Boaters can be difficult to shop for. Most have various limitations. For example, their boats may not be able to use certain doohickies or have enough space to store them. However, if they need something, they often buy it, meaning their boats are typically well stocked with the essentials.
What follows is a list of useful and thoughtful gift ideas for boaters and sailors. These things are good to have on a boat that any boater would appreciate. Many of these products are things we use on our boat every day and think are good enough to recommend to others.
25 Any Day or Holiday Gifts for Boaters
Let’s avoid the chintzy and cliche shirts and the nasty implications of anything that says, “I’m sorry about what I said when docking the boat.” Instead, let’s find some good gifts that are valuable to your boating friends and family and will encourage them to invite you out for some fun on the water.
Hanging Lanterns and Lights for Nighttime Fun
Most boats lack exterior lights, whether for visibility so others can see you while you’re at anchor or for fun in the cockpit or on the top deck after dark.
Over the years, we’ve tried many different solar yard lights to help with the visibility problem. Yes, we always light our “legal” 360-degree white anchor light. But on our boat, it’s 52 feet off the water. Chances are, folks on skiffs and small boats won’t notice it until it’s too late. From a distance, it blends in with city lights a little too easily.
Plastic Hanging Flame Solar Lanterns with Auto On-off
In the past year, we’ve noticed boaters using solar tiki torches with a simulated flickering flame. The flame is yellow (some are blue), and the flicker makes it distinctive against other lights. It certainly doesn’t replace your anchor light, but it’s a fun way to add a little light to the boat. Plus, they come on and off automatically after dark, which is perfect.
Mpowerd Luci Warm Glow Hanging Solar Lantern
This lantern is super handy to have in the cockpit to add a little extra light for meals or projects. It can also be hung on the foredeck as an extra deck light or anchor light in a pinch. It’s only problem is that it doesn’t have an auto on-off function. We like the frosted, warm white option, but it’s available in clear and multicolored as well.
Mpowerd Luci String Lights
These are much brighter and fancier than the string lights above. They are solar-powered or can be recharged by USB. The wire is fabric, and it winds around the base for easy storage. If you’re putting them up and down often or using them in different places, these are the best. Again, we like the plain white, but a multicolor version is available, too.
USB-Powered Multi-colored, Waterproof Sting Lights
We also like string lights around the cockpit, especially when we have company over or are eating outside. USB lights are easy to use, but many are low-quality and die quickly on a boat. This set has worked well over a year, which is pretty good.
High-Quality Boat Knives and Tools
I always need tools and pocket knives on the boat that won’t rust or fall apart after a few months. However, these are harder to find than you might imagine.
Victorinox Skipper Multitool
I’ve had and used this Swiss Army Knife Skipper for almost ten years now, and it’s still going strong. It’s the knife I pick up for keeping with me on deck, and it’s the one I pack if I’m leaving the boat by dinghy. It’s larger than the standard Swiss Army knife, but the longer serrated blade cuts through rope like butter. The pliers are servicable for everyday things, but not as good as a real plier-style multitool.
Gerber Suspension NXT Pliers Multitool
I’ve had bad luck with plier-style multitools on the boat. I’ve been through countless Leathermen. This Gerber has lasted much longer than most — four years and counting, but it’s reached the end. I’m a big fan of the spring-loaded pliers, and I reach for this tool when I’m doing a project.
Fillet Knife
I don’t do much fishing, but I still have this nice fillet knife onboard for the rare occasion I wind up with some fresh fish.
Upgraded Boat Safety Gear
Safety gear might not be the sexiest gift, but some items make great gifts simply because buying the good stuff makes a difference. If your boater friends suffer from entry-level gear, step them up with one of these top-end items they’ll use for years.
Mantus Headlamp and Flashlight
It’s nearly impossible to find a flashlight that lasts and works as well as the Mantus headlamp; it’s well worth the price tag. Even though it’s a headlamp, I seldom use it as such. I just hold it like a flashlight.
It holds a charge for a long time, and it always turns on when I ask it to. Bonus points given for the red light option, very handy on night passages.
Steiner 7×50 Marine Binoculars
Good ‘nocers are essential on a boat. We’ve had these Steiners for four years and they’ve been flawless. They have lasted far longer than any West Marine brand pair we’d had previously. They’re auto-focus, so they’re also easy to use with no fiddling.
Standard Horizon HX890 6-watt VHF handheld radio
Boaters can’t have too many handheld radios. We just added this Standard Horizon to our collection and it works great. It has a lot of upgrades, including DSC emergency calling, man overboard features, and works as a handheld GPS.
Electronic Flare ACR ResQFlare E-Flare
We have so many expired flares onboard that it’s not even funny. There’s no place to legally dispose of them, yet traditional flares expire every few years and must be replaced. These e-flares only need new batteries every year to be legal for nighttime use, and the included distress flag counts as your daytime signal. Here’s to never buying a chemical flare again!
High-quality Coolers, Totes, and Backpacks
We’re always looking for new and better bag solutions. If you carry your laptop for work or a nice camera on adventures, you really need a high-quality waterproof bag for your dinghy. If it’s a backpack style that can be worn to town, that’s even better. Simple totes are great for impromptu shopping or walking around farmers’ markets, and a big, hefty, insulated tote is a huge help on longer provisioning runs.
Peak Design Packable Tote
This tote packs small enough that you can keep it in your pocket while you walk around town. Then, fill up at the farmers market. It gets bonus points for zipping closed and having a long enough strap to carry over your shoulder.
Hydroflask 35-liter Insulated Tote Bag
We’re dying to try a tote like this for provisioning trips. At the moment, we’re using a backpack and cheap Aldi shopping totes. The insulated design means it will keep your cold good cold longer, but also means the bag is sturdier and will last longer.
20-liter Waterproof Backpack
Waterproof backpack for the dinghy. This isn’t the one we use, but it’s close.
Home Goods for the Floating Home
Liveaboard boaters and full-time cruisers use their boats as their homes, too. But buying home goods is tricky since the same things that work in a land house might not work so well on a floating one. Here are some ideas of things that we find infinitely useful in unexpected ways.
Lunitec Aquabot Water Bottle Sprayer
Here’s an item that I never thought would be as useful as it is: a simple spray bottle. The Lunitec bottle uses an air pump to pressurize regular water, and then you can set it to mist or jet. We mist ourselves on hot days and wash the dog’s paws with it. We wash our plastic cockpit enclosure with it (and a microfiber towel). We even rinse dishes with it to save water, and it’s useful for washing your hands when hiking or camping. Those are just the off-label boat uses; you could just use it like a water bottle like they tell you to.
Oversized Turkish Towels
These soft minimalist towels are one of our favorite upgrades for boat life. They’re soft and absorbant, but they take up less cabinet space than terry cloth towels and dry faster. They also double as beach blankets and are even occasionally hung as sunshades. We use them as bath and beach towels.
For the Bookshelf: Nigel Calder’s Boatowners Electrical and Mechanical Manual
Know someone who just bought a boat? This book will become one of their most valuable possessions as they navigate their new world of fixing stuff in exotic locations.
Galleyware Boaters Will Use Every Day
Boat cooking is just like cooking at home, except you have very little space and must minimize what TV chef Alton Brown would call “uni-taskers.” The best items for boat kitchens allow you to maximize space and versatility. Here are three items we use every single day on our boat.
Caraway Cookware
For years I was a devout cast iron/carbon steel chef, especially since I’d never really been happy with standard no-stick coatings. But, in a recent health push, I decided to try out this high-end ceramic no-stick cookware. I’ve been blown away, and now I want a whole set. You can cook eggs in it with no oil and they’ll come right off, like an infomercial in your kitchen. Fish too.
My favorite item on the boat is the 12-inch rondeau, a sort of high-walled chef’s pan with lid. I basically do all my one-skillet meals in it, and the no-stick is amazing. We’re no cooking with much less oil and cleanup is so much easier. I’ve also upgraded all my bakeware (carefully measuring the oven before buying!).
If the 12-inch rondeau is too big for your stove, I’d recommend the 10-inch skillet with lid. I would avoid the sets, since they take up extra space (don’t stack) and you probably won’t use all of the pieces that often.
Aeropress Coffee Maker
I have the same Aeropress that Lucy bought me before we moved on the boat back in 2014, so it’s 10 years old now. I’ve replaced the rubber plunger once, but other than that it still works great. It’s easy to clean and takes up practically no space.
Omnia Stovetop Oven
I also have the same Omnia stovetop oven that I did when we moved aboard our catamaran in 2015. It’s an aluminum pan, so it looks like it’s been through some wars, but it still works great and gets used several times a week. Using it means I don’t have to light the oven when I don’t want to heat up the boat. For small jobs, it’s faster and easier than bothering with the oven and saves propane.
If your boater friend already has an Omnia, fear not. Once hard to find even online, the Omnia store on Amazon is now loaded with excellent accessories like the silicone muffin tray, silicone dividers and liners, and MAXI-sided baking pans.
Subscriptions and Gift Cards
The great thing about subscriptions and gift cards is that they take up no space on the boat, and they’re things that every boater I know uses.
Audible Audiobook Subscription
Audiobooks are the perfect way to pass the time on a long passage. The Audible service allows you to download a variety of books to your phone, tablet, or Kindle.
Amazon or West Marine Gift Cards
Every boater we know uses Amazon. It’s super easy to get packages at your next marina without worrying about renting a car to find stuff at brick-and-mortar stores.
The exception, of course, is West Marine. Everyone eventually needs something from West Marine (or whatever your local chandlery is).
Apple or Google App Gift Card
We’re always using or phones for everything, with great boating apps your phone or tablet can help you navigate, book docks, check the weather, or just watch movies after a long day on the water. To get it right, though, you really need to know which type of device your boater friend favors.
Kindle + Kindle Unlimited Subscription
We use our Kindle Paperwhites every day to read. Yes, we could read on our tablets or phones, but we don’t. The Kindle is easy to use and has a battery that lasts two weeks or more. The ink display is easy on the eyes, and the backlight allows you to read in bed without disturbing anyone. Best of all, the gadget is waterproof!
We use our Kindle with our library’s ebook selection to get free ebooks through Overdrive. However, a subscription to Kindle Unlimited means you can get free books right off of Amazon.
Personalized Boat Gear for that Special Touch
There are dozens of small businesses, some on Etsy, that offer personalized items with your boat name, hailing port, or even vessel drawings. It takes a little more effort, but it makes a perfect gift.
- Customized Drinkware, Tumblers, or Mugs
- Personalized crew hats or shirts (or towels, or welcome mats, or …)
- Personalized artwork featuring their boat
Leave a Reply