The Complete Guide to Trailering Your Boat

Trailering your boat does not have to be an exercise in stress and frustration. Let trailer-boating expert Bruce Smith show you how to hitch, drive and back your trailer easily and safely and how to launch and retrieve any boat-power or sail-with ease and confidence. No more white-knuckled driving; no more launch-ramp trial and error; no more nagging doubts about whether your vehicle and hitch are up to the job-just good advice to get you towing like a pro. The Complete Guide to Trailering Your Boat will help you master all aspects of this important skill, including: Detailed procedures for launching and retrieving in all conditions; Selecting the right tow vehicle, hitch, and trailer for any boat; Equipping, hitching, maintaining, and storing your trailer; City and highway driving and launch-ramp maneuvers; State and provincial trailering regulations. A trailer boater for more than three decades, Bruce W. Smith is a leading automotive and boating journalist and photographer with credits in National Geographic, Trailer Boats, Bass & Walleye Boats, and Go Boating. Book jacket.

Bruce W. Smith is a leading automotive and boating journalist and photographer, with credits in National Geographic,Trailer Boats, AMI Autoworld, Bass & Walleye Boats, and Go Boating.

Introduction	p. 1
The Challenges of Towing	p. 1
Develop a Base of Knowledge	p. 2
License and Insurance	p. 5
Choosing Your Vehicle	p. 7
Why Cars Can't Tow	p. 7
Vehicle Tow Ratings	p. 11
Picking a Tow Vehicle	p. 22
Must-Have Options	p. 34
Test-Drives	p. 39
Trailer Hitches	p. 42
Hitch Ratings	p. 42
Weight-Distributing Hitches and Sway-Control Devices	p. 46
Other Hitch Hardware	p. 49
Choosing and Equipping Your Trailer	p. 53
Trailer Ratings	p. 53
Trailer Types	p. 56
Fitting a Trailer to a Boat	p. 58
Axle Configurations	p. 61
Suspensions	p. 63
Brakes	p. 65
Trailer Options	p. 72
The Art of Towing	p. 83
Pre-Towing Routine	p. 83
Securing the Boat to the Trailer	p. 91
Driving the Rig	p. 93
Backing	p. 94
The Tight-S Turn	p. 98
On the Road	p. 99
Towing Etiquette	p. 103
Launching and Retrieving Your Boat	p. 105
The Launch Ramp	p. 105
Preparing to Launch	p. 108
The Launch	p. 114
Retrieving the Boat	p. 121
Launching and Retrieving in Wind or Current	p. 126
Launch Ramp Etiquette	p. 127
When You Get Home	p. 128
Trailering Sailboats	p. 129
Sailboat Trailers	p. 129
Launching and Retrieving	p. 135
Rigging Issues	p. 137
Maintenance	p. 141
The Tow Vehicle	p. 141
Tires	p. 146
Check Your Hitch	p. 148
The Trailer	p. 149
Other Items to Check	p. 152
Suppliers	p. 155
Resources for Trailering Laws in the United States and Canada	p. 158
Index	p. 163
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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The Complete Guide to Trailering Your Boat How to Select, Use, Maintain, and Improve Boat Trailers

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials