TOPIC: Well, this was a week

I need to commiserate with some fellow boaters. I am new to this forum but not to boating, 7 boats over 45 years. I just purchase a 1964 Glass Magic 16' runabout and have been happily cleaning it and checking everything out. The boat is structurally sound, motor seems good (haven't used it yet) and the original trailer needs to be replaced but I knew that when I bought it. So...after weeks of searching I found a used 2006 trailer is pretty good condition in San Diego (I am in the Palm Springs area), Trailer is priced well so I buy it and pick it up in San Diego and will take it to a trailer shop in the San Bernardino County (about 80 miles from SD and 80 miles from my home). The trailer is made by this shop and I wanted them to fix it up and get it ready to travel. Now we all know that traveling with an empty not exactly enjoyable. It bounces around and on California freeways it bounces even more because the right are notoriously uneven from all of the Semi traffic. So I am driving from SD to be trailer shop and doing everything right, I am not exceed 55 mph, I am in the far right lane and just happy to have a new trailer. The ride was really rough sometimes due to the road condition but suddenly I feel a jerk and know something is wrong. I look in the rear view mirror and I can no longer see the bow stop assembly. I know what happened so I slow down, and pull completely off of the freeway to the soft shoulder. I have trailer hitch receiver that can swap out for a hitch, bike rack, storage rack etc. Well, at some point the hitch pin came out and the hitch slid out of the receiver and the trailer no longer on the hitch hit the ground. Luckily the new trailer had a skid type plate so it didn't hurt the trailer, car or really anything. I had a spare hitch pin so once I got the hitch out of the dirt l re-attached everything and finished my trip to the trailer shop. The only thing that I think cause the hitch pin to fail is that it was the type that has a swivel type pin rather than a clip type and I guess it straightened out and worked its way out on the rough road. But at least no damage was done and it really didn't turn into a big deal.
So, today I want to take my boat out for the first time, using of course the old trailer figuring I could use it until the replacement was ready since it was a "want to replace the trailer" not a "need to replace the trailer." Wrong. This time I am going to check out a lake that I don't know called Diamond Valley Lake. It is a reservoir so they don't allow swimming or bodily contact with the water but heck it is April - too cold to go into the water anyway. So, this make is about 60 miles away from home.. I figured I had all of the drama yesterday so today should be smooth sailing. First we get to the lake and the dock master informs me that my 2 stroke engine is not allowed in the like because it is too old and not environmentally suitable for a reservoir. Okay, I kind of get that - dirty running engiine in Drinking water lake. Copy that! There is another lake (Lake Perris) about 30 minutes down the road so we say heck we will just go there, no 2 stroke problems. During the drive up I noticed a pitch change on the sound the tires were making especially on the way up the last couple of 2 miles to Diamond Valley Lake. I decide to take a good look at the trailer and make sure everything looks right. The starboard tire is toed in a little bit...hmmm. It wasn't like that when we left. I call the boat trailer guy and ask his advise\ figuring he has my new trailer maybe he can help we decide how to handle the old trailer. We finally decide as long as we take it slow and easy we should be able to the the old trailer to the Trailer shop so he can put the boat on the new trailer when it is fixed up and ready to go. What should have been a 80 minute drive turned into 120 minutes avoiding all freeways and taking more back roads than I have ever seen in my life. Amazing there are lots of ranches and farmland outside of Los Angeles! Anyway, we finally get the boat and old trailer to the trailer shop. They look at the wheel and say "you were about 1 pot hole away from losing that tire."
Although the boat saw a lake it still has not been in a lake but, it still was a good couple of days. I am glad that I was smart enough to do the safe thing both days with 2 different trailers. Having problems with 2 trailers in 2 days might be a record but no harm, no foul and I did get to see parts of So. California that i have not seen before.
Use my experience as a cautious tale.
1. Always check your trailer and listen to it, the change it pitch of the tires was critical for us know that there was a problem.
2. I know trailers can go really fast but i think the DMV is right, 55 mph or maybe 60 should be the max for boats.
3. Carry spares of everything, Having a spare hitch pin was so important for such a little thing. I also upgraded what kind of pin I have and now have a very sturdy locking hitch pin.
4. Find good vendors. I am dealing with Pacific Trailers in Chino, CA. They were great, helpful and took my boat in two weeks before it was scheduled when I had the trailer emergency. I can not recommend them any higher they were wonderful.
Thanks for listening, I just needed to share this experience.

Well, that was a post, certainly the most lengthly in Fiberglassics history...a novella.