QLW wrote:

Unless you need to often trailer long distance , brakes are just not worth
the effort...(if you launch in salt water!)

Malarkey. Any time the trailer exceeds a certain weight, trailer brakes are
*very* much worth having. In fact they are legally required in some cases.

I've lived within spitting
distance of salt water for most of my life and rust is just a given. I
have four boat trailers and none of them have brakes.

How heavy were they and what were you pulling them with?

Would I like to have
brakes? Do I need the brakes to travel really safely? Hell Yes! But
unless I'm willing to pull the wheels and drums every time after I launch in
salt water, the brakes will be junk the next time that I use the trailer.

Nonsense. I've had our trailerable cruiser for ten years now, used it between 3
and ten times a year in salt water, and only done brake maintenance once a year.

Either you've had really bad luck or else you're doing something wrong. None of
the trailering members of our sailing club have the kind of problems you
describe.

Regards
Doug King