Hey bill,

you've come up w/ some good ones yourself so you better join me in barking!!

anyway i'll woof a bit:

one of the problems w/ a long yak and small cart is that it literally becomse a drag when going over any terrain or when pulling. look at the hunchbacks pulling some of the small carts. you gotta get the axle down or large wheels, but large wheels take space. so this particular(this one only) idea might be a little awkward(but anything can be done)

another yoke only idea that until recently I thought was mine only is to use the seat. I just learned abt verner kruger on the other board, (the guy who;s paddled 90,000miles in a canoe) and that rat(because he actually has been doing it) has cockpit sideboards that go down to the hull(similar to us) and slings his seat in between(clips or attaches to ea side). Under the seat(as probably on the seat side too) is some foam padding to the hull. To carry the canoe, he
turns the seat UPSIDE(boo hoo) down and clips it back in the down turns. He now has a nice padded yoke that is not extra wt or stuff.

those of us w/ glass seats could do similar. you'd make the downturns resolve to the hull, make the seat have say 4in upturns also, have foam under neath,and have it bolt to the downturns. Undo, flip seat over, rebolt, (maybe even multiple holes for adjusting up or down) and voila! something for nothing!

but if you want the shit hot cart and pak idea, go back to cart 2a. turn the cart upside down so the legs pt upward-no axle or wheels or xbrace(i'd play w/ this). buy and old alum frame backpack, put a hook on the bottom of ea leg and one say at the top. turn yak upside down and clip hooks into the axle holes and a hole where the camstrap is. voila - one fixed yak bak pak. lines everywhere to hang on and direct. and if once in a while you attached a branch skid(or horror - the hidden axle and wheels) going down hill - who's to know??(hehe)

-mick

ps another idea is what if you could string nettting across the cockpit even tightyer than the spray deck. maybe even some lines aroung the yak to keep in place. cut a hole for your head. get like a hammock yoke.

or can you get real thick pipe insulation or cut pool noodles so they ar like it. then insert around the cockpit coaming. would it be narrow enough?

or what if you tied you your spit paddle lengthways along the cockpit opening w/ the blade to the back and the handles say 10in apart. use lines aroung the coaming and/or the yak. thread on 8in of pipe insulation ont he loops for where the shoulders go. another yoke for nothing. i kinda like this one too. the blades coming toghether a t the back'd be almost like a regular yoke.

how's that for woofin'

-mick