Paddle carts



What is the most recommend paddle cart out there.
Living in Michigan you get sand,rocks and mud just about any place you can launch a kayak.

www.paddlecart.com
It is more expensive than some of the others, but very well made and has a wide stance so it doesn’t tip over as easily. Takes apart for easy storage or packing. The longer support arms spread the load on the kayak/canoe hull so not as much pressure to crease kevlar.

Advise against plastic pipe in the cold,
if you were to decide to try and make your own.

There are some well designed plans to do this with pvc plastic pipe, and I made one with 1" pvc pipe.

When loading the SOT yak on it, one of the T joints broke. The outside temp was about 40 degrees when I tested the cart, and pvc plastic pipe has poor mechanical strength when it is cold. Maybe if the air temp was a few degrees warmer, or the 75 pound SOT was a few pounds lighter, the pvc pipe wouldn’t have broken.

or…
Go to a real plumbing supply store - not the big boxes—and buy schedule 80 pipe and fittings. It is much stronger than what you can get at the boxes.

Also agree home made and I have never
broken mine and I use it year round in the north east.

carts
Thanks for the information.

have a great day

Instep cart

– Last Updated: Feb-18-07 11:12 AM EST –

I like the instep canoe cart bicycle wheels. Weight 27 lbs, fold down for stowage, well built. Rated to 300lbs.

http://tinyurl.com/2ururk
ebay link, the price is about right including the shipping.

Instep has good ground clearance
I’ve not used one yet but those who have them like them for pulling through weeds and over stumps, and it has long bars to support more of the boat hull. Carries a heckuva load,twice as much as most of the others.

Those who
have made their own… Did you basically look at a picture of one and go from that or is there a design out there to go by…

Looked at them then designed from what
I saw.

Here is a plan with pvc pipe -
http://www.kayakshops.com/noyo_pacific/kayak_cart.htm



If you do a google search on “kayak cart plan”,

you can get some more ideas.



Basic hints:


  1. The bigger the wheel, the better.


  2. If you are hauling over 50 or 60

    pounds, might use schedule 80 pvc pipe

    if you build the pvc pipe model.



    Good winter project.



    Good luck, and Happy Paddling!

Good design

– Last Updated: Feb-19-07 12:43 AM EST –

The link from mickjetblue is really close to what I came up with on my own. The key differences are that I used 1 1/2" pipe, used reducers to get down to 1/2" axle size for strengthened support and added 1/4" line as a cradle between the ends of the arms that touch the boat. The line evens out the force on the uprights.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/394966084_928810e3a0_b.jpg