Kayak Cart
Posted: March 31st, 2008, 6:52 pm
If I did not already a have kayak cart I would certainly buy one considering all the use I get out of the one I won about a year ago at the Sunjammers sponsored tourney. It has been great for getting into some of the back country spots far from the parking areas. I have been impressed with the stability of the cart as I have rolled it across the rough terrain of the dikes at St. Marks Wildlife Refuge as well as other spots with a fully loaded kayak. I may have been too impressed and that is what may have gotten me into trouble. Anyway, the box of the truck was loaded up pretty good when I decided to go fishing the other day and I was too lazy to unload it in order to fit the kayak in the bed. So, I reasoned that with a double length of nylon rope I would fashion a connection to the yak and the trailer hitch ball while the kayak was securely fastened to the CART WHEELS... and just tow the kayak! Clever no? So, I made a knot that looked like a figure eight and looped it around the ball and through the carry handle of the yak and then sprial wrapped around and around in between the two points to create a tight pivoting knot. I even sprayed a little WD 40 on just for good measure. I jumped in the truck for a spin around the block to test my latest invention and it worked great! I loaded up all my gear and filled the cooler with ice and took off down to St Marks. When I hit Capital Circle I eased up the speed to 35 then 40 to see how the "trailer" handled. Ok, to that point. Then a little more pedel to 45 then 50 and finally cruising 55 mph around the big bend just past Tram Road heading south. As I approached the light at Woodville Highway I noticed a "little windage" in the rear view mirror but nothing major. I rounded the corner on a green light and was just reaching 55 again when I noticed a large group of people gathered at the trail head parking lot on the right and the traffic was stopped. As I was preparing to break for the cars I felt a large bump, bump as I drove across something. I leaned on the brakes pretty hard in order to stop in time and as I did that's when I saw the kayak go whizzing past my truck heading right for the group of ladies gathered in their jogging outfits. Needless to say I was frozen clutching the sterring wheel watching what was about to happen next! The kayak was making a furious noise as it headed across the grassy area bow down, wheels throwing up sand bouncing towards the ladies at 55 mph! Oh, did I mention that that cooler was full of ice and loaded in the kayak? Thankfully the ladies heard the yak coming and began to scatter as the yak bore down on the them. About then the kayak hit one of the parking bumpers and I am guessing at about 40+ mph and the cooler flew open sending ice schrapnel showering into the air and from the truck it looked very pretty and colorful in the sunlight. As fast as the ladies were one of them left her little puffy toy doggie on a leash right in the oncoming path of the yak! Well, the front grab handle on the yak got tangled with the leash of the dog and off he and the yak went capapulted into the air after the yak hit the parking bumper and became lodged in one of the oak trees! Strangest thing to see was the kayak and dog dangling from the tree with 30 horrified and angry ladies looking to see where the torpedo like, dog snatching kayak came from. I VERY causually drove on to Savannahs for breakfast and lots of coffee to wait out the angry hoard. When I returned about an hour later the group had dispersed and I retrieved my kayak from the oak tree and headed home. No sign of the puffy dog!
