Sea kayak trolleys

[active4seasons]

I must admit I like the simplicity of the Ekla trolleys and they do have a wide range available and state what they are suitable for - I just wish they made the lightweight one out of steel not aluminium - they tend to snap where the holes have been drilled - possibly a result of excess heat during drilling hardening the metal?
Wide pnumatic wheels are definately the way to go when the going gets soft though. C-tug looks good too - not used one though.
When straping on a trolley think about using a strap to pull the trolley by going round the front of the cockpit (make sure if using a fold up type the bars are being pulled open not closed - you can fit them in two different directions often - only one works correctly!), you can put a twist on the deck elastic to reduce lateral movement and then take a second strap across the cockpit or even tuck behind cockpit - roof rack straps ideal.
All this development is great work so keep it up and let us know when it is ready to go to market,

Ollie

[timax]

Timax, is that guy wearing a leather ra ra skirt? Cos if he is, his thighs are a bit big for it...

Mate ....we are a liberal bunch down here. Anything Goes!

[TechnoEngineer]

Wide pnumatic wheels are definately the way to go when the going gets soft though

For sure - one source of amusement for others has been seeing me towing a trollied kayak through mud, with the trolley wheel on one side falling into the foot holes and falling over....

I've loaded my Eckla SOT trolley so much (40kg?) that it twisted out of shape at one of the joints.

[fenix]

I could do with a trolley for my SOTs - theres no way I'd be able to carry them with ease more than 10 feet or so.

£80 does seem a lot for a trolley though - so I'll have to make do with the cheaper option of using my wife. :-)

[jcox]

The only achilles heel right now is that I need to find a stronger 8mm axle. See the following link but scroll to the bottom to see the 'mark 2' version (considerable improvement).

They look suspiciously like junior golf cart wheels on the mk2. For an 8mm axle, did you try M8 A2 stainless stell threaded rod yet? Its solid and affordable.

[rec1551]

One rather useful additional feature of my C-Tug is that it can flipped upside down and placed on the rear hatchback of my estate car, just behind the roofbars. This turns it into a set of rollers which allow me to load my treble SOT or 18ft loaded Sea kayak hull down with ease. Because the load plates are wide and padded it doesn't put undue stress on my car and even works laid on the rear windscreen and secured by simply tying each of the straps to the roofrack. I do tend to put a piece of karimat underneath just to prevent scratches from any sand its picked up

[TechnoEngineer]

Nice idea - will try to remember that!

[fenix]

Thats a genius idea !

[Douglas Wilcox]

The now unavailable KCS trolley came with two plastic covered flat hooks that had strap slots. One on the top edge of the hatch and one on the bottom edge secured the upside down trolley making it vey easy to get the kayak on the roofrack if you have V bars or a simple upright. It did not work with J bars.

Douglas

[carpyken]

One rather useful additional feature of my C-Tug is that it can flipped upside down and placed on the rear hatchback of my estate car, just behind the roofbars. This turns it into a set of rollers which allow me to load my treble SOT or 18ft loaded Sea kayak hull down with ease. Because the load plates are wide and padded it doesn't put undue stress on my car and even works laid on the rear windscreen and secured by simply tying each of the straps to the roofrack. I do tend to put a piece of karimat underneath just to prevent scratches from any sand its picked up

Surely as with any c tug, turn it upside down and the wheel pins release and your wheels fall off. How do you prevent this?

[MePower]

I`ve just got the c tug, works very well. I waited to get something untill i read the majority of posts on here. Regarding the wheels falling off, the pins hinge down to lock wheels in place, then you push the pins down some more and they click. This locks the pins on in the closed position. The wheels cant come off. Might try the loading thing on the roof though.

[Mikebelluk]

I custom made this one for my Aquanaut [following an original concept by Dave from NWSK'ers], but with a few bits of minicell foam it now fits my timber tub.
It's a shoe made from fibreglass moulded directly off the boat which bolts onto a bit of 2x2 and an axle made from some tube from B+Q
I got the wheels off a golf trolley at the local tip, and they are held on with some R clips.
It all fits in my rear hatch and I reckon the timber piece could be even shorter.
The original had a moulded in lug which located into the skeg box, but not possible with my Karitek one, so the bungee holds it on securely and its travels over most surfaces well, even very dry sand.

[carpyken]

I`ve just got the c tug, works very well. I waited to get something untill I read the majority of posts on here. Regarding the wheels falling off, the pins hinge down to lock wheels in place, then you push the pins down some more and they click. This locks the pins on in the closed position. The wheels cant come off. Might try the loading thing on the roof though.

Yes they click when new but they wear quickly and once worn the pins soon just drop out, you will know when they are worm for as you turn it upside down to lay in your car you will be chasing bouncing wheels down the street :-)

[MePower]

Ah, see what you mean. They look like they`re made of alloy. I can see that they could wear eventually. Another problem i`ve noticed is that i cant get the bike pump onto the valve as the gap is too small. I`ve been going around with flat tyres all week.

[rec1551]

I can see how they might wear with time , however I have had my trolley for a year and so far they click in place like new. for pumping the tires I found the little pump which came with my duaghters push chair worked a treat. It has a flexibe hose connector like the old bike pumps of yore. These type of pumps can be bought in Halfords for only a few quid.

[Jersey Kayak]

Have a look at some of the kayak fishing forums as most have regular threads and articles/reviews of trolleys as well as DIY ones.

Personally i find the Eckla canoe trolley is robust but does not come apart much. The C tug is good "off road" but big.

A big factor seems to be the large inflatable wheels on both designs which are less likely to get stuck in sand and handle bumps/rocks better than solid wheels.

I just posted a few links on the anglers and sot discussion to these sites.

[rec1551]

Came across this one the other day whilst reading a blog





Apparently it only weighs in at 2.4 pounds and has a very useful hook to secure to the cockpit. The blogger who is a sectional sea kayak buff carries his fully laden kayak with it.

[JohnML]

Came across this one the other day whilst reading a blog

Apparently it only weighs in at 2.4 pounds and has a very useful hook to secure to the cockpit. The blogger who is a sectional sea kayak buff carries his fully laden kayak with it.

http://www.rei.com/product/738003

That hook is a good idea, not sure if it is available in the UK though.

[MePower]

Also on the same site, one even smaller.

http://www.rei.com/product/492180

[Mikebelluk]

I'm sure Nigel Dennis / SKUK sell a small trolley like that. Could be worth giving SKUK a call.

[Jonathan.]

I'm trying to decide between the standard Karitec trolley and their smaller one. The standard sounds better for use on dry land but I'm wondering about the practicality of carrying it on my deck.

Anyone have experiences - good or bad?

Thanks

Jonathan

[Douglas Wilcox]

Jonathan, I have used the Kari-tek trolley with both large and small wheels.


The small wheels are ok for moving unloaded kayaks on smooth tar but no use for tracks like above or even for pulling a loaded kayak over the bumps at the end of ferry ramps. The big wheels are great on rough ground...


...and fit inside oval hatches on day paddles or in the deck bag on the back deck when loaded.

Douglas

[Jonathan.]

Many thanks Douglas. The bigger trolley sounds much the best bet for a serious portage. But I'm not so clear what it's like when you're on the water.

Are you saying it will stow inside an oval hatch? If so, then that deals with my worries. The prospect of lashing a trolley to a deck makes me nervous. I'm guessing here, but I fear problems with something bulky getting caught by wind and waves.

Cheers

Jonathan

[GEOFF S]

has anyone tried the RUK sea kayak trolley (retails about £27) ?
http://www.solesupfront.com/products/ru ... _t006.html

[CCL]

http://qajaqunderground.com/shop/the-kayak-trolley/

I've got a Freya Hoffmeister trolley which is great but I see from her website that she's not making them at the moment..... I wonder if there can really be a market for this if she now needs to charge 189Euros though!!!

[Douglas Wilcox]

Lomo will shortly be introducing aluminium framed trolleys with the big pneumatic tyres for a price that will be not far off a third of a Ctug!!

Douglas

[Graeme Seggie]

Lomo will shortly be introducing aluminium framed trolleys with the big pneumatic tyres for a price that will be not far off a third of a Ctug!!

In time for a trip next month by any chance?

Graeme.

[Douglas Wilcox]

Hello Graeme, maybe not that quick!

Douglas :o)

[hebnig]

has anyone tried the RUK sea kayak trolley (retails about £27) ?
http://www.solesupfront.com/products/ru ... _t006.html

I purchased one of those £40, it was thrown in the bin in degust within a week. Don't waste your beer tokens, an extra £20 to £40 will buy a much much better one.

[GEOFF S]

thanks, I suppose I anticipated that sort of response at that price, will wait for this Lomo thing perhaps.
Douglas - where would the best place be to find out when they might become available ?