The first thing I noticed when collecting my Iain Oughtred
designed Pike Skiff from her previous owner was that the port side tyre of the
launching trolley was flat. A closer inspection revealed that the nylon tyre
was perished, and there were splits along the tread. The other tyre wasn’t up
to much, but at least there was air in it. Nothing about the state of the
trolley was mentioned in the advert, and the trailer was described as in ‘perfect
condition’. This turned out not to be true; however, I found that it was in good
working order and free of rust, except for one small spot on the nearside hub.
A trawl of the Internet revealed that there weren’t many trolley
wheels to the same specification as the old ones available for purchase. The
problem was the length of the hub which had to be no more than 2 ½ inches long
to fit on the shaft. They were nearly all 3 inches. I eventually found two
suitable wheels available at TrailerTek. I paid for them on 3rd June,
and they arrived today, within twenty-four hours. Furthermore, they are now
fitted to the trolley.
It’ll be a great advantage to be able to launch the new boat
on her trolley, rather than her road trailer, as was the case with my previous
trailer sailers. Sailing her will be more spontaneous, and I’ll have access to
launching sites that are unsuitable for road trailers.
You’ll note from the heading to this post that I’ve chosen
the most obvious name for the boat. She will be known as ‘Pike’.
Link
TrailerTrek
2 comments:
Fast work Bill, from both you and TrailerTek! Looks like a great set-up for launching Pike -- good times ahead for you both I hope.
Hello Bill, I hope if you have any further problems, youll be able to solve them as well and as easily. Hopefully, you and Pike will soon be on the water, patios permitting.
Post a Comment