I am also planning on heading to Keys last week in March.  That is why I
had the trailer rebuilt.  There was a very good email, Bill's Dry Tortugas
Adventure, published on the List Feb 23-25, 2011.  I had saved the email,
but the old.nable.com link no longer works.
I was thinking of trying to sail Key Biscayne to Key West or just trailer
to Key West and day sail from there.

Mike
S/V Ranger
99 Rhodes
Have trailer, will travel

On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 5:17 PM mike at traildesign.com <mike at traildesign.com>
wrote:

>
> I just finished refitting my Triad as well and agree, Michael is really
> great to work with. My 1989 via 2018 recycled Rhodes came with a Triad
> single axle trailer and after getting the boat home noticed one of the hubs
> was smoking.. Wheel bearings were shot, which started the whole ball of wax
> rebuild. After pulling the wheel, I saw the seal was missing, the bearings
> were full of water (so it was steam not smoke) and the brakes were covered
> in oil.
>
> New seals (both wheels were bad), inner and outer bearings and lots of
> brake cleaner got that part done. The wheel cylinders for both brakes were
> leaking, so a rebuild of those was in order. After finishing that I filled
> the master cylinder with new fluid and watched it run right back out the
> piston seals. I thought about a rebuild kit but the surge brake head was in
> pretty bad shape so in went a new one. Brakes work again!
>
> Last time I put it in the water, I noticed the carpet on one of the bunks
> was rubbed through and the boat would not center properly when loading it
> on the trailer. On steeper ramps it would hit the cross bar at the front of
> the centering posts. Maybe I wasn't putting it in deep enough. Anyway I
> decided to fix all of that as well. A 10" roller between the posts solved
> the cross bar issue. New carpet for the bunks installed with SS staples
> came out really nice. Kudos go to my fiance, Brigit for all the nice detail
> work on that. The centering issue was a little tougher. After a lot of
> measuring and head scratching, I took two 4' pieces of pressure treated
> 2x6" pine and cut the ends on a 60 deg angle and the long top edge on a 45
> deg angle. Then I drilled, counter sunk and installed 10 carriage bolts per
> side through the existing plastic pieces that were in place for the
> centering guide. Before attaching them to the plastic "boards" I wrapped
> them in marine carpet and stapled in
>  place. Everything was bolted down using all new hot dipped galvanized
> hardware. I measured the finished project and have 1" to either side of the
> keel. That should center the boat nicely. By beveling the top of the
> boards, the boat can drop in as it's pulled out on steeper ramps and not
> catch on anything.
>
> We're off to the Keys in April and I now feel confident the trailer will
> get us there and back.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "C Gabriel" <4cgabriel at gmail.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2019 4:46pm
> To: "The Rhodes 22 Email List" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Trailer Rebuild
>
>
>
> This must be stuck in the outgoing mail queue of "da list".
>
> On Sun, Feb 17, 2019, 2:12 PM Michael Corley <michael.4591 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Had my 25 yr old Triad trailer rebuilt at Triad in Raleigh. Michael
> > Orro's father built my original trailer 25 yrs ago. Michael and his crew
> > in Raleigh gave it another 25 yrs of life. All for slightly more than
> half
> > the price of a new trailer.
> > Very pleased with his work and his advice. He is definitely the
> > expert when it comes to boat trailers. There was an article in Practical
> > Sailor about Michael Orro that one of you sent me. Gotta love "Da List".
> > New coupler, wood & wheels/tires, lots of welding, upgraded/replaced
> > the axle and tongue extension, switched to disc brakes and LED lights.
> >
> > Mike Corley
> > S/V Ranger
> > Hampton Roads, VA
> > __________________________________________________
> > To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
> > http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
> >
> > For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go
> > to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> > __________________________________________________
> >
> __________________________________________________
> To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
> http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>
> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go
> to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> __________________________________________________
> __________________________________________________
> To subscribe/unsubscribe go to
> http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list
>
> For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go
> to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> __________________________________________________
>