So my Dad and my Brother (who is an English teacher and will, I'm sure, take exception to my capitalization and punctuation....) came over this weekend from Spokane. They showed up early Saturday morning. Dad wanted a work shirt right away!
.JPG "This picture was actually taken several days after the work began. It shows the leaf spring in parts, and the spring hangers we had to cut apart to remove the spring. I will have to fabricate new spring hangers, among other things.")
The Old Man did not agree with my condemnation of the trailer. He whacked at it with a hammer. He scraped at it with a screwdriver. He said that, apart from the rotten roller frames, it was a healthy looking trailer. I trust what he thinks, and before I knew it, he and my Brother had the fenders off and were taking apart the left spring! Many of the bolts had to be cut off (no surprise there....) but it all came apart relatively easily. We also got the rest of the bow weight off the trailer and cut the remaining rollers out.
I got a keel guide roller installed on the tongue, as low as possible. This will serve as the starting point for bunk height on the trailer. We also proved we can easily jack the trailer up and move it around under the boat to get the trailer setup perfect. Dad had a really good idea of adding additional cross members under the trailer frame, for installing bunks and keel rollers. We followed this idea to the end and it appears that I can easily install four bunks, and keel rollers, to completely support the boat, by just adding two cross members.
This was a very productive weekend. A few diversions along the way and, as I suspected, ample time sitting in a lawn chair in the garage drinking beer, talking about the boat. I think as valuable as the work they got done, was seeing the trailer is worth saving. Even more valuable than that, was sharing some of this with my Dad and Brother. Their excitement for the boat has peaked my determination again for getting some serious work done. For too long, I go out, look at it, and decide it's just too much work to start right now. I guess they see the same potential in her as I do. Whatever the reason, my new spirit has kept me going for several weeks now. I now find myself looking forlornly at bodies of water as I drive past; I have to get out there!
I doubt I could express, in words to make it clear, just how much I enjoyed the company of my Dad and my Brother. If this blog is never read, at least it serves me to recall my fond memories of boyhood, working on the car or truck with my Dad, or any of many misadventures with my Brother; tinkering, camping, fishing, and the like. They are welcome anytime to stare at the boat with a cold beer or Mike's lemonade. And wouldn't my Dad be surprised to learn, that I still hold on to the memory of helping to change the oil in that old Volvo station wagon. Thanks, guys.
.JPG "This picture was actually taken several days after the work began. It shows the leaf spring in parts, and the spring hangers we had to cut apart to remove the spring. I will have to fabricate new spring hangers, among other things.")
The Old Man did not agree with my condemnation of the trailer. He whacked at it with a hammer. He scraped at it with a screwdriver. He said that, apart from the rotten roller frames, it was a healthy looking trailer. I trust what he thinks, and before I knew it, he and my Brother had the fenders off and were taking apart the left spring! Many of the bolts had to be cut off (no surprise there....) but it all came apart relatively easily. We also got the rest of the bow weight off the trailer and cut the remaining rollers out.I got a keel guide roller installed on the tongue, as low as possible. This will serve as the starting point for bunk height on the trailer. We also proved we can easily jack the trailer up and move it around under the boat to get the trailer setup perfect. Dad had a really good idea of adding additional cross members under the trailer frame, for installing bunks and keel rollers. We followed this idea to the end and it appears that I can easily install four bunks, and keel rollers, to completely support the boat, by just adding two cross members.
This was a very productive weekend. A few diversions along the way and, as I suspected, ample time sitting in a lawn chair in the garage drinking beer, talking about the boat. I think as valuable as the work they got done, was seeing the trailer is worth saving. Even more valuable than that, was sharing some of this with my Dad and Brother. Their excitement for the boat has peaked my determination again for getting some serious work done. For too long, I go out, look at it, and decide it's just too much work to start right now. I guess they see the same potential in her as I do. Whatever the reason, my new spirit has kept me going for several weeks now. I now find myself looking forlornly at bodies of water as I drive past; I have to get out there!
I doubt I could express, in words to make it clear, just how much I enjoyed the company of my Dad and my Brother. If this blog is never read, at least it serves me to recall my fond memories of boyhood, working on the car or truck with my Dad, or any of many misadventures with my Brother; tinkering, camping, fishing, and the like. They are welcome anytime to stare at the boat with a cold beer or Mike's lemonade. And wouldn't my Dad be surprised to learn, that I still hold on to the memory of helping to change the oil in that old Volvo station wagon. Thanks, guys.
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