Simple Interest First Trip of 2023

[NiceAft]

Congratulations Bill, on being able to just go out and play.

[dlandersson]

Dolphine equivalent in Lake Michigan in Jan.

No Joke

Our dolphins

[OverEasy]

Typical Early Season New England Winter Sailing…



………..it only gets “better” for the next three months…..

[Be Free]

Sorry, no update last night. I went to bed early with the idea of getting in another quick sail before I pull Simple Interest out this afternoon. Brings to mind a poem about a mouse and plans. Judging by the timestamp on this post you can probably guess that's not what happened. At 7AM I could not see across the river and it is only about 200 yards from where I'm anchored. It's just now beginning to lift.

Yesterday was a lot more fun than the day before. The wind was perfect, there was a 1' or so chop with a slight westerly component to it but no enough to make it uncomfortable going in any direction.

Since I have not been north yet on this trip I made a right turn at the end of the channel and just went wherever the wind was best. It's at least 45 miles to the next protected anchorage going that way so I knew I'd be coming back here when the playtime was over. One thing I'd forgotten about the north end of Deadman Bay is that it is the preferred spot for crab traps. Lots of dodging and weaving.

The last time I was out in this part of the bay was several months ago. I was anchored in a shallow area to allow a couple of grandkids and their parents to have a swim. Just after they got out we saw a small group of manatees swim under the boat. This time of year the manatees are all up in the rivers and spring runs. The only wildlife was one lone dolphin late in the day.

Until the fog lifts I guess I'll just pack and stow gear that I know I won't need today.

[Be Free]

Back home (sort of).

When I picked up the trailer from the house I noticed it felt a little strange. Both front brakes are locked up tight! I'm not sure what happened; I suspect salt water and rust are in the mix but I won't know until I take them apart. How do brakes lock up sitting in the driveway six days after I used them?

For now I have the boat anchored at the end of my street. Worst case I'll gut the front brakes and rebuild them after I get the boat back on the trailer. I guess next month's trailer maintenance just got moved up.

[NiceAft]

Bill,

I’m looking at that photo. Do you have any alligators down there?

[OverEasy]

Hi BeFree!

Re: “Locked hydraulic boat brakes”
Take a look at your trailer receiver brake actuator.
It may have been pushed backward at some point when backing up even a slight hill or something similar.
I’ve had this happen in the past and it can lock and ‘stick’ the trailer brakes.

Simply pulling forward WILL NOT ‘unstick’ the brakes.
The only way I could get the brakes to release was to physically leverage the receiver forward.
Decouple from the tow vehicle.
There is generally a small sheet metal cover on the front ‘box’ of the receiver that I removed.
This exposed the movable portion of the receiver that has a 1/2” diameter hole in the top of it.
I insert a “large” long 2 ft pry bar screwdriver tip in the hole and leverage it against to front edge of the upper box.
This allowed me to move the lower movable portion of the receiver forward incrementally.
You’ll need to add a spacer or two like some 1 x 2 material.

Alternatively one could possibly uniformly tie off the FRAME ( NOT THE AXLES) very very securely to a tree and then “GENTLY” and very slowly pull forward with the tow vehicle ball hitch/receiver ….. it would help to do this with a second person who can keep an eye on the brake receiver assembly. It doesn’t move very far…about an inch or two depending upon the model.

Since those instances occurred I now have a pin that I insert whenever I’m going to be deliberately backing up (regardless of the functioning electrical backup solenoid). Since implementing this pin routine I’ve never incurred a brake lockup even when backing up relatively steep hills. I make absolutely positive the pin is removed when towing on the roadways.

Hope this helps some.

Best Regards
Over Easy

[Be Free]

Bill,

I’m looking at that photo. Do you have any alligators down there?

We certainly do. I've had conversations similar to this with many visitors: "Are there alligators in (fill in body of water here)?" and I'll answer, "If that's not the ocean then the answer is yes." Every body of fresh or brackish water in the state has a high probability of having at least one alligator in it.

This is from one of my kayaking trips about a quarter mile upriver from where the boat is anchored today. He's about 7'.



I think my record for the six miles between Steinhatchee falls and my house is five alligators.

[Be Free]

OverEasy,

I'll double check the actuator but my trailer has hydraulic brakes and they do not engage when backing. There is no solenoid and no lock-out of any kind. Also, the brakes on the rear axle are not locked up. Anything is possible though, so I'll double check the actuator before I break out the really big hammer.

Thanks,

Bill

[OverEasy]

Hi Be Free!

Your right that typically that the trailer hydraulic trailer brakes don’t normally engage when backing up per-se…
Anything that potentially restricts rearward motion of the trailer when backing up mimics what occurs when you are normally traveling forward … say like when slowing down on the highway at speed…. This could be loose gravel, backing up hill or backing into a curb…etc.

Currently we’re up north and Over Easy is down South…once we get back South I’ll take some pictures to post here if this is of any usefulness to somebody.

Best Regards
Over Easy

[Be Free]

My brakes are designed to not engage when the wheels are turning backward. It is a function of the mechanism inside the drum. Nothing to do with the hydraulics.

I had to drive into town for a dentist appointment yesterday so I did not get very far dismantling the locked up drums. One of the downsides of living here is that it is a 3 hour round trip to the doctor or a fully stocked grocery store.

We caught the edge of that storm system that is tearing up the southern states. Around midnight it sounded like the world was coming apart. The boat is still anchored where I left it but I have to say I was a little worried about what I'd find when the sun came up this morning.

[Dougiestyle]

Here is a couple of photos of the brakes that were sold to me by my local trailer shop, and I was told they wont lock-up while backing. So far I have not experienced any lock-up while backing. They were purchased ready to install .

[OverEasy]

Hi BeFree!

Wow!
Glad you made it through the storm ok

Yeah, can also relate to the doctor visit travel time but you’ve got us beat at 3 hours….we’re only an hour to an hour & a half out up here in NH…every trip has an air of an expedition plan about it

Hope it all works out with the brakes.
It’s a task just securing the trailer, getting it up and the wheel off …. Never mind contending with a jimmied engaged brake drum… not fun .

We have the hydraulic disc surge brake set up on Over Easy’s trailer… (they also aren’t supposed to engage when reversing either….🫣)

Best Regards
Over Easy

[Be Free]

Mystery solved. It turns out I had the same problem on three brakes. The third just had not jammed yet.



Those are the remains of three sets of brake lining that had separated from the shoes. I'm not sure why it happened but I do know I'm not buying that brand again. Of course that assume I recorded the brand when I bought them.

I removed all of the lining pieces and put the drum back on. Next step was to disable the coupler so it would not engage the brakes and score my drums.

After two experiments I've decided that moving in either direction between an X and a kayak is not easy. I did it without getting wet, but I don't think it's a good dinghy. Anybody else tried it or something similar?

The trip back to the boat ramp was cold and windy but without incident. The was a bit of interesting wildlife though.



There is a great blue heron in the tree on the right side of the picture.

The flock of pelicans that came from behind skimming just above the surface of the river passed me too quickly to even try to get a picture.



Anhingias sitting on the side of a partially submerged boat.



A bald eagle.



Back to the ramp.



Back home safely!

[OverEasy]

Hi BeFree

Glad you found the root cause of your jammed brakes!
Glad you got home safely!
No, kayaks make marginal tenders…too tippy for an old sod like me to scramble in/out of.

Btw…did you notice the giant snake on shore ???


Just wondering….

Best Regards
Over Easy