Portage-Pal

by Phil Rowe
Carrying a canoe and all your stuff down to the water or back up to the car is WORK. The same can be said for toting a 60# sea kayak to and from the water. I needed wheels.

I searched out there for boat dollies and found none exactly meeting my requirements. I wanted something sturdy, compact and affordable. To me affordable is UNDER $100. So I made my own.

The sturdy part I satisfied with paint-lock steel sheet, rugged wheels used on large garbage barrels, and non-skid rubber decking.

The design is compact enough to allow me to put the boat dolly inside my sea kayak's aft storage compartment. And it's light enough not to be a burden.

Affordability was met by making a unit that could sell just under $100 retail.

The device that I call "Portage Pal" turned out to be just what I needed. In fact, the version that I use most often is made of stainless steel and corrosion resistant even in salt water environments. Stainless is more expensive, but what the heck ... it works like a champ.