Boat Trailers and Tow Vehicles: A User's Guide

A resident of Darien, Connecticut, Steve Henkel obtained a mechanical engineering degree from Princeton University in 1955, and added a master's degree in business administration from Rutgers University in 1963. He has been insatiably fascinated by boats of all kinds for over 30 years, and has personally owned more than 30 different types, both power and sail, from Whalers and Aquasports to J/24s and Tartan 27s. Henkel has been towing trailers ever since he bought a bolt-together knockdown kit in 1961, and he has made most of the mistakes and suffered most of the embarrassments mortal trailer boaters can be heir to. He has built a boat from scratch, assembled a 23-foot cruiser from a kit, had a sailboat built to his exacting specifications, and with his family, has successfully refurbished several decaying hulks for fun and profit. With his wife, Carol, he currently takes to the water with a fleet of nine boats, including a 22-foot Aquasport with a 140 hp outboard, a 17-foot cruising catboat, a variety of sailing and rowing dinghies ranging from 7 to 16 feet long, and a couple of Windsurfers. Three boat trailers and a large station wagon equipped for heavy towing help move the fleet between launch ramps. While working in finance, business planning, marketing, and engineering, Henkel began a sideline writing career in the early 1970s with the publication of his first book, a best-selling guide to the care and repair of bicycles. In 1985 he helped start SAILOR magazine, and has been writing virtually full-time ever since. He is currently a contributor to several boating magazines, including SAIL, Boat Journal, and MotorBoat. He is the author of Boating for Less: How to Save Money When Buying, Owning, or Selling Your Power or Sail Boat, published by International Marine in 1988.