What sort of Spotting Scope would you suggest for watching ships at sea?

My father in law has a beach condo and is looking for a spotting scope that would allow him to view ships traveling out along the water. He lives on the 9th floor right on the beach so his view is largely unobstructed, but I have no idea what sort of specs I should be looking at when considering a scope for him. My main concern is not having enough magnification or a small field of view that limits what he can see, but I'm not sure how the specs of the scopes relate to such things. I'm looking for some insight regarding what the specs actually relate to as well as any suggestions on brands or models that are highly regarded. Also since this is his first scope we're looking for something simple and economical before dropping a whole ton of money on something he hasn't used yet. Looking to stay under $300 if possible (perhaps that's a pipedream given when I'm asking?). On another note, his wife does have a nice Nikon DSLR, so I wonder if there are any spotting scopes that allow for camera attachments or if I might just be better off buying a really nice high zoom camera lens and tripod instead. I'm a bit hesitant to do that though, since I want the gift to be for him and not her. If there are suggestions for binoculars as well, I'd gladly take those.

I would get a very large set of binoculars. I'm not talking about the ones you hold with your hand, the ones I'm talking about are so big you will need a tripod for them. At least a 3 inch objective lens will do. The reason I say binoculars is because binoculars can see depth much better than a single lens telescope can plus your eye relief will be much better so you will be able to look through them for a much longer period of time. However, binoculars do not look as cool out on a sea side deck than a good spotting scope. If that is a must then there's no better spotting scope than a Swavovski. A spotting scope made by that company can resolve a bar code clear across the other side of a very large store. I know because I saw it with my own eyes.

Edit update: I would use a telephoto lens for your camera as spotting scopes must have a strong enough tripod as to support and counterbalance the weight of your camera. My opinion.