Vesper Marine

About Vesper Marine

Vesper Marine was founded in 2007 in Auckland, New Zealand, by Deirdre Schleigh and Jeff Robbins — two experienced sailors who spent years aboard their vessel Vesper and recognized a gap in the market for truly intelligent, sailor-first marine safety electronics. Vesper Marine set out with a singular mission: to build AIS and communication products that didn't just meet existing standards, but exceeded them in every measurable way.

A New Standard in AIS Technology

At the core of the Vesper Marine lineup is the company's patented smartAIS concept. Unlike conventional AIS transponders that passively send and receive vessel identification data, Vesper's smartAIS systems feature active alarm logic that proactively alerts mariners to potential collision situations, draging anchors, and man-overboard events. The system continuously monitors your surroundings and prioritizes the most critical alarms — so you're never left sorting through noise when seconds matter.

Vesper's smartAIS transponders also integrate GPS positioning, NMEA 2000 gateway support, and built-in Wi-Fi, allowing real-time data to stream wirelessly to phones, tablets, and computers anywhere aboard the vessel. Products such as the WatchMate XB-8000 and WatchMate Vision brought these capabilities to both bluewater cruisers and coastal day sailors, earning Vesper multiple industry innovation awards along the way.

The Cortex System: Reimagining Marine Communication

Vesper Marine's most ambitious product to date is the Cortex — a fully integrated marine communication platform that combines a state-of-the-art VHF radio, a Class B SOTDMA smartAIS transponder, and comprehensive remote vessel monitoring in a single system. The Cortex V1 pairs a full-featured hub (the M1) with ergonomic touchscreen handsets that remain operable even with wet hands or gloves, making it as practical in a squall as it is at the dock. The no-loss antenna splitter built into the system means a single masthead antenna can serve both VHF and AIS functions without any signal compromise.

Beyond voice communication, Cortex enables owners to monitor their vessel remotely — tracking battery levels, bilge pump activity, and other critical parameters from anywhere with a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. For liveaboards, offshore racers, and fleet operators alike, this level of situational awareness represents a genuine leap forward in onboard safety.

Built in New Zealand, Trusted Worldwide

Every Vesper Marine product is designed and manufactured at the company's ISO 9001–accredited facility in Auckland. Rather than sourcing off-the-shelf modules, Vesper's engineering team builds products from the ground up, a philosophy that has consistently resulted in hardware that outperforms the AIS specification minimums. The extraordinary receiver sensitivity of Vesper AIS devices has become a recognized benchmark across the industry.

In 2022, Vesper Marine was acquired by Garmin, joining a global marine electronics portfolio that includes Navionics and Fusion. The Vesper brand and its Auckland-based team continue to develop and support the smartAIS and Cortex product lines, carrying forward the same commitment to innovation and hands-on technical support that earned Vesper its loyal following among sailors around the world.