BigMel wrote:From my local storage to the ramp is less than a mile. When the weather is good, I'm putting in most weekends for the five months June to October.
For a short towing distance of less than a mile, I don't think lack of trailer brakes would be a big concern, assuming there isn't a very steep grade to descend on the way. The highway speed is probably going to be 30-MPH or less.
BigMel wrote:That's a lot of dunking in saltwater for those trailer brakes.
If most of your use of the boat and trailer will be in saltwater, and should you decide to get trailer brakes, you should get disc brakes. You should also consider upgrading to the best materials, all stainless steel, and best rotors and pads.
My boat trailers have all had drum brakes. My older PACIFIC brand trailer had a freshwater brake flush hose system. Any time I used the trailer in saltwater, I would flush the brakes as soon as possible after immersion in the saltwater with freshwater from a hose. I had no brake problems with that trailer.
Funny story: one time on the way home from the Pacific coast of British Columbia and Washington State, I stopped at a boat ramp on the Columbia River that was adjacent to the interstate highway bridge crossing the river. I backed in the boat and trailer, getting the brake drums immersed, and then I started and ran the engines for about 10-minutes until the thermostats opened, flushing out the engine, too. This was about midnight, so there was not much contention for the ramp, and there was not a problem to leave the truck, trailer, and boat sitting there for 15-minutes. At another time and place, that might be not so well received by other boaters.
A single-axle trailer with load ratings with some headroom for your boat, engine, and gear will probably need 15-inch tires. Larger tires generally raise the trailer higher off the road, and can result in having to back down the ramp farther to get the boat to slide off or on the trailer.
Single-axle trailers can turn--especially when backing up--much easier that tandem axle trailers. The longer the distance from the hitch ball to the axles, the more slowly the trailer will turn when backing. That can be an advantage in some instances, as backing up a very short trailer can be a frustrating experience.