Good day,

While sanding for hours on end you tend to think up things. I live up a very steep hill from an ideal launch site. I could load the kayak up on the truck and drive down, but I would rather be able to take the kayak down with a portage device. I was going to build one of those folding kayak cart things, but materials here are very expensive, and the wheels were going to be $35 a piece. I got to thinking, why do you need two wheels anyway? Why can't you do it like a wheelbarrow? Here's what I'm devising:

A front wheel salvaged from a very small bike, mounted to a v-shaped piece in which the bow would rest. There would be slots for a standard ratchet tiedown to slide through so you could lash it tightly it to the front of the kayak.

On the rear of the kayak you would take two West Greenland paddles (your paddle and spare that you SHOULD be bringing with you anyway) and lash them to the stern with two ratchet tiedowns or bungees, or other method. One paddle would be lashed to port and one to starboard.

....VIOLA!!!! You now have a kayak wheelbarrow that you can portage up and down the hill. The paddles make the handles of the wheelbarrow, and you use them to push it from the rear. This is so simple that I'm willing to bet I'm not the first to think of it. I think I'm going to try to scrounge up the parts. There are a few other reasons for my liking this idea. One is the compactness of a one-wheel design, and use of paddles rather than added accessories. Another is this uses fulcrum to your advantage as opposed to pulling the kayak up a hill. I'm assuming that's how you manuever two-wheeled carts. Instead you push it up the hill, and you are better able to use your back and chest muscles. You also wouldn't have to worry about dragging your bow or stern on steep hills since the wheel is at the front, and the lift point at the rear. I'm thinking this would handle rough terrain well since there's only one point of contact.

Of course the down side is that it doesn't balance when you stop!

Well, am I crazy? Has anyone tried this? I'd like to get your input. I may make this between varnish coats.

Thanks,

Malcolm