The C-tug canoe / sea kayak trolley by Railblaza is a gamechanger – especially with the SandTrakz wheels.
Moving canoes and kayaks is hard work. Especially if they are big plastic ones, you’ve got a lot of kit and/or you’re on your own. It is a given that every canoe journey will involve some degree of pushing, dragging or lifting. And until you try using a trolley, you will not appreciate just how much help they are. Read on for my short review of Railblaza’s C-tug (and after, check out my post Canoeing and sea kayaking in Scotland’s wild waters).
What is a sea kayak / canoe trolley?
This relatively simple device usually consists of a collapsible frame with a couple of wheels, onto which you strap your boat. Trolleys (or ‘carts’ in the US) function best when fitted somewhere in the middle or at the far end of a sea kayak or open canoe hull. Their design usually allows for dismantling or folding for storage.
Features of the Railblaza C-tug
- Quick-release wheels
- Almost all-plastic corrosion-proof construction
- Adjustable-angle hull grip pads
- Easy take-down for stowing
- Kickstand to help loading
- Included strap with heavy-duty metal cam buckle
- Stainless steel axle
- Strong, stable frame
- 5.5kg / 12.2lb (including Sandtrakz wheels)
- 77kg / 170lb static load (less on uneven terrain)
Review ✓
- NAME: Railblaza C-tug SandTrakz
- WHAT IS IT? Kayak / canoe trolley
- WHO’S IT FOR? paddlers
- PRICE: £130
- PROS: easy to use, hard-wearing, weatherproof, well made, good features
- CONS: SandTrakz wheels take up a lot of space
- BOTTOM LINE: Well designed trolley with sand-efficient wheels
- MY RATING:
Are trolleys only useful for sea kayaks?
A general purpose trolley or cart should transport a sea kayak or open canoe equally well. Firstly, a trolley potentially saves a lot of time by allowing you to transport the loaded boat from A to B and avoid making multiple trips to transfer gear (subject to trolley weight limits). Secondly, if paddlers are very young, in advanced years, or suffering from injury then a trolley can make boat moving much, much easier. Thirdly, although head loading remains a very useful canoe skill, a trolley provides a potentially safer method. It’s also far away better than shoulder-carrying or dragging a big boat. There are indeed some minimalist sea kayak-specific trolleys out there, but this isn’t one of them. The C-tugs outsized wheels and chunky frame instead come into their own during portages that involve rough, steep and/or soft terrain.
Railblaza C-tug Sandtrax in use
First off, the trolley assembles very easily within seconds, without tools. If you are more accustomed to traditional metal-framed trolleys, then the boxy plastic C-tug frame might seem unconventional. But give it a chance – once you scissor together the two frame halves and attach the wheels, you have a very solid, lightweight setup. And although steel might seem preferable to some, I found the corrosion-resistant plastic reassuring when paddling in saltwater environments.
Railblaza construct the C-tug trolley from strong UV-stabilised ABS, acetal and nylon plastics.
Loading the kayak trolley
The wee kickstand positions the trolley correctly while loading. But (and I cannot stress this enough) keep the kickstand facing away from the direction of travel (ie: pointing behind you). Despite being fairly robust, towing with the kickstand accidentally deployed forwards can easily mangle it. Railblaza deserve a shoutout for including a decent metal cam buckle strap. Could you use your existing roof bar straps to load the trolley? Yes for sure. But the included one comes in two halves which (when correctly set up) makes loading really quick and secure. To prevent slippage you will need to loop the strap through a hardpoint on your boat, for example a thwart, seat or sea kayak decklines (preferably one on each side of the hull).
SandTrakz wheels
Once you have securely tied down the boat, you effectively have a single unit which is relatively easy to manouver. Most sea kayak and canoe trolleys come with puncture proof solid rubber or plastic wheels, or big balloon tyres. However, this is one of the only models on the market using ‘SandTrakz‘ wheels, which offer the suspension and low rolling resistance of balloon tyres, but the puncture-resistance of solid tyres. Their ingenious smooth rubber rim deforms under load, effectively providing grip and reducing shock (the large circumference also greatly reduces rolling resistance). They work well on rough and hard surfaces, but sand is where they really come into their own. Here they spread the load like caterpillar tracks and thereby avoid becoming bogged down.
Corrosion-resistance and launching
As mentioned before, corrosion is not a big issue with this cart thanks to its near 100% plastic construction. The only non-plastic components are the galvanised steel strap buckle and stainless steel load-bearing axles, both of which are highly corrosion-resistant. The wheel bushes, do need a little care, however. Being plastic, they will wear and overheat more easily than metal. Thus, Railblaza recommends slow speed and periodic cooling of the axles with water while in use. When launching from a slipway or other gently-sloping surface, a trolley allows paddlers to float their canoe or sea kayak with minimal (if any) lifting, thus minimising strain on the body or damage to the hull. By releasing the strap, the boat can float free and the trolley be retrieved (note it doesn’t float).
For maintenance, avoid using lubricants (to guard against solvent damage), and remove grit, sand and salt by dismantling and rinsing the whole thing after use.
Stowing the C-tug cart
Finally, Railblaza have put a lot of thought into storage of the C-tug. The wheels quickly detatch by flicking their captive retaining pins. You can then stow them alongside the relatively compact frame as-is (for example, in an open or sit-on-top canoe). The front or rear compartment of most modern sea kayaks easily accomodates the whole frame AND both SandTrakz wheels, which should delight that particular breed of paddler. To achieve this you will almost certainly have to dismantle the trolley entirely and carefully position the separate components wihin the compartment. True, they take up a lot of space and contribute little to the trim of the boat. But you can instead lash these externally if conditions allow.
A wide range of C-tug replacement parts and accessories are available, plus basic wheels and boat-specific trolleys. Store the SandTrakz wheels carefully to avoid long-term damage to the soft tread. I detach mine from the trolley and lie them face down out of direct sunlight.
As you can see, Railblaza’s C-Tug canoe cart is efficient, well made and easy to use. Indeed, ANY trolley or cart should make moving your boat on land easier, but this one far excels others on soft surfaces. Furthermore, deflated tyres and noisy wheels are also not an issue! It might seem expensive and bulky at first (especially if you have never used a cart before), but it’s a game-changer and so a potentially valuable addition to your paddling kit!
Connect and enjoy nature on the water
✅ No freebies or reimbursement were received in return for this review.