reinventing the wheel

I just bought a used pa14 that I have taken out a couple of times on some small lakes and ponds and have actually managed to catch a couple of fish. I haul it in the back of my pick up and have a hitch extension to support the back of the yak that hangs out of the bed.  Can someone direct me to a thread that talks about how to launch and recover on primitive ramps/gravel shorelines.  Do  most of you back down as close to water as possible and unload there or unload up in the parking lot and wheel the yak to the ramp? Also I've been paddling out a couple of yards and then dropping the drive unit in to start pedaling, is this what most do, or do you install the drive, and then fair the flippers against the hull?
Just two of many questions.
BTW posts on safety gear have not gone unheeded, getting both a dry suit and PFD for Xmas.

cheers and tight lines

I have a paddle yak so can't help with the question about what to do with your drive.  But, I'd say most people have a cart of some sort to wheel the boat to the water.  It will let you get a loaded boat quite a ways to & fro if you can't park close.   I haul mine around on a Honda Civic, so I kinda have to stick to the paved areas   

Jim

I usually wade out to a depth that is sufficient to drop the drive in and go.  As for launching, I almost always unload in a parking lot (at a boat launch site), get everything ready and loaded, then wheel the kayak to the water.  That way I am not tying up the ramp and angering boaters that are waiting in line. I do try to find launch sites that boaters can't use and at those locations, I attempt to get as close as possible to the water.

I'm a paddler, too.  I think most people use a cart to get to the water, but for now, we have smaller, light weight kayaks and we carry them to the water.

Even without a drive unit, we wade the kayaks into knee-deep water so we have propulsion as soon as we're onboard.   

I have paddle kayaks that I just transport in the bed of a pickup and, if no one is at the ramp, I back all the way down and slide it directly into the water. If it is busy, I park and roll it down on a cart.

I haul my PA12 in my truck bed too (no bed extender).  I haul with the nose of the boat facing forward.   To unload, I just plug my wheeled cart into the scuppers (Hobie Heavy Duty Cart) while it's still on the truck (pin keeps it from falling out) and slide it right off so it's sitting on the wheels.  When I'm done fishing I just wheel up to the truck, lift the nose onto the tailgate, lift the rear, and slide the whole thing back in, then remove the cart. 

It's so easy to load and unload like this that I never bother backing down boat ramps, I just unload in parking lot, get everything set up and wheel it down to the water. 

As far as launching, it depends.  If it's shallow, I might paddle out until it's deep enough to insert the drive.  If it's warm or if I'm wearing a dry suit, I just wade out until I can stick the drive in and mount up there.

A couple other things I've found useful with the PA:

-When hauling in my truck, I put in a row of cheap foam interlocking mats in my bed so I have a smooth padded surface to slide the boat in and out.  Once it's loaded, I shove a fat pool noodle under the channel on each side of the keel.  This probably isn't needed but I prefer to have a little more cushion and I think it keeps the boat from sliding.

-I built a tailgate height wheeled cart for storing the PA in my garage.  I use PVC pipes as a cradle so I can store it upright without damaging the hull.  I can slide it into or off my truck with this cart with very little effort.

Thanks to everyone for all the good ideas and techniques.
BK, could you send me some pics of your rolling cart?

Cheers

BK, could you send me some pics of your rolling cart?

Cheers

Sure, it's a pretty simple set-up.  Here are a couple shots from when I first built it. My plan is to build a shelf on the lower level and keep fishing gear there (instead of the SUPs).   I also now have a big piece of carpet draped over the PVC pipes to create more of a cradle.  You can find numerous examples of similar PA storage carts on the Hobie forum.