Captain’s Gear

Standard Horizon HX400

Handheld VHF

Why I use it“My favorite handheld. The first one lasted twelve years or more; I’m on my second.”

How long I’ve used it12+ years on the first unit; currently on the second

Radio VHF portátil

SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive (256GB)

USB-C / USB-A flash drive

Why I use it“Keeps important boat documentation accessible from a laptop or by plugging into a phone — insurance, documentation and registration numbers, float plan, emergency contacts, crew profiles and contracts, guest profiles — so in an emergency there is more than one way to get the papers.”

Memoria USB para documentos

Garmin inReach Mini 3 Plus

Satellite communicator

Why I use it“The easy “AIS that beats AIS.” With the subscription (about $25 a month) you can be tracked anywhere in the world — speed and the rest — even when normal AIS or MarineTraffic won’t show the boat. I kept it on a suction cup on a bridge window, always charged and plugged in. I can send the tracking link to anyone who needs it, and do two-way messaging when Starlink or other satcom isn’t up.”

How long I’ve used itAbout 4 years with inReach on the bridge

Comunicador satelital

Garmin GPSMAP 8416

16″ chartplotter

Why I use it“I love Garmin. If you have the space to put this on your console, you should. It’s the most user-friendly device I’ve ever used, and it’s worked great on 99% of the yachts I’ve run. I’ve also run Simrad and Furuno, but this is still my preference.”

How long I’ve used it18+ years on Garmin plotters

Plotter cartográfico

Icom IC-M85

Handheld VHF / land mobile

Why I use it“A great radio you can kit and key onto private channels as a crew radio. Unlock it and you can move into VHF mode too — a no-hassle way for the crew to talk among themselves, especially in maneuvering situations.”

How long I’ve used it10+ years

Radio portátil para la tripulación

Weems & Plath Primary Navigation Set

Plotting and navigation tools

Why I use it“Still have the original set I bought long ago at the start of my career. Used them through all my captain’s coursework and every five-year renewal — still working fine.”

How long I’ve used itFrom early career through present

Juego de navegación

Canon 15x50 IS All Weather Binoculars

Image-stabilized binoculars

Why I use it“The binoculars I like to use on the bridge.”

Binoculares estabilizados

Energizer Vision HD+ LED Headlamp

Red and white light headlamp

Why I use it“Cheap, easy, and great for nighttime navigation and filling out logbooks. Red light for night vision; switch to white when you need to work on something without blowing your night vision.”

How long I’ve used itAlways

Linterna frontal