⌚ Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar Watch — The Constant Companion

This is the device I’ll use the most—and think about the least.

It’s always there. For BBK26, its primary role is to record my daily track, which uploads to Garmin Connect and Strava as soon as I save it. This allows those following the journey to see what I’ve achieved each day, while also building a complete expedition track history.

It also provides key metrics—heart rate, calories burned, HRV, and sleep patterns—all vital in managing fatigue and informing decision-making.

Navigationally, it’s a useful backup if needed (e.g. if I lose my GPS). At a glance it can give me:

Speed
Bearing
Distance to next waypoint
Whether I’m drifting off line

Battery life is impressive (several days), and extended further by solar charging—important on a long expedition.

📡 Garmin GPSMAP 86i — The Backbone

If I had to strip everything back to one device, this would be it.

Navigation. Tracking. Communication.

Satellite messaging (inReach)
Three preset messages (I’m starting; I’m finishing; I’m delayed but OK) sent to predefined contacts
Capacity for ten additional editable messages within subscription limits
Live tracking with a dedicated webpage link
Global SOS capability
Floats and includes a mini-strobe
Real-world battery: ~2–3 long days per charge

The 86i pairs with my phone to make messaging easier. Crucially, it operates off-grid—no mobile signal required—allowing communication with family and access to weather forecasts wherever I am.

This is the device I’ll rely on when it matters—long crossings, poor visibility, committing decisions.

…But it’s not cheap to buy or to subscribe to!

📻 Icom IC-M25 EVO — The Human Connection

Satellite comms are brilliant—but they’re not immediate.

VHF is.

This is how you:

Call harbour control
Speak to nearby vessels
Raise a distress call that gets heard now

Local, instant, human communication.

In reality, my VHF will stay switched off most of the time to conserve battery, coming on when needed.

🚨 Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1 — The Red Button

No menus. No signal issues. No subscriptions.

Flip the antenna. Press the button.

It sends a distress signal via the global Cospas-Sarsat system.

No nuance. No conversation.
Just: I need help. Now. You can find me here.

Single-use activation, with a seven-year battery lifespan.

It lives clipped to the outside of my buoyancy aid shoulder strap—always accessible.

🚀 Rocket-Man (just in case!)

In case it gets really serious, I’m also carrying:

1 × rocket parachute flare
1 × orange smoke flare

Both are stored in my buoyancy aid pocket.

📱 iPhone 15 Pro Max — The Thinking Tool

The phone is powerful—and waterproof to 6m. It lives in my buoyancy aid front pocket on a lanyard.

Aside from its obvious communication role, it provides a third layer of redundancy for satellite rescue.

Its day job is:

Plan routes (Savvy Navvy)
Sync and manage data (Garmin Explore)
Check weather and tides
Capture photos and short clips
Edit photos and video for social media
Phone my wife

The Camera Factor

This is also my primary storytelling tool.

48 MP main camera
Ultra-wide + telephoto
Strong low-light performance

It captures:

Quiet camp moments
Big coastal landscapes
The small details that tell the real story

🎥 GoPro HERO13 Black — The Reality Camera

If the iPhone captures the story, the GoPro captures the experience.

I run it in three ways:

Front deck (track-mounted with 1-inch ball mount)
Rear deck (carbon camera mount, facing forward past the cockpit)
Handheld

The rear deck angle is particularly effective—showing movement, rhythm, and water flow under the boat.

I can start recording instantly with a single button press, or control it via a remote mounted on my paddle shaft.

This is where the GoPro excels:

Surf launches and landings
Rough crossings
Wet, chaotic moments

🗺️ There’s Paper, Too!!!

It’s not all electronic.

I’m backing everything up with a modified road atlas—yes, really.

Inland pages removed
Coastal sections retained
Scale: ~45 mm to 10 km

Each page can cover a day or two of paddling.

I annotate it with:

Military live firing ranges
Lighthouses
Shipping lane crossings
Tidal races
Potential contacts and hosts

It provides a simple, reliable big-picture overview—and somewhere to think and plan without a screen.

🧭 Passage Planning Chart

Each day starts with a written passage plan.

Even when tired, it forces me to:

Consider conditions
Structure decisions
Commit to a clear plan

On the reverse is a quick aide-memoire for wind speeds and sea states.

Backing everything up:

Suunto deck-mounted steering compass
“Sawn-off” Silva 4 compass in my buoyancy aid

Simple. Reliable. Always on.

🧠 The System (Not the Gadgets)

This isn’t about owning lots of kit.

It’s about covering different failure points:

Wrist navigation → Fenix
Primary nav + global comms → GPSMAP
Local comms → VHF
Emergency beacon → PLB (plus iPhone backup)
Planning + storytelling → iPhone
Action capture → GoPro
Written passage plan + compasses
Annotated road atlas

Each piece overlaps slightly. None are identical.

That’s deliberate.

Because out there, the goal isn’t efficiency.
It’s resilience.

Final Thought

By the time I set off, I don’t need a perfect system.

I need a system that works well enough—
and keeps working when I’m tired, cold, and a long way from an easy exit.

That’s the standard everything here has to meet.