Steven J Henkind, AAS, MD, PhD

Small Boat Expert: Kayak, Canoe, Sail, Power

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Steven Henkind, A.A.S., M.D., Ph.D., holds a 200 ton United States Coast Guard Masters License, and numerous other maritime credentials, degrees, and certifications in power vessels, sailing vessels, and paddlecraft. In addition to two doctoral degrees, his education includes completion of a Coast Guard approved, 2 year program in maritime technology and small vessel operations (A.A.S. degree granted With Honors). He has split his career between maritime activities (including service with the U.S. Coast Guard, teaching, and yacht deliveries) and work as a healthcare business and technology consultant. Although he has significant experience on vessels up to 295 feet, he has particular expertise is in “small boats.” He has published approximately 30 articles on marine safety, seamanship, navigation, clinical medicine, and technology in a variety of maritime, healthcare, and technology journals. For the past 12 years he has focused on teaching small boat operations including powerboats and especially paddlecraft (including kayaks, canoes, and SUPs). He is currently the highest ranked ACA (American Canoe Association) Instructor/Trainer on the entire Gulf Coast, and is an Instructor Trainer in both kayak and canoe. In this capacity he has trained and certified hundreds of other instructors, professional kayakers (e.g., tour guides), other paddlers, and the general public, has been awarded ACA Instructor of the month, and was the recipient of the annual ACA President’s Award. He has been a member of the US Coast Guard/Auxiliary for over 20 years. 13 of those years included deployments on USCGC Eagle (the Coast Guard’s primary training ship) where he was a Navigator of the Watch/QMOH (Quartermaster of the Watch) and taught navigation. His work on the ship led to multiple awards including the Auxiliary Medal of Operational Merit and the Order of the Square Rigger. For several years he also deployed with the reserve crew out of Stations Eaton’s Neck conducting a wide variety of marine safety patrols as well as search and rescue activities. Additional qualifications included Auxiliary Coxswain, Crew for the UTB41 and RBS 25 platforms, Vessel Examiner, and Instructor. He has been a professional sailing instructor for 40 years and taught at several different sailing schools. Qualifications include ASA (American Sailing Association) Instructor certification up through, and including, Advanced Coastal Cruising and Celestial Navigation. He also is certified by RYA/MCA as a Yachtmaster Ocean (200 tons), Sailing Vessel with Auxiliary Engine, and by US Powerboating (US Sailing) as a Powerboat Instructor. Over the course of his career, he has been periodically invited to be an Expert Witness. His litigation support activities have included preparation of expert reports, providing domain expertise as input for a variety of legal documents including interrogatories and responses, depositions, preparation of demonstratives, testimony at bench and jury trials, assisting counsel with the formulation of strategy for the case and understanding the nuances of issues, support for discovery including identification of witnesses to interview and documents to acquire, and providing advice on the cross examination of opposing counsel’s witnesses. He has worked for some of the top U.S. and international firms including, for example, King and Spalding, Perkins Coie, and Norton Rose Fulbright, as well as for solo practitioners. Outstanding references can be provided upon request.