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 Post subject: Hobie PA cart modified
PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:50 am 
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Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:48 am
Posts: 185
I took the basic large beach cart with rail kit and modified it to this. The reasoning being the cart worked great on the whole but with one big issue, how to get the heavy kayak on it. It was always a bear to lift one end and swing the kayak over the cart and strap the cart to it. If you laid the kayak on the side and tried go that route the cart would just push out.

I pictures will show you the outcome. I removed the rail kit but used its parts minus the small alum tubes. Used 3/4 plumbing PVC conduit with 4 fittings. The fittings are easy to see the design of them. None of these parts are glued, just pop riveted. In 2 of the pictures you'll see which scupper holes are used, by the front tackle hatch and the ones on the rear deck. I made nothing more than a square frame, used the quick release pins to mount to the cart, drilled holes at the top of each of the pipes that go through the scuppers and used quick release snap over clip. I used the padding from the rail kit and reinstalled on the new conduit at the cart location. The rest of the padding is plumbing pipe insulation with a slit and glued edges.

The best part of all this is yes you have to lay the kayak on its side to install, but you don't need the straps anymore. You can pull the kayak back upright, the cart stays in place and doesn't move around. I placed the cart on the frame so it balances it as a teeter totter. No matter which end you want to pull from the weight on your hand is very small.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 1:40 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:06 am
Posts: 734
Location: Amelia Island, FL
Looks good. I had one of those style carts and remember the problem of getting the kayak loaded. Can't imagine trying to load a PA on it.

If it works successfully for you, I highly suggest that you replace the pvc pipe with alum tubing. PVC will always fail on you at the wrong time. It is designed to move water... not be a load bearing material.


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:15 pm 
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Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:48 am
Posts: 185
It doesn't carry any of the load, it's really only a positioning frame. It became a pain in the backside to get the cart set right under the kayak. I'd position the cart just off and on an angle. Lift the rear and pivot on the bow. The problem then came in the bow would slide and move on the sand. This is so much faster, even with picking up the fallen pieces once the kayak is uprighted. The best part now is the kayak is weight centered to float with very little weight on either end to lift.

I did figure if need be at least I have the basic structure to work from and if needed go to a metal material instead. This set up minus the cart cost was $12.00. If this holds up well as an overall design I will go to an alum material frame this winter. Like everything else building the better mousetrap goes through phases.


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