Homemade Kayak Buggy

A kayak buggy or cart moves your kayak between your vehicle and the put-in point along the water. The weight of some kayaks, especially sea kayaks, may prove too much for some paddlers. A buggy provides an easy way to load, unload and move kayaks without assistance. You can get buggies commercially, but you also can make a buggy with only a few items and common household tools.

  1. Mark and Drill the Milk Crate

    • You can construct a homemade kayak buggy from an old plastic milk crate. Set the crate on a sturdy work surface. If the crate has handles on two sides, turn it so that one is on the side facing forward toward you. Locate the wide strip of plastic molded into the lower side of the crate to provide support. Use a ruler to find the strip's center point on the side facing you, and mark the spot. Find and mark the same point on the strip on the opposite side of the crate. Make a hole through both sides of the crate by drilling a 3/4-inch hole at the marked points.

      Use a saw to cut a V shape from the top edge of the crate down to the handle cutouts. You must angle the cuts to form a V that supports the hull of the kayak.

    Spacers and Axle

    • Purchase a pair of 1-inch PVC pipe caps to use as spacers between the buggy's wheels and the milk crate. Drill a 3/4-inch hole in the center of the cap. Use a metal rod with a 5/8-inch diameter for the axle. The rod should reach through the milk crate, the PVC spacers and the wheels and extend about 1 1/2 inches beyond each wheel. Using a 1/2-inch bit, drill a hole about an inch from both ends of the metal rod. The small holes allow you to insert retaining pins.

    Assemble the Kayak Buggy

    • Insert the metal rod through the two bottom holes of the milk crate. On either side of the crate, slide a PVC end cap on to the metal rod so that the open end of the cap faces toward the crate. Slide the wheels on to the axle until they make contact with the PVC caps. Use a 1/2-inch fender washer on the outside of the wheels, and secure both sides with retaining pins through the small holes drilled in each end.

      Place a length of self-sticking pipe insulating wrap along the front edge of the crate, and push it down into the V cut. You should cut the insulation to the buggy's length and remove the adhesive protective strip from the inside, so it can attache to the front and back edge of the crate.

      The buggy is designed to sit under the center of the kayak with the hull balanced in the V cut. Strap the kayak to the buggy with a ratchet strap or bungee cord.