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My Manta Ray comes with a small-diameter wheel at the rear keel.
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My first thought was that this would make transportation across parking lots much easier. The concept is good, but with a single wheel, the kayak tends to lean to one side or another and drags the plastic on the ground. Further, having something with that much cross section area in the stern makes it more difficult to turn or pivot the kayak.
A few years ago I had made a set of scupper-mount wheels. The upright posts did not pass all the way through the scupper holes, adding more stress to the scuppers. I stopped using them.
2011-10-27 001.jpg
Recently, I had a thought about combining the best features of both rigs to make a new hybrid version. I set it up yesterday and tried it out today in Ocean City. I was pleased with the results.
Here is what I did. I had a 2 ft long stainless steel all-thread axle and two large wheels that were part of the kayak wheels. I removed them from the previous rig. I took the small wheel off of the Manta Ray, but left the stainless steel bracket in place. I found a spare piece of PVC pipe in the basement -- it fit nicely through a hole in the bracket. Then I ran the axle through the pipe and secured the wheels with stainless steel nuts.
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I can remove one wheel, insert the pipe and axle into the bracket, then attach the second wheel with a few twists on a nut. The two sturdy wheels spaced widely apart rolled nicely across the parking lot and down the concrete ramp without any leaning problems. Once in the water, I could quickly remove one nut and wheel, then slide the pipe, axle, and other wheel from the bracket. This takes only 30 seconds.
For my common launches (Weems Creek, Jonas Green) I will continue to drag/slide the kayak across the grass and sand to the water. But for longer road trips, where a parking lot and hard ramp are involved, I will use the new wheels rig.
008.jpg
My first thought was that this would make transportation across parking lots much easier. The concept is good, but with a single wheel, the kayak tends to lean to one side or another and drags the plastic on the ground. Further, having something with that much cross section area in the stern makes it more difficult to turn or pivot the kayak.
A few years ago I had made a set of scupper-mount wheels. The upright posts did not pass all the way through the scupper holes, adding more stress to the scuppers. I stopped using them.
2011-10-27 001.jpg
Recently, I had a thought about combining the best features of both rigs to make a new hybrid version. I set it up yesterday and tried it out today in Ocean City. I was pleased with the results.
Here is what I did. I had a 2 ft long stainless steel all-thread axle and two large wheels that were part of the kayak wheels. I removed them from the previous rig. I took the small wheel off of the Manta Ray, but left the stainless steel bracket in place. I found a spare piece of PVC pipe in the basement -- it fit nicely through a hole in the bracket. Then I ran the axle through the pipe and secured the wheels with stainless steel nuts.
001.jpg 002.jpg 008.jpg
I can remove one wheel, insert the pipe and axle into the bracket, then attach the second wheel with a few twists on a nut. The two sturdy wheels spaced widely apart rolled nicely across the parking lot and down the concrete ramp without any leaning problems. Once in the water, I could quickly remove one nut and wheel, then slide the pipe, axle, and other wheel from the bracket. This takes only 30 seconds.
For my common launches (Weems Creek, Jonas Green) I will continue to drag/slide the kayak across the grass and sand to the water. But for longer road trips, where a parking lot and hard ramp are involved, I will use the new wheels rig.
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