit a child’s stroller bought from a thrift store, which works well if you’re handy.
Cabelas also…
…sells that same cart LL Bean has. I use one sometimes to cart my 16’ Prospector. It is holding up well under some hard use. Stays in place well and rolls easy. Worth the higher price, IMO.
and
Campmor has it as well.
LL Bean ATC cart
– Last Updated: May-23-12 4:05 AM EST –
I ordered the LL Bean cart. Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I think Campmor has the exact same cart for 10 bucks less, but I thought the no hassle forever return policy might be nice. I will report back when I get the thing, hopefully Friday. It'll be getting used right away.
Think you’ll like it.
When I use mine, I use two tie-down straps - one forward and one aft. Keeps it pretty well in line.
Have you considered building one?
I made a couple. The first I used 2x4s as frame and old bicycle wheels. The next one I used wood also, but 1x3 with blocks in the corners and this time used wheel chair wheels. My canoe has a inch high keel so I cut out a slot for that and that prevented it from spinning on the rack. Both rolled easily. When I used them, we lived about a mile from the water in our village and they worked great.
I “tied” the canoe on the frame with bungie cords, or the ratching straps. We padlocked the carrier to a post while on the water. got a lot of comments about walking our canoe.
Well I’ll Tell Ya
If you load that Bean cart up with a tandem and two guys gear for a week long trip, guys who don’t pack light mind you, then you have them roll it up the jeep trail along the Rapid River from Lake Umbagog to Lake Richardson, a trail that has more boulders and ruts than any trail ought to…
If you do all that then yeah you can fold the wheel on that cart and drop the canoe on a boulder and crack the hull just a little and have to find another way to finish the portage and borrow a bailer cause they forgot theirs and the water keeps seeping in where the canoe got cracked.
But then if ya got a hatchet you can bang the wheel back close enough to straight so’s you can roll on down the paved road between Mooslookmaguntick and Rangley lakes (stopping for breakfast on the way).
All of which is to say, it’s a pretty good cart if you don’t abuse it.
Dang holidays!
Just got the tracking info, looks like the cart won’t be here till next Wednesday.
End cart
Ive found the paddleboy end carts work best for all my boats. I have 3 of the center type, onE in particular for heavy boats and longer distance, but I find them a nusance to position the boat and fasten the straps. Especially on softer sand you have to put a lot of pressure on the gunnels when you cinch the straps. the end carts are great for fast on and off, not having to lift the entire boat to position, and steering the boat around obsticals. depending upon distance and weight, you are supporting more weight when you pull the boat though.Id have one of each type handy.
It’s finally here!
I bought the Paddleboy ATC from LL Bean. I guess it’s the one that people call a “Canadian Boat Walker” or “Swedish Canoe Cart”. Anyway the big brown truck brought it today. I tried it out briefly tonight, between the rain and hail. Took my canoe for a walk around the block! It’s a very nice cart, rolls smooth, very easy to balance, great height for walking. Went up curbs and over bumbs with ease. It really is not designed though, for canoes with a wide, flattish bottom. It may be better than some of the others, but really just not exactly right. The hull supports are just too close together, and a 70 lb royalex canoe resting on two little supports is not good. I think you would do serious damage if you strapped it down tight. For my uses, just rolling a ways down the road to the dock, I’m sure it will be fine.
My 74lb Prospector doesn’t notice…
…any stress from it - even with a load of gear, going down 300’ of rocky trail.
Did you notice that the supports are adjustable? The way it’s delivered, they can be adjusted narrower by pulling the clip-pin and rotating them inward. Remove the pivot bolts and turn the supports around, and you can adjust them outward.
Thanks!
When I first got this cart I thought, “Why can you only rotate the supports inward?” I was about to get my drill out when I read your post, Steve in Idaho. Wow, that makes perfect sense, just flip 'em around. Works perfect now. Thanks!