Hi Roadrunner,
Thanks. We've filled two full Rubbermaid heavy duty trash cans with line and litter. That's a lot more than it may sound when you consider that a large portion of it is fishing line and how slow it is pulling line. We've done both sides of the lake from the power line crossing to the dam at least once over and some places twice. Now we're working on the upper part. When the water level starts rising later this winter we'll have access to a lot of brush along the edge that is now way up the bank, so we'll start all over again. It will never end, but that's fine because I like the excuse to get out there a lot.
I think you said you live above the lake. Did you see us out there today? I actually went out with a different volunteer (there is a small group that I take out as my front seat crew.) We towed in a large buoy in that someone had hit and broken. We put the anchors in the milk crate behind my seat and towed the buoy on its own mooring line. Worked well: the milk crate held the line high enough to avoid the rudder controls. MAN was that a workout! It was a pretty good sized buoy that caused a lot of drag. It was about a 1.5 mile pedal tow. I pedaled and paddled, both, and actually got some good aerobic exercise. Just wanted to see if we could pull it off, and we did.
The front seat is available on Wednesday if you'd like a new and different experience than you are probably used to. Same offer to anyone else who is interested. Message me if you are interested.
Oh, by the way, my front seater this morning had to rush to an appointment so I loaded all the gear and the boat myself. (I usually do most of it, anyway.) I did use the wheels and it did work better than the first time. The first time we used them was our first day with the new boat, so I shouldn't be surprised. I'll have to train my wife up on the new procedure, but I think it will work fine. Thanks for encouraging me to try it again.
I have the old, round Yakima racks on my truck and I have those pull-out bars on both front and rear. I pull the rear one out fully and the front one out partially and then I do lift only one end at a time as you suggested. I lift the rear of the kayak onto the rear bar, lift the bow onto the front and slide it over, then slide the rear over. But I must lift from the rear handles which means I am doing a sideways clean-and-jerk of about 60+ pounds. It's hard for an old guy, but I haven't dropped it yet.
I transport ours upside down. Do you carry yours right side up then?