Meet BoatTEST Captains: Video and Bios
Our six BoatTEST captains all bring a rich background in boat ownership, use and experience. They have all owned boats of different sizes, stretching from small center consoles to large motoryachts. When testing and inspecting boats, they all use BoatTEST’s protocol, which was formulated in 2000 with the creation of BoatTEST in 2000. This testing, inspection and video procedure has since often been copied — but never equaled — simply because our captains own and skipper boats in their everyday lives.
Capt. Shelley Morton holds a USCG 100-Ton License, is passionate about living the boating lifestyle and has made a career out of it. She has lived on and cruised on a 40' catamaran for three years. In addition to being a USCG-Licensed Captain, she holds a Florida Yacht Broker License and is skilled at looking at boats from all perspectives. When not testing and inspecting boats for BoatTEST, she is responsible for putting out BoatTEST’s daily newsletter and over-seeing IT aspects of the company.
Capt. Gregg Clark holds a USCG 100-Ton Master / 200-Ton Mate license with sailing and towing endorsements. He has over 3,000 documented days of sea service. He currently owns a 56’ Vicem, a 40’ racing sailboat and a 17’ Mako. Capt. Gregg has powered and sailed over 50,000 miles offshore and has raced in many of the world’s premier distance sailboat races. He is a graduate of Purdue University with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Business from the Krannert School. He has captained motoryachts up to 120’ and sailboats up to 100’ and is active in teaching teenagers and adults boat-handling skills. He splits his time between Greenwich, CT; Newport, RI and Fort Lauderdale, FL. He is also a remarkable sound engineer on many of BoatTEST’s videos.
Eric Brandon is well-known to saltwater anglers in South Florida as host for the last 17 years of the “Weekly Fisherman Show” every Saturday morning, which is a “must-hear” program for anyone going fishing offshore. A lifelong boater (starting at age 8), Eric has owned boats all his life and has gained a keen appreciation of what boat owners and boat buyers need to know. For the past 15 years, he has also worked in the boat industry as a boat broker, getting to know boats and what consumers are looking for. When working with boat buyers, his mission is to guide them to the most appropriate boats for their specific applications. He also makes most of BoatTEST’s videos on accessories.
Captain Boomies (aka Capt. Kate) holds a 200-ton USCG license and worked on superyachts for 20 years, captaining vessels up to 150’ before retiring several years ago. She now is a delivery skipper of all types of vessels. When not testing boats for BoatTEST, she often can be found taking new yachts off their cargo ships in the port of Baltimore, getting them operational, then delivering them to dealerships. Unbeknownst to dozens of boat owners in the Chesapeake Bay, Capt. Boomies was actually the first skipper of their boats. She is also active in boat instruction and making videos for her personal website, which contains some remarkable videos on basic skills every boat owner should know. She brings a different approach to boat testing that emphasizes the fun of boat ownership.
Dave recently retired after a 30-year career in the boating industry as a boat builder when he sold Eastern Boats after a successful run building fishing catamarans. He co-founded Twin Vee and was a designer for several other boat manufacturers and is still a marine industry consultant. He is a former boating magazine editor and has written hundreds of articles on boats, how-to guides, DIY and safety. For four years, he hosted Florida Sportsman’s Best Boat TV. Capt. Dave is a lifelong fresh and saltwater fisherman. He is a private pilot with multiple ratings and is an Open Water PADI-certified SCUBA diver. He currently owns a 22' bass & freshwater fishing boat.
Capt. Trip Smith holds a USCG 100-Ton license and has 22 years of experience navigating various types of boats, such as center consoles, runabouts, wake boats, and cruisers. He now owns a 22’ C-Dory. At 36 years old, he is living the dream of escaping the typical 9 to 5 job and has become a popular boat adventure video creator with over 75,000 YouTube subscribers. Capt. Trip Smith's expertise is evident in his 434 videos, where he shares his experiences spearfishing, collecting scallops, cooking fresh grouper on his boat’s grill, and planning his next adventure. Capt. Trip has an impressive background as a firefighter, outboard engine mechanic, boat rigger, fiberglass repair and restoration expert, and kayak safety teacher.
Capt. Charlotte is a seasoned mariner with over 100,000 sea miles and 15 years of offshore experience, holding an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean license and dual instructor certifications in cruising and powerboat. She has extensive experience delivering Sunseeker and Princess yachts from 39' to 115' across the UK and Mediterranean and has spent the past four years captaining an 82' Sunseeker in Palma de Mallorca, managing charters and maintenance. Certified in BoatTEST's testing protocols, Capt. Charlotte is available for testing in European waters, including the Med, with advance booking, dividing her time between homes in Poole and Palma.
Jeff Hammond - Co-Founder/CEO
Jeff is a 56-year veteran of the boating industry and co-founded BoatTEST in 1999 with Capt. Chris Kelly. He is the only test captain we have who does not hold a USCG license, but for half a century, he has learned by doing and owning. Over the years, he has been an editor or publisher of 7 major boating magazines, including Boating, Yachting, Motor Boating, The Skipper, Motorboat, and Motoryacht International. He was the founder of Power and Motoryacht. Jeff has owned a number of boats over his career ranging from a 15’ sailboat to a 92’ motoryacht. He has sailed, raced, fished and cruised all over the world, including Indonesia, the Baltic, Irish Sea, the Med, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the Caribbean, and US waters from Key West to Anchorage, Alaska, and Canadian waters from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. He has written three books on boating, including one on the America’s Cup. He currently lives in Newport, Rhode Island and is a member of the New York Yacht Club.