Towmasters: the Master of Towing Vessels Assoc. Forum

Greenhorn deckhands, some veteran deckhands, and even a few of the more senior mariners are often terribly unprepared to function effectively in all weather conditions. Given the job description, this is kind of hard to understand. To help cure the ignorance that is the root cause of this phenomenon we have provided a list of manufacturers and vendors of high-quality foul weather gear, work clothing, and other assorted equipment that will enable you to do your jobs better, more comfortably, and with a higher degree of safety. You’re all very welcome…..

MTVA Tip: we include the manufacturer’s web sites because they tend to have the best and most up-to-date information and photos, all of the current models available, are easy to use, and usually include links to their distributors and stores that sell their products. This is very helpful for researching exactly what it is you need and want to buy. For getting the best price we have included a bunch of retailer’s and distributor’s websites, many of whom specialize in marine/nautical gear that you won’t find elsewhere. Some of them are user-friendly, some not. Any given one may or may not carry the particular model you’re looking for. But you will, in most cases, do much better price-wise when buying from the retailers. Doing some research usually pays off and, even for marine gear, Amazon.com is often a good place to start. If you find a particularly good retailer/distributor that we don’t have listed please let us know so we can link to them and let everyone else benefit. Same goes for a new or unknown product. Thanks…..

Foul Wx Gear, Boots & Gloves

Work Clothing & Boots

• Aramark
• Arborwear
• Carhartt Work Wear
• Danner Boots – Portland, OR (Much, but not all, of their line-up is made in the U.S.A.)
• Dickies Work Wear
• Duluth Trading Co.
• Mechanix Wear – gloves & steel-toed shoes.
• RIGGS Workwear
• Red Wing Boots & Shoes – Red Wing, MN (Some, but not all, of their line-up is made in the U.S.A.)
• Timberland Clothing & Boots

Safety & Survival Equipment

• ***Greatland Laser*** - the pocket-sized rescue laser flare. A great innovation!
• ***The Personal Retriever by Life Safer*** – Every boat should have at least one!
• ***Jason’s Cradle MOB System*** – the best available standardized man-overboard recovery system that we know of, period.
• ACR Electronics – EPIRB’s, SART’s, survival radios, strobe lights, life jacket lights, etc.
• Crewsaver Industrial Commercial Products – SOLAS-approved lifejackets & survival suits made in the U.K.
• Equipped to Survive – an excellent source of safety / survival information and product reviews.
• Lifesaving Systems Corp. – Apollo Beach, FL
• Mustang Survival
• PainsWessex Marine Distress Signals – SOLAS-approved flares, smokes, linethrowers, etc.
• Pelican Products – great flashlights & waterproof cases.
• PFA-95 Marine AFFF Portable Foam Applicator / Self-Educting Vari-Nozzle
• Stearns Safety & Survival
• Viking Life-Saving & Survival Equipment
• Yaktrax – ***why risk busting your ass on a snowy or icy deck, or worse, going over the side? Cheap insurance for a common source of injuries and fatalities.***

Sunglasses

• Kaenon – the new gold standard for marine use! The Rhino is highly recommended and ***MTVA-approved***.

Flashlights

• ASP – Appleton, WI
• Gerber Gear – Portland, OR
• Leatherman – Portland, OR
• Maglite – Ontario, CA
• Pelican Products – Torrance, CA
• Streamlight – Eaglesville, PA
• Surefire – Fountain Valley, CA

Knives & Multi-tools

• Boye Boat Knives – Dolan Springs, AZ. Made of dendritic cobalt-alloy, these blades will not rust and are specifically designed for use by mariners.
• Dexter-Russell Knives – Southbridge, MA. Try either the Sani-Safe or the Sofgrip lines. You could saw through an elephant’s leg with the ***MTVA-approved*** 8″ Tiger-Edge Slicer (also available with a black handle). For deck or shipline emergency-cutaway duty there is nothing that can compete with it. Unless you enjoy bleeding you’ll need this scabbard for it, too. For smaller or less demanding tasks the 3.5″ Great White-Edge utility/net knife with sheath is a great choice.
• Frosts of Sweden – try the Model #760, Model #860, or the partially-serrated Craftline Rope model. These are inexpensive but decent quality stainless deck knives that you won’t cry over if you lose or damage.
• Gerber Gear - Portland, OR
• Leatherman – Portland, OR
• Spyderco Knives - Golden, CO. The new H-1 rust-free steel line is ***MTVA-approved*** and, overall, arguably the very best knives a seaman can own.

Navigation Equipment & Software, Compasses, Weather Instruments, Nautical Charts, Publications, Books, Chart & Publication Corrections, Historic Charts, Nautical Gifts, Etc.

• Accunav Solutions – Light Lists & Coast Pilots, electronically corrected.
• Bellingham Chart Printers – Shaw Island, WA ***Discounted hi-def grayscale nautical charts***
• Bluewater Books & Charts – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Captain’s Nautical Supplies - Seattle, WA
• Celestaire – Wichita, KA
• Eldridge Tide & Pilot Book ***The Northeast’s Tide & Current Bible. Even in this digital era, if you don’t have one you’re just lame.***
• Landfall Navigation – Stamford, CT
• Mac ENC – navigation and chart-viewing software (raster & vector) for Mac computers.
  
• Marek Sarba Fine Art Prints – Clinton, CT
• Maryland Nautical Sales – Baltimore, MD
• Nautical Charts Online
• Navimatics - Navimatics offers quality navigation products for your iPad/iPhone or Garmin^* device. Our product line encompasses electronic aeronautical & marine charts and celestial navigation.
• New York Nautical - N.Y.C.
• Ocean Charting Services – Trappe, MD ***The best chart & publication correction system available***
• OceanGrafix Print-On-Demand NOAA Nautical Charts - St. Paul, MN
• Pilothouse Nautical Books & Charts – Philadelphia, PA
• Rose Point Navigation Systems – Redmond, WA ***MTVA-approved navigation software***
• StarPilot – State of the Art Celestial Navigation & Piloting Computations – Maryville, TN
• Sailor Jerry – Philadelphia, Pa.
• Sea Heritage Historic Nautical Charts
• The Nautical Mind – Toronto, OT
• Waypoint – Oakland CA
  
• R.E. White Instruments – Medfield, MA

iPhone & iPad Apps

• AyeTides ($9.99) by Hahn Software ***a must-have for all professional mariners***
• Bombora: Surf, Sail & Ocean Forecasting ($6.99) by the Gonzo Consortium
• Celestial ($24.99) by Navimatics Corp.
• Charts & Tides ($24.99) by Navimatics Corp.
• GoSkyWatch Planetarium ($3.99) by GoSoftWorks
• HazMat ($3.99) by Karl Kraft
• Hurricane ($3.99) by Kitty Code
• iEphemeris Pro ($1.99) by Marco Piccone
• iNA Digital Nautical Almanac ($14.99) by Luis Soltero
• iNavX ($49.99) by GPS NavX
• Kayak Travel Search Engine (free) ***search & book all of your crew change travel arrangements***
• Knot Time ($2.99) by 7Zillion
• LNG Conversion Calculator (Free) by Det Norske Veritas AS
• LocalEats ($0.99) by WhereTheLocalsEat.com
• MaritimeCalculator (Free) by Marimatech
• Maritime Glossary ($4.99) by Coracle Online
• MoonPhase ($0.99) by Roman Duck
• My-Cast Weather ($3.99) by Garmin
• Navigation Rules ($2.99) by Double Dog Studios
• Ocean & Maritime Glossary ($0.99) by Deep Powder Software
• Ports Information ($2.99) by Coracle Online
• RadarScope ($9.99) by Base Velocity
• Ship Captain’s Medical Guide ($4.99) by Double Dog Studios
• StarPilot – State of the Art Navigation Computation ($49.99) by Luis Soltero
• Sunrise Sunset Pro ($1.99) by Kekoa Vincent
• TAXI ($1.99) by Edward Tsang ***find a taxi fast, wherever you are***
• Title 33 Code of Federal Regulations – Navigation & Navigable Waters ($29.99) by Tekk Innovations LLC
• Title 46 Code of Federal Regulations – Shipping ($29.99) by Tekk Innovations LLC
• Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement Calculator (Free) by ANCO Martime Activities LTD
• U.S. Navy Salvor’s Handbook ($) by JMS Naval Architects & Salvage Engineers
• Weather Alert USA ($2.99) by Softpeas LLC ***the best all-around, does-it-all weather app for the professional mariner, bar none***

Various Retail Suppliers & Vendors

• Alaska Ship Supply – Dutch Harbor, AK
• Bailey’s Woodsman Supply – Laytonville, CA ***good source for workwear***
• Blue Ocean Tackle – Hesperia, CA
• Cabela’s – Sidney, NB ***good source for workwear***
• Consumers Marine Electronics – Wall, NJ
• Duluth Trading Co. – Belleville, WI ***workwear of exceptional quality***
• Gempler’s – Madison, WI ***good source for workwear***
• Go2Marine.com – Seattle, WA Click here for gloves and raingear, and here for boots.
• Fishermans Headquarters – Ship Bottom, NJ
• Hamilton Marine – Portland & Searsport, ME ***good source for foul wx gear, boots, gloves***
• Hi-Liner Fishing Gear & Tackle – Lighthouse Point, FL and Halifax, NS
• Kodiak Marine Supply – Kodiak, AK
• The Knife Center of the InterNet ***huge selection, excellent prices***
• Landfall Navigation – Stamford, CT
• LFS Inc. – Bellingham, WA ***Atlas Gloves, XTRATUF Boots, 66˚ North Foul Weather Gear, and more***
• Lifesaving Systems Corp. – Apollo Beach, FL ***safety & survival equipment distributor***
• Midwest Workwear
• National Workwear
• Optics Planet – Northbrook, IL (for flashlights, binoculars, sunglasses, etc.)
• Pacific Ocean Producers Fishing & Marine – Honolulu, HI
• Sea Gear Marine Supply – Cape May, NJ ***good source for foul wx gear, boots & gloves***
• Seattle Marine & Fishing Supply Co. – Seattle, WA ***good source for foul wx gear, boots & gloves***
• Smoky Mountain Knife Works – Sevierville, TN ***huge selection, excellent prices***
• SNL Corp. – Sebastian, FL
• Steel-Toe-Shoes.com – the name says it all.
• West Marine – stores nationwide.
• Zappos.com ***good source for a wide variety of footwear + free shipping both ways and great customer service***