I've been taking my kayak to the lake where I can park on the beach.

I want to go to another location where access to the lake is a parking lot and a boat launch area.

What are the manners / etiquette for launching my kayak and coming back?

1) Park the truck
2) unload the kayak and put onto the kayak cart
3) take the launch ramp area
4) Then what?
5) take the cart back to the truck; come back to the launch area and kayak on the lake

1) Kayak back to the launch area
2) Then what?
3) Retrieve the kayak cart from the truck
4) load kayak onto kayak cart and return to truck.

Help me w/ proper manners and what to do for the actual launching?

When in doubt, pinky out.

If you are going to a traditional, multi-lane boat launch, I'd suggest backing your truck to one of the extreme ends and unloading. Go park truck and walk back. Untie and prepare as much as possible beforehand in the staging area.

Most boaters do not care for the end lanes of the ramps here. They tend to be the least accessible and the closest to shallow water.

Ok, for multi-lane launches, use my truck, wait for an outer lane and load/unload my kayak.

For single lane launches, still use my truck but just be as quick as possible.

What I wasn't sure about:
1) for kayaks, do boaters prefer I use my truck on the ramp or do they prefer I unload kayaks while parked and use kayak carts on the ramp? And if latter, do I still wait for a turn or can I put my kayak in the water while a boater is launching at the same time?

2) After putting my kayak in the water, while I return the cart to my truck or park the truck, where do I put my kayak?

Do as much as you can elsewhere, so that your time blocking the ramp is as short as possible. And don't take up more parking spaces than you need. That's about it.

It's okay to tie the boat/kayak to the dock while you go back to the truck, just make sure it isn't blocking the launch area. Tie it to the non-launch side of the dock.

I don't think it matters whether you use truck or cart - just pick whichever method gets you in and out the quickest.

It's a public ramp, you are launching a boat. Use the same courtesy you would expect of any other boater. Be ready, be efficient, be respectful of others using the facility. Anyone who expects more from you based on your boat type is not being reasonable.

Also don't discount the possibility of just asking for a hand. Boaters are generally a pretty friendly crowd, and if you asked someone not actively launching to hang onto a rope with you 'yak around at a pier out of the way, almost certainly they would.

I would.

As a boater and a kayaker I follow the same guidelines when I launch either of them. Minimize your time that prevents others from using the ramp. Get in, do your thing, get out.


As to your question, It depends on the ramp's layout.

If there is room at the ramp for you to set up on the side without interfering with other people using the ramp then park and use your cart to move your kayak to the out of the way area, return the cart, finish set up, and then head out in between boats launches.

If there is not room to set up without blocking the ramp then back up your truck down the ramp, unload your kayak, park your truck, go back to your kayak and head out.

It’s important to remember that you have the same rights to the ramp no matter what you are launching.

Just be polite and respectful of others. If I can park close to the ramp/launch point and it's busy I may just carry my stuff.

If it's a long walk then I'm launching at the ramp area. I will stop and prep my stuff first in the parking lot. Make sure I have all my gear ready and easy to get at. Undo/losing some of the staps. Change shoes/clothes before I head to the ramp.

Launching is easy, untie the kayaks from the roof rack, back down the ramp at 10 mph and about 5' from the water slam on the brakes!!!! heheheehe (seriously, don't do that).

The rule is to just be courteous to other boaters. Be as ready as possible when you go to launch and use only 1 side of the ramp (if it's possible for 2 to launch at the same time, even if the ramp is empty someone might pull up 30 seconds later), then tie up the kayak to the dock out of the way while you put the cart away, try to do the same in reverse order.

Edited to add: I really just think you should get a trailer for both kayaks. It makes launching them and putting them back on, and securing them for transport, a hell of a lot easier. Plus if you have to manually pick them up and put them on, it's at waist level.

Sounds like your kayak cart is making the process overly complicated. Try this instead...

(Step 0: Hit the gym.)
(Step 0.5: Repeat.)

Step 1: Park truck near body of water.
Step 2: Unload kayak.
Step 3: Carry kayak to said body of water.
Step 4: Launch.
Upon return, reverse the process.

All joking aside, even my largest single-person kayak can be carried over my head a decent distance relatively easily, and I'm not exactly Mr. Universe.

Invert the kayak. Pick it up so the cockpit is roughly centered over your head. Hold on either side of the cockpit, repositioning your hands as needed to find the balance point to prevent it from tipping forwards or backwards. Keep it lifted just far enough above your head so you can see where you're going. (Depending on how your seat is setup, you may even be able to rest the seat on the top of your head and still see where you're going.)

This lady seems to be managing just fine.



As an alternative, some folks prefer to carry them sideways on their shoulder, but I personally find that to be more awkward than carrying overhead.

Use the least amount of space in the least amount of time as you can.

Don't feel bad if you can't carry your kayak on your head or shoulder. I used to do it with my 80 pound 13.5' SOT, but it isn't as easy as it used to be. Carrying my 47 pound 17' sit inside on my shoulder hurts my back. Plus it blows all over if it's windy. I guess I could hit the gym (and I really should), but I'd rather go kayaking. Better to use a cart than screw up your neck, back, shoulders, etc.

Thanks guys. This helps and I think I get the gist.

I'm looking for one of the Malone trailers, used. New one is a little pricey for me. But will snatch one if I can grab one used at a decent price. The guy I bought the kayaks from had a Malone trailer and it sold in a day.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Thanks guys. This helps and I think I get the gist.

I'm looking for one of the Malone trailers, used. New one is a little pricey for me. But will snatch one if I can grab one used at a decent price. The guy I bought the kayaks from had a Malone trailer and it sold in a day.

Any small boat trailer will work as long as it's long enough. I saw one today in front of West Marine, they just ran 5 carpeted bunks across the width of a boat trailer(about every 2') and the kayaks sat right on top of it and were strapped to the trailer.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Ok, for multi-lane launches, use my truck, wait for an outer lane and load/unload my kayak.

For single lane launches, still use my truck but just be as quick as possible.

What I wasn't sure about:
1) for kayaks, do boaters prefer I use my truck on the ramp or do they prefer I unload kayaks while parked and use kayak carts on the ramp? And if latter, do I still wait for a turn or can I put my kayak in the water while a boater is launching at the same time?

2) After putting my kayak in the water, while I return the cart to my truck or park the truck, where do I put my kayak?

I would not wait for an outer lane, but if one is convenient, it's not a bad idea. Just fast enough to do everything safely and without overdoing it physically.