China, Japan, Australia and France are just some of the countries in which TV presenters Captain Glenn Shepard Last year, the Under Deck Sailing star took a vacation to the island of St. Barts in the French West Indies. He now joins our Zoom meeting from a cafe near his home on the Spanish island of Mallorca. “I have been moving all my life,” he says. “Super-yachting as a captain for the last 20 years is probably the most normal and stable thing I’ve ever done.”
That says a lot, considering all the drama on the high seas on “Sailing yacht below deck“. In the fourth season of the unscripted hit Bravo (premiering April 10 at 8:00 pm EDT), Shepard, known by the alias “Captain Glenn,” promises everything from close encounter to fire and crew riot aboard the Parsifal III. “A lot of crazy things have happened and that’s why people are tuning in,” he says. But I’m still here!
As always, the audience will also see beautiful landscapes. Last summer, Shepard took his many guests around the sun-drenched Italian island of Sardinia (plus the nearby Maddalena archipelago and Tavolara island) in the Mediterranean Sea. “It’s such a beautiful place and definitely one of the Mediterranean attractions,” he says. “The landscape is incredible; you see these turquoise waters and a lot of history.”
Shepard will return to Parsifal III this summer for new adventures, but he already knows he’s going light. “I like to move fast, and too many things slow you down,” he says. However, he paused to share his nine travel essentials with CNN Underscored.
Shepard doesn’t just take a bite out of his favorite Apple products; he actually owns the whole garden. “I’m such a nerd about it,” he says, noting that he takes his iPhone, iPad Pro, MacBook Air, Apple Watch and AirPods with him on tours. To track the whereabouts of all these collectibles (and everything else), he uses his AirTags. “I keep them in all my bags,” he says.
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For these long haul overseas flights, “I definitely need a mask so I can sleep on the plane and be ready for the day ahead as soon as I land,” Shepard says. It makes this versatile mask from Tempur-Pedic perfect for any face, providing the ultimate in peace of mind while you sleep. And just to ensure a great zzz, Shepard also brings a chaperone with him. Neck pillow Tempur-Pedic.
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On land, Shepard wears “nice and comfortable” Nike sneakers or flip flops. At sea, he chooses classic Sperry pumps. Actually, this No option. “We never wear shoes that would be worn on the street,” he says, adding that any unsuitable shoes are taken out in the Parsifal aisle and stored. His favorite nautical shoe is designed to be water-repellent and have a special grip. In addition, “the soles do not spoil the deck.”
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In his doppovskiy kit? Well, let’s put it this way: “I don’t use a lot of trendy products,” he says. “I use 3 in 1 shampoo for everything except toothpaste.” His simple toiletries include a five-bladed Gillette razor, Shaving Gel Gillette (he shaves every day) and an Oral-B rechargeable toothbrush that cleans plaque in three modes. As he astutely notes, “manual control no longer works!”
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Everyone here is smiling: Shepard also packs his stainless steel collapsible tripod to help him take confident selfies with his iPhone and capture all the beauty around him. “I love photographing my changing environment,” he says.
“I love taking pictures and often share my photos on social media,” he says. (Check it out Instagram for proof!) Use the flash on this waterproof action camera, which delivers double the average frame rate for smooth motion and flawless image quality. The captain recently took a picture in Cordoba, Spain, where he captured “a beautiful church that used to be a mosque. I love history”.
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Of course, these nifty cameras are useless unless they’re properly charged. So Shepard never forgets his adapter from America to Europe and the UK, compatible with Germany, Italy, Greece, Iceland, Finland, Spain, Denmark, Israel and other countries. “I always have something to turn on,” he explains.
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Regardless of the destination or the length of the trip, Shepard abides by an important travel law: “Don’t wait for luggage.” So instead of checking in at the airport, he stuffs everything into two compact backpacks. Oakley’s all-in-one kitchen sink features adjustable mesh-lined shoulder straps, a padded side sleeve for accessing his MacBook Pro, a bottom shoe compartment, and “parachute strap-like latches.” His companion Sink in the bathroomslightly smaller and fits its own chargers and passport.
Because Shepard is a professional sun worshiper, he is very particular about his glasses. “I need to protect my eyes,” he says. These elegant glasses from Maui Jim feature polarized lenses that block UV rays and reduce glare. “This is really important when you are sailing or boating because you can see the water. And see what’s under the water.
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