Sea Kayak Trolleys

[TechnoEngineer]

any advice on how to post pictures would be gratefully received.

http://www.ukseakayakguidebook.co.uk/po ... _links.htm

[maryinoxford]

Hi Ian,

There's a guide to posting pictures here:
http://www.ukseakayakguidebook.co.uk/po ... _links.htm

Mary

[JulleG]

Hi,

Thanks for the interesting advice. I'm tempted to have a go at making the 'wooden' trolley described although also like the look of this 'kart' made from PVC piping. Anyone tried this at home?

http://oakpwrd.tripod.com/kayakcart.html

Cheers
JulleG

[MikeB]

I have a hazy recollection of reading a comment somewhere that these were ok for smooth surfaces (sand / tarmac etc) but wouldn't stand the rigours of what we might term "a rough track" - - but I could be wrong. Mike.

[canoegnu]

Hi All,

Thanks for the advice on posting pictures. With your help, I've figured it out now. Here are some pictures of my trolley.











Before I made it, I did consider the PVC pipe version but I didn't think that would be stiff or strong enough.

With respect to rough tracks etc., I was once on a trip when we had to land (with difficulty) at Winspit on the Jurassic Coast. We then had to carry the kayaks about a mile uphill on a rough track. Some of the guys in the group had Ekla type kayak trolleys, which really struggled. My wooden trolley coped easily. I've also draged it up shingle beaches and used it to carry two sea kayaks, one strapped on top of the other, all with no problems.

I think the key factors for strength and ease of pulling are:-

1. The section thicknesses of the wooden members and axle blocks are big enough to support the load.
2. The wooden blocks are bolted toghether, using 4 (2 per side) M10 galvanised coach bolts.
3. I used 2mm wall thickness aluminium tube for the axle (the Ekla trolleys look much thinner).
4. I used 10" diameter pneumatic wheels. Most kayak trolleys seem to have smaller wheels. Bigger wheels make the trolley a lot easier to pull over soft or rough ground.

As you can see from the first picture, it breaks down into parts, all of which easily fit into the rear compartment of my Capella. I did think of fitting wing nuts to the coach bolts, so I could easily break it down still further, in case I wanted to pack the bits into nooks and crannies to save more space. However, I haven't needed to do that yet.

It could be modified for use with an open canoe, just by adding one more wooden block each side and using longer bolts, to make sure the wheels don't rub on the underside of the hull. I haven't done this yet, as I have an Eckla open canoe trolley. However, being a bit lower down, I think the wooden trolley would propbably be a lot more stable than the Eckla.

I built the whole thing for aboout £10 to £15, although I did already have the wood and varnish in the garage and I used the wheels from my Eckla open canoe trolley. The aluminium tube for the axle came from eBay. The PVC tube for the axle spacers and the coach bolts came from B&Q.

It was pretty easy to make, saved me a lot of money and so far, has really done the job. Many thanks to Jules for the original idea.

Cheers,

Ian

[Dai drip]

I pull my kayak the 700m or so to the water and back so use a trolley extensively.

Two Eckla trolleys have lasted about 18 months each as the alloy axle wears away but they do have the advantage of being easy to stow.

I invested in a Karitek trolley this year which seemed to be a good design but I have had a few problems. The moulding of the wheel hub was irregular causing them to seize - a bit of sanding soon sorted that. The alloy bar for tensioning the legs snapped but was replaced in about 5 minutes with a bit of 2x1 sawn to shape. Karitek were fine about offering to fix things but I didn't want to be without a trolley. The large surface area of plastic is excellent support for a loaded boat but if sand gets on it it would abrade gel coat. Otherwise it seems very good and fits into the rear hatch of my Quest.

[steveT]

Well, after much thought and checking out other trolleys, I have decided that my ctug is going to remain in service with me! Recently done a trip with the kayak loaded up with a weeks worth of gear and the ctug took it all with ease. My previous thoughts about the bulk of the trolley turned out to be invalid... The trolley bungees onto the back deck with wheels attached and appears to fit perfectly without getting in the way, but with the rubberised pads taken off and stored in the hatch.the other advantage is the fact that the ctug carts my heavy canoe around too :)

[MikeB]

The alloy bar for tensioning the legs snapped but was replaced in about 5 minutes with a bit of 2x1 sawn to shape. Karitek were fine about offering to fix things -----

K/Tek service is superb - they'll almost certainly send you a replacement bar if you ask - -

[ruralweb]

Following on from my Handy Cart experiences I went back to the C- Tug as it looked very sturdy compared the all the others so I ordered one without pneumatic tires to solve the puncture problem. However when it arrived it had pneumatic tires and it was too late to change them for a trip to Scotland. I had a few test runs with kit loaded and all seemed ok so off we went down Loch Fyne where I used it a couple of times having been blown ashore in a force 7 to get to a cafe. We eventually arrived at the Crinan Canal to get out to Jura and I loaded up the kayak to do the first portage which went ok. The next was about 2 miles long and again the cart was ok - I was getting quite impressed with it at this stage however when we got out at the sea lock and found we could not get into the sea we had to go back up the canal for a mile or so to get down into the sea the cart started to have problems with one wheel sticking and making a really horrible noise. We got into the water and I forgot all about the cart till I got home and saw that plastic was sticking out of the axle and stooping the wheel coming off, after cutting it away I could see that the axle shaft had been worn away/melted which was the reason for the noise and wheel sticking. 3 miles and so much damage does not inspire me for my next outing!

Also because I transported them on my back deck it ment that the wheel locking leaver was exposed and as it hit the wall of the canal it released and the wheel fell off!! - if this had happened at sea and I had not noticed then the 600m portage to the van would have been interesting.

IS THERE ANY TROLLEY THAT WORKS OUT THERE ?????????

[Pitchpole]

IS THERE ANY TROLLEY THAT WORKS OUT THERE ?????????

This seems stronger than the Eckla at half the price. The axles will eventually wear out though.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/professionalfishingsupplies

[ruralweb]

Just spotted this on the C-Tug website:

Remember - C-Tug is meant to be pulled by a human - not a bike or vehicle. If it goes too fast, the axles could melt.

Obviously Im NOT human!!

[Chris Bolton]

I have a C-Tug and have bought some slightly smaller and narrower wheels for use in taking my boat onto ferries - no use on beaches, but they should fit in the boat even with camping gear and food. Other parts of the CTug fit into various places - the main chassis sections fit one in each end of the boat, in space that not much else fits in, and the support pads I think will fit flat against the underside of the deck in front of my knees (without stopping me exiting the boat).

Chris

[ruralweb]

Yes I get the impression that its not built to be stored on deck. The dealer has sent out a replacement so let see what happens with this one!

Im always amazed when I see sea kayaks on expedition with a clean deck - perhaps it me with a liking for too big a tent and warm sleeping bag

[ruralweb]

Well its a month later and not one word from the C-Tug dealer - crap customer service IMO, so Ive had a refund of my money from Brookbanks who were just as unhappy about the situation.

Ive now bought a Karitek trolley which looks very good and folds into a very compact space.

[atakd]

If anyone is looking for a discounted C Tug there is a new one on eBay for £70 delivered:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140775803389? ... 500wt_1361

[Slowlearner]

Guys, I like the DIY trolley and would like to build one, can you tell me where you sourced the wheels and correct size rod for the axle, please?

Many thanks,

SL