Canoe Carts

[Kayak Jack]

On a recent trip on Michigan's Au Sable River, we went over several dams. The portages weren't difficult, and made easier by using wheeled carts that strap onto kayaks and canoes. This eliminates having to unload and reload each boat at each portage.

Two of us had a Paddleboy Mighty Mite Boat Cart from Campmor. It's a nice looking little cart, but the ball bearings are woefully inadequate. Both carts started to fail. To Campmor's credit, they are sending a prepaid tag, and both of us will ship them back. If anyone is contemplating a new cart, avoid this one.

I've since ordered a heavier duty Paddleboy cart with bronze bushings. Frankly, I'd as soon have a block of oiled maple for these slow speed bearing surfaces. We'll see how this one pans out.

 

[mosportsmen]

I have one of those deer hauler carts. Two big solid rubber bicycle tires with ball bearings. I drilled a couple extra holes in it and I can transform it to a canoe hauler in a few minutes. It is steel and quite heavy though. I use it to get the boat down a long road to get to duck water. The weight of it kinda makes it something that would not work too good for taking with you in the boat to help with portages though.

 

[Kayak Jack]

There's a very nice folding cart w/16" bike wheels that would be good on rough terrain. Doesn't look like it folds very compactly though, and may need a "pack canoe" trailing along behind to haul it. It would be nice in a base operation, but large and clumsy as a mobile unit. Strength, weight, portability, and capacity are always a trade-off situation - along with co$t. I looked for a helium balloon to lift and carry the boat, but struck out. :wink:

 

[oldsparkey]

Harry used this cart when we hiked into Buck Lake ......... http://www.rei.com/product/815324/seatt ... -boat-cart
It did a real good job. It folded up into a nice bundle and stored away in his canoe without a problem.

The one I used was from Campmor and proved to be a little more difficult but not a lot. Mine was a little lower with wider tires for going over sand and not sinking in. Looked for a picture of it but they quit making them or at lease don't sell them anymore.

Mine is the one under Mac's Red Canoe.

I sure liked the one Harry had for his canoe.

 

[Kayak Jack]

The one Harry used is one I looked at. It looks smaller under his canoe than it does in their picture. I'll be those wheels of his rolled very nicely. It looked to me like ht frame of that cart needs one more hinge point to fold over double. Then, I would have bitten on it. Ya never know.

 

[hairymick01]

Guys, I just found this thread.

I had a supposedly heavy duty cart to wheel my bayou skiff from our camp to the put in At Stanage Bay last year. *(about 600 yards over hard gravel) Not a difficult ask in my opinion. Boat, 3.5hp motor, oars and fishing gear with an all up weight of about 55 kilograms. The bloody thing broke on the first trip.

My solution was to use two pneumatic wheel barrow wheels with ball bearings mounted on a timber frame. Not demountable but it worked and got me and my boat to the water without problem. I later added a sapling as a centre pole and towed the boat with my truck. worked a treat for me.

Have been thinking about making a collapsible cart out of timber and those wheel barrow wheels for some time and have a few ideas floating round in my little mind but as yet, just haven't got round to it. If anybody is interested will do a thread on it when I start.

 

[tw541]

Mick, I would really like to see what you come up with. I have been thinking of building something like this myself.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Mick, we use carts made by Paddle Boy to carry losded canoes around dams on rivers here. Three years ago, ours were coming apart. Sent them back and got heavier duty ones. It may be the shock G forces from rocks and rough terrain that does more damage than heavy loads. A friend made his cart using PVC and steel rod axle.
Good luck.

 

[oldsparkey]

Mick, I would really like to see what you come up with. I have been thinking of building something like this myself.

Here is a link to one that Mick made in an emergency , Best to read the whole trip report for the full story.

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