# Dolly question



## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

After much too long, Ill finally be heading back to FL next month. I need to something about dragging the kayak around, from the vehicle to the water. First and foremost, the shells really wear down the keel. Second, dragging through the sand is much harder than it seems. Id like to get some sort of dolly, but I need something that I can take on the kayak with me. Are there any that fold down? If close enough, Ill just take it back to the car, but sometimes I may need to walk a few hundred yards. I think one of the peel and stick keel protectors will work for the short drags?
Thanks


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Expensive, but this seems exactly what you're looking for.
Columbus Kayak carries them so I've handled them....very nice,
Hey Andy,

https://www.austinkayak.com/product...r=11&sdc_id=1427292084z772420z38073b0a12754z/


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Thanks, that does look like just what I need. But you&#8217;re right, that&#8217;s not cheap for something only being used a few times a year. I found a few on Amazon that say foldable or collapsible, but sometimes it&#8217;s hard to know exactly what they mean by that. With some of them, they mean the wheels come off for storage, but that's hardly practical for what I need.


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## mcoppel (May 21, 2011)

The C-tug is worth every penny, easy to store, easy to pull.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

You can modify a two wheel golf pull cart. Or you can probably jerry rig something similar to the above post with two wide wheels/tires from Harbor Freight and a yak saddle from Thule or Yakima.


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## lunker23 (Jun 28, 2013)

Made mine out of PVC pipe, all thread and wheelbarrow tires. I have issues with posting pictures. If you want pictures, PM me your email address and I'll shoot some pix over....


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

C-tug all the way. Yeah it's expensive, but if you plan on using it for years to come it'll last and get you where you need to go. No point in pinching pennies to have it fail when you need it most, then spend the money on the right one on top of that. Not that you won't find an affordable one that will accomplish what you need it to, that's just my logic when deciding on buying expensive items.


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

lunker23 said:


> Made mine out of PVC pipe, all thread and wheelbarrow tires. I have issues with posting pictures. If you want pictures, PM me your email address and I'll shoot some pix over....


My first one was PVC. Breaks down and fits in the kayak, cheap and made to fit my kayak. Cheap pneumatic wheels are heavy and stink though.

I see Hobie has one for $204 with those nice balloon tires.

I bought a Sea to Summit scupper cart a few years back and really like it. Got mine at GMO for $120.00.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

My only issue with the more expensive ones is that I simply don&#8217;t get to use it as much as everyone else here. Now that my oldest is in school and the youngest starting next fall, I&#8217;m going to have to cut my trips to twice a year (the kayak stays in FL, I forgot to mention that). That means I&#8217;ll only get to use it about 8 times/year, max. On the other hand, being right on the coast means that many cheaper products turn to piles of rust while sitting in the garage. 
Has anyone had any experience with the peel and stick keel protection tapes? Not as a substitute to a dolly, but just as protection from dragging it across shells to the water, and from the car to the garage.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Keel protection tape works as advertised. Good investment around the shell beds and such.

And the more I think about it, that C Tug might suck on soft sand. I have no idea. All the carts I've seen around beaches have inflatable tires.
I say hit the Home Depot, build something with beefy tires, and then just run it back to the car if it's too bulky.


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

I'll add that larger diameter wheels are easier to pull across the sand as well.

What is the sand down at your beaches like? In NC it''s soft and super easy to bog down in. In NJ is almost like a parking lot, very easy to pull a cart across


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

It's very soft where we go, so larger tires help a lot. I've used those little beach carts with small wheels, and with any amount of load they just sink in the sand.


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## lunker23 (Jun 28, 2013)

Responded to PM's requesting more info. Please include your email address so I can email. Can't figure out how to post pix....


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Something must not be working right. I had an email link in the PM I sent, but I didn&#8217;t get a PM back from you. Here&#8217;s my email, thank you very much.
[email protected]


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## lunker23 (Jun 28, 2013)

Hmm, I sent an email to you M. Magis. Maybe in your spam?


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Got it. Thank you very much, that looks like it just may work perfectly. Simple, light, and shouldn&#8217;t take up much room. I should have mentioned from the beginning that mine was a SOT, an Ascend D10 to be exact. Thanks again!


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## lunker23 (Jun 28, 2013)

Try this as well. It shows both sit in and on top carts.....
http://www.watermanatwork.com/KayakFishing/KayakRigging/KayakCarts/KayakCarts.html


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## lunker23 (Jun 28, 2013)

Now start building some carts! I don't wanna hear about anybody dragging their yaks ever again. LOL.....


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Thank you again, I think that&#8217;s going to be perfect for what I need to do. Simply, light, and cheap is a nice bonus.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

I don't know which design you're going for in that link, but I'd HIGHLY advise not to build one that protrudes through the scupper holes.
Scupper holes can be high stress points to begin with, and the shock of hitting an obstacle with the cart being transferred directly to the scupper holes....that's not going to work out well long term.


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## fishwendel2 (Nov 19, 2007)

or you can buy a kayak with one of these built in and you are set


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

As best I can tell, the scupper holes arent subject to any stress. They only hold the kayak in place, but its actually sitting on the platform underneath it. And to be honest, with a roto molded kayak the scupper areas should be just as strong as the rest of the kayak, which is why roto molding works so well for kayaks. Blow molded and thermoformed kayaks would be weaker in those areas.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

We may disagree on that.
Let me ask in a different way; given the choice of the two designs, what "benefit" do you think you'll be getting from the design that uses the scupper holes?


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## Just Fishin' (Nov 27, 2012)

I ran across a design that is also made out of PVC and el cheapo pneumatic tires. Looks like a cool design and can fit is some of your larger hatches for while you're fishing. Better yet, total cost is said to be about $33. I plan on making one soon. 

http://palmettokayakfishing.blogspot.com/2011/04/diy-bulletproof-kayak-cart-build.html?m=1


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## lunker23 (Jun 28, 2013)

I built that same exact dolly and it does look nice and breaks down, but keeping the yak to stay on the dolly is a PITA. Even with straps, the yak manages to slide which then creates slack in the straps. This in turn lets the yak move and eventually falls off.
Anyways, your money and your time so do what you think will benefit you.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

The advantage to me is not having to deal with straps. It would be no different than building sides to keep it on.
I'm curious, why the worry about stress on the scupper holes?


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

It all depends on what type of supper cart you use and where you use it. If it it has a the supports that run along the kayak and an aditional up right to hold in the scupper then carries the load better.
This one should be ok.









This one can be bad.








The vertical "H" type puts a lot of pressure on the scupper. When you pull forward the wheels go back which causes the the uprights to push forward in your scupper. Now this could be fine on a sidewalk or in grass on flat ground. However if you try to take this down a trail, over rough rock, or over anything that will give resistance then ever bump is going to give you trouble. 

I know because I broke the uprights off of mine three times before I stopped trying to fix it. Every time it broke the uprights right inside the scupper. Now is this enough to crack your scupper? I'm not sure but the stress is definitely there.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Now I understand what you mean. I was misinterpreting what you meant by the scupper holes being stress points. That makes sense.


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## lunker23 (Jun 28, 2013)

Ditto on what M wrote. I think I'll reengineer my current cart so the horizontal supports can be added. Should be a quick 15 minute fix....


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

Bubbagon said:


> I don't know which design you're going for in that link, but I'd HIGHLY advise not to build one that protrudes through the scupper holes.
> Scupper holes can be high stress points to begin with, and the shock of hitting an obstacle with the cart being transferred directly to the scupper holes....that's not going to work out well long term.


I was thinking that when I bought mine, but the nice people at GMO assured me that it wasn't a problem. I followed that up with a phone call to Jackson (please don't ask who I talked to) and was told the same.


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

lunker23 said:


> I built that same exact dolly and it does look nice and breaks down, but keeping the yak to stay on the dolly is a PITA. Even with straps, the yak manages to slide which then creates slack in the straps. This in turn lets the yak move and eventually falls off.
> Anyways, your money and your time so do what you think will benefit you.


I ran my straps through the scuppers on my first one to keep them in place.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

To each his own. I've seen sit on tops fail at the scupper holes before. The older Tarpon models were famous for this. The bottom of the boat allowed rocks to hit the scupper holes directly, and eventually they would fail.
I'd think the same stress could be on the scupper holes with a cart that protrudes through them. Maybe not, but it sure seems more of a probability to me.
I just think, given the two designs, why would you pick the one that "could" cause damage?


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

For a roto molded kayak of appropriate material thickness, the scupper holes shouldnt be any more susceptible to damage than if you were to run into a rock with the bow, which I assume most of us have done plenty of times.
In fact, the plastic would be much stronger there because of the inherent structural integrity of the holes themselves. At the same time, the bending/twisting of the cart protruding through the holes is going to apply stress to both the kayak and the PVC supports. I think it makes sense to minimize that stress, if not eliminate it.


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## backlashed (Mar 19, 2011)

fishwendel2 said:


> or you can buy a kayak with one of these built in and you are set


Looks like a great idea but balance would be a problem.


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