Tips on end-of-day kayak Cart Loading

[buzz]

OK... its end of a long day fishing. You glide back to the launch area, step out and secure your gear to haul everything back to the car several hundred feet away.
Now comes the part where you have to put this fully loaded kayak onto your cart.... but how?

One of the things I took for granted with my old kayak was how small and light it was. At a moments notice I could toss it in the back of the Jeep and go. The small size forced me to limit what I brought, keeping most everything in the back of my Skwoosh seat. At the end of the day I would either carry the kayak with one arm and the Skwoosh seat in the other or if the ground was soft I could simply drag the whole thing.

Now I have a 13'10" boat and a lot more gear. At the Nov. M&G, kevinfry, Nitefly, & whenican watched me struggle a couple of times trying to get my kayak onto the cart at the end of the day.
On a side note, they offered to help me but I politely turned them down determined to figure this thing out myself.
Ultimately, I just pulled it off to the side and took all the gear over to the Jeep piece by piece. Then carried the kayak.

I've been out a few times since then and still have not mastered the cart. In fact on my last trip I even left the cart at home. I have the TMS Cart... y'know... the one with the stinky tires. Has anybody figured this thing out? Is there a trick to it? How do you get your fully loaded kayak onto a cart at the end of the day?

[MetroMan]

I dont have that same cart but...

If I have more than the normal, small amount of gear (like if I'm crabbing) I make a couple trips. The first trip to the car I carry the heavier items. I set the cart next to the kayak (usually right behind the seat) using its kickstand. One hand on the torque's rear handle, the other hand under the metal rudder assembly. (as you know, if you just hold it by the offset rear handle, its gonna want to roll) Then I just set it on top of the cart.

Other times when the yak is light...with the stern of the yak still in the water, I just slide the cart into place...strap it to the hull, then pull it out of the water

[Capt C-Hawk]

My first yak, the fish-n-dive, is a beast. My first cart doesn't have a kick stand, so it was always falling forward before I could get the cobra on it. My solution was bending a piece of conduit making a long handle and bolting it on so that came to the side and forward of where I wanrted the kayak to rest. After that it was easy to just lift up the bow of the yak and roll the cart back to the balance point, then strap it down and go.

Now I'm older and have a PA, so I bought a trailer. Just back it down the ramp and float the Hobie on.

[sparky1423]

Hey Buzz, I had the same problem. Went from a Tarpon to a Hobie, but used my same cart. It's the basic saddle type cart with straps, no kickstand. It's just something that gets better over time. I turned down help myself, just to spend more quality time installing the cart solo. I lift the rear of my kayak as high as I can without the whole thing tipping over. Quickly slide the cart underneath, it's never enough on the first try. Then I will grab both ends of the straps like I am getting ready to buckle it...reposition myself to the side of the kayak. Alternate pulling each end of the straps while lifting the kayak at the same time. Basically, I am just slowly wiggling the cart forward until I feel comfortable to buckle the straps. Every time I do this I look like less of a moron.

[buzz]

I'm beginning to realize there is no one easy answer.

Good tip there MetroMan on holding the rudder assembly to stop the roll. I was practicing with the cart today and your suggestion worked perfectly. One of the other issues is that all carts are not created equal. The pneumatic tires on my cart float like buoys making it almost impossible to put into place while the stern is still in the water. Funny how you research a purchase, ultimately buying what you consider the best deal on the best product to suit your needs... only to discover your needs are more complex than you figured.

Capt.... I still keep considering the trailer idea. I have a 16 foot Old Town Canoe also, and throwing these things up on a soft-top Jeep seems to be getting more difficult than it used to be. My brain thinks I'm 20 years younger than my knees and back do.

And sparky, good to hear you've had similar issues. Your comment is what inspired me to to pull the yak out today and just muck around with the cart. Even threw a bag of cat chow in the seat to add a little extra weight. I'm getting better with the process, but what I couldn't simulate in my yard today was trying to do this in the water. Ultimately it may come down to either dragging the yak up on shore and then attaching the cart... or buying a new cart that doesn't have wheels that double as a PFD.

In the mean time it would be nice if y'all tried not to laugh.

[MetroMan]

Yeah, when I had the pneumatic tires on my C-tug, I had the force it underwater under the cart lol. Nothing is ever perfect!

[Turtle135]

Check this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCe9WVscu4Q

I do not have a C-Tug. My cart is of the Palmetto Kayak design, but my loading is the same method as the video.

http://palmettokayakfishing.blogspot...art-build.html