Garmin Products Help Adventurer Sail the Northwest Passage
The inReach® Mini satellite communicator and epix™ Pro adventure watch were instrumental in this explorer’s journey.
Whenever Brian McVickers1 saw something amazing during his sailing expedition through the Northwest Passage — like a polar bear, for example — he reached for his inReach® Mini satellite communicator2 to tell his family.
McVickers, crew member of the Dogbark! sailboat and chief development officer of Overland International, spent about a month sailing the Northwest Passage, a sea route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the northern Canadian Artic Archipelago. The racing sailboat joined an exclusive list of fewer than 200 other private sailboats to have completed the icy journey.
Two key pieces of gear McVickers brought along? His Garmin inReach Mini SOS satellite communicator and his epix™ Pro (Gen 2) – Sapphire Edition multisport smartwatch. (We now recommend the fēnix® 8 premium adventure smartwatch and the inReach® Messenger Plus satellite communicator).
“Those are the two main Garmin products that I took on this trip that really were in constant use,” McVickers said. “I took a lot of other gear that never came out of the bag.”
Sailboat instructor to sailing expeditions
McVickers has been adventuring into remote areas of the world for a few decades. He recalled taking an early type of satellite communicator on trips, which included a duffel bag with a battery and foldout communication dish.
Now, the inReach Mini is lightweight and fits in his hand.
“The Garmin technology, I think, is really impressive and it becomes effortless to have that with you,” McVickers said.
McVickers is used to the water. He’s raced sailboats, coached racing and was a sailing instructor. Now living away from the water in Arizona, he concentrates his sailing opportunities on larger expeditions.
McVickers has sailed from Iceland to Greenland. On another voyage, he sailed across the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea to the Aleutian Islands. On land, he drove up the Mackenzie River ice road to Tuktoyaktuk in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories in Canada.
His inReach Mini was with him every time.
In 2019, McVickers decided he wanted to sail the Northwest Passage, but the trip was sidelined for a few years. Earlier this year, a friend called to let him know there was a spot for McVickers on his boat for their 2024 attempt.
McVickers flew into Nome on Alaska’s western coast and set sail for the southern tip of Baffin Island in Canada.
Crossing the icy passage
Nature’s jagged ice sculptures rose from the sea, a beautiful danger for the crew of the Dogbark! sailboat. During three-hour shifts, McVickers and his watch partners would actively sail and operate the boat, watching for sea ice and icebergs on the deep blue water.
That ice could threaten everything. Ice could damage the boat or pin them in place for days at a time.
They relied on ice data compiled by the Canadian government, a crew member sent to the top of the mast, and even a drone to look for a path through the ice, around the islands and through tight passes.
McVickers said they were cautious of the wind and currents moving the ice, as well as depth. The ice was constantly changing, he said.
Through it all, he used his epix smartwatch and inReach Mini satellite communicator.
One feature on his watch McVickers was particularly fond of? The LED flashlight. Whether he was trying to conserve battery power on the boat or forgot a headlamp while in the engine compartment, he’d double click the button on his watch and be good to go.
“It seems to be the feature that I wind up using the most, even though it didn’t stand out when I first started using the watch,” McVickers said. “It’s just so functional and useful.”
He even dove into a few of the sailing apps on the watch as some of the boat’s systems could work with the watch.
On his inReach Mini, he used the 10-minute breadcrumb feature and gave his family and friends a link so they could track his location.
“Especially in those remote areas, it gives you the sense of reassurance and security,” McVickers said. “It allowed me to feel connected to probably my family more than anything.”
With the new voice and photo messaging capabilities on inReach Messenger Plus, McVickers could have shared a photo of the polar bear with his family3.
McVickers did use his inReach Mini to check in with his wife and two teenagers, asking how their days were going, how school went or how his son’s mountain bike race went.
One thing’s for sure: McVickers won’t leave his inReach Mini at home.
“It’s invaluable, really,” McVickers said. “It’s invaluable to be able to communicate like that.”
1Brian McVickers received a fēnix 8 in exchange for participation in this blog
2Active satellite subscription required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communication devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used.
3Photo and voice messaging requires use of the Garmin Messenger™ app on your compatible smartphone
