Well, the forecast for this weekend was rubbish, and looking at the trailer I don't think that I will be going any further this week-end.
However, yesterday I pulled the boat out of the quagmire that is my front garden and towed the boat down the motorway. On my way to Biff's gaff I noticed the wheels getting slightly warmer than they should be
- uh time for the annual brake overhaul
So my mind turned to boat trailer brakes, and how I hate having to replace brake cables, shoes etc. Surely there is a better way than dunking bowden cables, even stainless ones, and mild steel bits into the briny where they can return to an oxidised mess.
I've seen, and helped launch from Jim's (Bedajim) magnificent trailer with built in launching trolley, where the road wheels are just that, kept on dry land
I've heard the stories about trailer disc brakes; that they have not been a success over here as our sea water is more than they can take, and so we are left with mild steel shoes, drums etc that are so last century
Surely there must be a better commercially available solution, one engineered for the environment that they sometimes experience - salt water! Don't get me wrong, I replace the brake bits every year, but knackered rusty bits offend me (and I am also slightly lazy!).
Having thought about it, whilst driving along the M27, it seems to me that there are two approaches, either come up with a launching system that does not get the road wheels dunked, or come up with a brake system that can withstand being dunked almost indefinately.
My thoughts on the first were either a system such as Jim fabricated, or is a system of individual launching wheels possible for a 2 ton RIB?
The grey matter then turned to braking systems that get dunked, is an all stainless system available, which does not use bowden cables in the actuator? I think that it would need to be 'agricultural', as close tolerances could be an issue. What about the brake material, would it and the bonding withstand immersion indefinately? Is an all stainless push or pull rod system that would allow suspension movement available?
So there you have it, my journey up the M27, as that is as far as I got before the Swanwick turn off.
Has the collective seen a solution that I can afford on my pittance of a salary? Or is someone beavering away on an answer to my prayers
