Portage

(pôr' tij, pôr-täj') Fights have been fought about the correct way to say this word. The second is from the French and was certainly the word used by the French Voyagers.

• Verb: The carrying of boats and supplies overland between two waterways or around an obstacle to navigation.
• Noun: A track or route used for such carrying.

In Maine and much of the Northeast, this is often called a "carry", but in the BWCA and most of Canada, portage is the usual term.

A portage can be avoided by lining a boat or tracking.

[edit] Portaging a kayak

• Short distance solo carries are tough, as it is difficult to carry a kayak as easily as a canoe. Putting the kayak on one shoulder works, but puts a lot of stress on the spine. Consider a yoke (below). If the terrain is smooth, consider a kayak cart
• One of the easiest ways to carry a kayak on land its to get two paddlers to lift it from the toggles, with one paddler at either end.
• If the kayak is fully loaded, four paddlers can make short work of a portage if it is not to rough. One paddler at each end and one on either side of the kayak can lift a fairly heavy kayak. The paddlers on the side should lift it by the deck just under the coaming. Don't lift it by the coaming, but wrap you fingers under the deck with your thumb over the coaming. This is a fairly strong area of the hull.
• Double kayaks can be carried by six paddlers - as with four paddlers above, but with a pair of paddlers at each of the two cockpits.

On a trail, the kayak can be carried on a yoke. Two homemade styles are shown below.

http://www.qsl.net/ws8g/kayyoke3.jpg or http://www.qsl.net/ws8g/kayportageyokepic.jpg

They are described here: http://www.qsl.net/ws8g/kaybackrack.htm