nwclassicyacht
A dock cart provides the utmost convenience when transporting gear to and from your boat.
Words by Steve Fennell
1. West Marine Folding Dock Cart
There are a few things that we like about this milk crate-size Folding Cart from West Marine. For starters, when folded up, it measures 45 x 40 x 8.98 cm (18 x 16 x 3.5 in), making it easy to stow in the cab of a truck, back of an SUV, or trunk of a car while still leaving room for essential gear or supplies. When it’s time to haul gear, it folds out to 40 x 40 x 45 cm (16 x 16 x 18 in) and offers 68 cu. ft of storage. The Folding Cart is made of lightweight plastic, has a collapsible aluminum handle, and a carrying capacity of 45 kg (100 lb). Once your supplies are unloaded, there’s no need for a return trip to your vehicle. Simply fold it up, ease it in your boat’s gunnel storage or lay flat in an in-floor storage compartment.
1 of 2
West Marine
The Folding Cart from West Marine can easily stow on your boat.
2 of 2
West Marine
The Folding Cart from West Marine can easily stow on your boat.
2. The Woods Outdoor Collapsible Utility King Wagon
Although the King Wagon may not be exclusively designed for recreational boaters to haul gear along the slips, it will surely do the trick. It measures 99 x 53 x 66 cm (39 x 21 x 26 in) when folded out, has an interior space of 88 x 44 x 37 cm (35.5 x 17.5 x 14.5 in) and 7.2 cu. ft. of storage. With its load capacity of 102 kg (225 lb), it can haul an array of gear and has three separate storage pockets for more personal items. It’s also tough. The King Wagon is built with a rust-resistant, steel tube powder-coated frame, rolls smoothly on hefty, blow-molded wheels with rubber inserts, and consists of 600D solid polyester material with PVC coating. When not in use, it folds down to 86 x 41 x 23 cm (34 x 16 x 9 in) and is easily transported with its standard travel bag. According to Woods, new updates are expected for 2020 including the designing of longer pull handles and more robust wheels.
Woods Canada
The Collapsible Utility King Wagon.
3. Dock Edge iCart
Dock Edge’s iCart is about as straight forward as dock carts can get. Nonetheless, it’s as easy to use as it is practical. The iCart’s removable heavy wall poly bucket has an impressive 136 kg (300 lb) carrying capacity, meaning you can probably haul all your gear in just one trip to your boat, saving time and effort. It will also haul everything smooth and easy thanks to its powder-coated steel frame and E-Z Roll pneumatic tires that ‘easily traverse the most irregular surfaces.’
CMP Group Ltd
The iCart has a powder-coated steel frame with smooth E-Z Roll pneumatic tires.
4. RocknRoller Multi-Cart R6G Mini Ground Glider
The Multi-Cart R6G highlights many tough components to handle most types of loads common to recreational boaters. Features on the R6G start from the bottom up. There’s rugged, foam-filled, 20 x 8 cm (8 x 3 in) R-Trac, no-flat rear wheels with 13 x 5 cm (5 x 2 in) front swivel castors with a handy brake, and is built with a powder-coated steel tube frame that can telescope from 71 to 108 cm (28 to 42.5 in) in length. It also has a 32 cm (12.5 in) wide frame bed, a whopping 227 kg (500 lb) load capacity and 27 cu. ft. of space. What makes it a little unique is its patented 8-in-1 design, which can be adjusted to various load sizes, including vertically for more stackable items or gear.
ACE Product Group
The hefty RocknRoller Multi-Cart R6G Mini Ground Glider.
5. Tipke 2100 Marine Foldit Cart
Designed specifically for the marine environment, the Tipke Marine Fold-It Utility Cart is one tough hauler that can carry all of your gear for those extended boating trips. For instance, it’s constructed of marine-grade aluminum that is designed to resist rust and corrosion, has a capacity of 150 kg (330 lb) and loads are transferred over its 51 cm (20 in) wheels with pneumatic tires to more easily handle rugged ground or even rickety docks. It also measures 140 x 77 x 58 cm (55 x 30.25 x 23 in) when unfolded and 104 x 24 x 56 cm (41 x 9.5 x 22 in) when folded. According to the company, once it’s folded, the Fold-It cart occupies less than 2 sq. ft. of space. It even features a (removable) front panel to ensure gear is secured and the spring-action retractable handles are lockable for easier use.
J. Craig Sweat Photography
The Tipke 2100 Marine Fold-It Utility Cart has a load capacity of 150 kg (330 lb).
6. Mac Sports All Terrain Beach Wagon
This cart from Mac Sports is enclosed with 600D denier polyester fabric (that is mildew and UV-resistant), has a powder-coated steel frame for optimal durability and measures 94 x 53 x 64 cm (37 x 21 x 25 in). Practicality combines with convenience with its 68 kg (150 lb) load capacity and two mesh pockets to hold drinks, smart devices, or other personal items while moving gear. The Beach Wagon folds down to less than 25 cm (10 in) and weighs less than 7 kg (15 lb) making it easy to bring along on board to a destination. Plus, the large rubber wheels can handle a variety of terrain such as sand, wet dirt, rocks, grass, or even snow (for use early or late in the boating season).
Mac Sports