Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

Chapter 4: It Follows You Anywhere—Trailering Your Boat
the trailer with a dish-soap solution and then rinse with fresh water. Once it’s rinsed clean,
coat the springs and bolts with a rustproofer like Corrosion-X or WD-40.
If you have trailer brakes, make sure you don’t get spray oil anywhere near the brake
shoes or pads. Even a trace of oil on the brake pads can ruin them permanently—and you
may only find out you have a problem when you really, really need to stop quickly.
Wheel and Tire Maintenance
The bearings, which cut friction between the wheel and the axle, must be greased before
and after each long trip. Bearing Buddies are spring-loaded grease fittings that hold grease
inside the wheel hubs. They’re cheap and easy to install and eliminate lots of bearing
headaches. You simply tap them into the wheel
hub. Grease can then be added through a fitting
in the center of each Buddy. When filled, the
devices keep pressure on the grease, forcing it
into both inner and outer bearings. The fittings
are available at most dealers.
To get grease into the hub at the bearing fittings,
use a grease gun and waterproof grease. It’s
messy (stow the gun in double-Ziploc bags) but
essential. Make sure you wipe off excess grease
from the fitting, or centrifugal force will toss it all
over the wheel, trailer, and boat.
Let There Be Lights
Boat Bytes
The best way to get waterproof
grease off your
hands is to wipe them thoroughly
with paper towels,
and then use hand cream
and more towels to eliminate the
residue. Soap and water alone
won’t do a good job.
Functioning trailer tail lights are critical because cars behind you can’t see the stop or turn
lights on your tow vehicle when you’re pulling a boat and trailer.
When trailer lights don’t light, it’s due to either a bad wire, a short, or a burned-out bulb.
Check the bulb first. Remove it from the socket and check it for corrosion. Coat the
socket with Corrosion-X before putting the bulb back—the stuff conducts electricity, so it
won’t interfere with the current.
If the bulb is okay but the lights still don’t work, there’s a problem in the wiring. You’ll
need a circuit tester to check this. These are available at Radio Shack and other electronics
stores for less than $20 and worth hundreds in the money they’ll save you over a few
years.
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