C-Tug trolley for an A.I. - better than the Hobie cart?

Hi all,

Is the C-Tug kayak trolley a viable alternative to the Hobie plug-in cart for an A.I.?

A few negatives for the Hobie cart (from what I've seen) are:

1: Cannot store the cart upside-down in the rear scupper holes (as you can on the Sport, Revo, Adventure)
2: I've seen a number of horror stories where the cart uprights have torn holes in the scuppers.

I've never used (or seen) a C-tug, but they look good and seem to get good reports...

Do any A.I. owners use a C--Tug in preference to the Hobie cart?

Cheers,

Mike.

Mike,
I have both C-Tug and Hobie scupper carts. The scupper carts are my preferred carts and I have had no issues with scupper damage.
The C-Tug is a very well designed and made cart but being an under hull cart is not nearly as convenient to use as the scupper cart. It also deforms the hull unless you add proper padding. It packs up nicely and is easy to store inside the hull though. I mainly use it in winter as a second cart to retrieve the TI so I don't get too wet!
A search of past posts for tennis balls and Roadrunner will detail some clever and necessary mods that make the scupper cart the cart of choice IMHO!

I had a C Tug already so use it with the AI. The C Tug seems to adapt to every kayak I have, so 1 trolley fits all.

Pretty easy to load. I position it next to the kayak and then lift the kayak from one end (so the other end is resting on the ground) and move it to the side to put on top of C Tug. I then go to the end that is resting on floor and lift and position this straight with the C Tug and then strap up. The straps are best if they incorporate something to stop the C Tug sliding off.

The C Tug Platforms which form a V do pivot so can adapt to fit different hulls to some degree, but I guesse you could custom pad them further to mate with the hull shape fully.

I have never like scupper hole trolleys (this feeling goes way back, and has nothing to do with Hobie). It just seems to me it is clearly a week area of ANY sit on top kayak. I am always tempted when i see how easy / quick they are fitted but .. not for me.

Pav,
I have to disagree. The scuppers are actually the strongest part of the hull- IMHO
A tube that connects the top and bottom of the hull strengthens it. I know it's a commonly held belief that scuppers are weak, but my experience, wheeling kayaks well over 1000km in the last 4 years has shown otherwise. If I had been using an under hull cart I'm sure it would have rubbed a hole in the hull or caused other damage as it slipped around.
I know there have been some well publicised incidents where the cart has punctured the tubes but I reckon these can be attributed to either operator error or a roto molding problem leaving thin or weakened walls in the tubes.
A properly maintained cart with no sharp edges on the uprights, that is inserted correctly (no crossloading of the tube) and with the uprights extending all the way through the hull should be problem free. With correctly adjusted cart bushings, the keeper pin and most importantly Roadrunner's tennis ball mod (cushions the base of the scupper) you should have no problems using a scupper cart!

I'm with Stringy -- he has gobs more kilos on carts than anyone else here, and seems to have experimented with all kinds of variations. Scupper carts are so easy and quick to use, they never slip out of position, and so far never a problem on any of the Hobie models.

As stringy also points out, scupper carts are uniquely able to enlist the strength of both the deck and hull to support the boat. Any problems are almost always due to accidentally applying lateral stress with a partially inserted cart. Scuppers are not designed to support lateral loads, and don't have to when the carts are fully and properly seated.