Best Christmas gifts for boaters: 57 ideas for the person who's got it all
[html]Bored of socks and scented candles? Up the ante this Christmas with a gift you would be thrilled to receive from our guide to the best Christmas gifts for boaters...
Buying Christmas gifts for boaters can be very tricky – after all, what can you buy someone who’s lucky enough to spend a decent chunk of their time larking about on the water? Luckily, MBY is here to help. There’s something for everyone, from affordable to big budget and super stylish, in our gift guide, […]
This article Best Christmas gifts for boaters: 57 ideas for the person who's got it all appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.
Bored of socks and scented candles? Up the ante this Christmas with a gift you would be thrilled to receive from our guide to the best Christmas gifts for boaters...
Buying Christmas gifts for boaters can be very tricky – after all, what can you buy someone who’s lucky enough to spend a decent chunk of their time larking about on the water?
Luckily, MBY is here to help. There’s something for everyone, from affordable to big budget and super stylish, in our gift guide, all guaranteed to put a big smile on your festive faces…
If you’re on a budget, check out our pick of the best Christmas gifts for boaters under $50, or the best boatie Christmas gifts under $100.
Best Christmas gift cards for boaters
Stuck for ideas? Running out of time? A gift card ensures your loved one can get exactly what they want (even if it’s not exactly the most thoughtful present!) Here’s where you can currently buy Christmas gift cards for boaters
Buy West Marine gift cards
Buy Gael Force Marine gift vouchers
Buy Bass Pro Shops gift cards
Buy Cabela’s gift cards
Buy Amazon gift cards
Buy Walmart gift cards
Buy Decathlon gift cards
Note: We may earn a co*mission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Best Christmas gifts for boaters: New for 2023
Musto Evolution Loft Hybrid Vest 2.0
There’s no garment better suited to year-round use than a slimline insulating midlayer – and there are few examples better suited to marine use than Musto’s Evolution Loft Hybrid Vest 2.0. This low-profile three-layer softshell is built from 100% recycled polyester, with a Pertex Quantum face fabric that is designed to improve insulation efficiency.
The PFC-free DWR coating provides extra waterproofing and the lower hand pockets are sleekly integrated into the seam. Designed with a more athletic cut than a lot of co*parable marine garments, this is all about contemporary style, warmth without bulk, easy layering and unconstrained freedom of movement.
Buy it now from musto.c**
Helly Hansen HP Ocean Sweatpants
Perfect for relaxing on Boxing Day with a slightly expanded waistline, these sweatpants (or joggers to us Brits) are made with layered spacer fabric. Designed to be sporty and cool, the co*fortable, high-tech fabric is made from 66% recycled polyester.
Buy it now from HellyHansen.c**
Ocean Signal RescueMe PLB3
This clever PLB uses two separate systems at the same time to maximise your chances of rapid rescue in an emergency. It uses a 406 MHz distress signal to relay your position to a worldwide network of Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue satellites, so the most suitable rescue service can be alerted.
It also transmits an AIS man overboard signal for AIS-equipped vessels within VHF range, which means that, when you’re in serious trouble, nearby boats will also be alerted to your plight. And it even emits visible and infrared strobe lights to help guide your rescuer to your location.
Buy it now from Amazon
Read Yachting World’s full review of the PLB3
Subscription to Motor Boat & Yachting
Best Christmas gift for boaters everywhere!
If you spend £21.99 on a six-month subscription to MBY magazine (saving £11.01 on the shelf price), you will receive a free Packaway 20-litre waterproof backpack worth £27, and it doesn’t take a maths whizz to see the value in that!
To secure your subscription, visit the website address below or call 0330 333 1113. Quote code X501 for RED, X502 for BLUE or X503 for GREY. You can also upgrade your subscription to include access to the MBY digital magazine for an additional £7.50.
Buy it now on magazines-direct.c**
Yeti Tundra Haul
If Yeti is the A-list brand of the coolbox world, its Tundra Haul is the model to seek out. Described as “the toughest cooler on two wheels”, this bear-proof box is built from the same roto-moulded polyethylene process you might have seen on sea kayaks.
It’s highly specced too, with puncture-resistant tyres, a welded aluminium tow arm, non-slip feet and tie-down slots to connect it to your boat. Industry-leading ice (or heat) retention is guaranteed by thick walls, pressure-injected Permafrost insulation and a freezer-quality gasket.
For maximum usability, you would do well to invest in a divider, a cage, some ice packs and a cushion but frankly anything from Yeti will be very well received.
Buy it now on Amazon
Check out our guide to the best boat coolers on the market
Tahe 9’10” Inflatable Kayak Package
Lightweight, easy to assemble and use, this kayak package includes everything needed for a day of paddling. The perfect gift for the adventurous boater in your life, it could even provide an alternative to their knackered old tender.
Buy it now on West Marine
Buy it now on Amazon
Ico* IC-M510BB
If you want your VHF handsets to co*municate directly in the same way as a fixed interco* system, Ico* is the place to look. There are two models you can choose from – the M410BB, which gives you the option of a second station and the more expensive M510BB, which enables you to plug in two extra units.
That means you could put one at the helm, one on the aft deck and another in the crew cabin, providing VHF in all the key zones, alongside direct onboard co*ms for you and your crew.
These models also include integrated GPS for independent Class D Digital Selective Calling, as well as Ico*’s AquaQuake draining function to help clear water from the speaker grill.
Buy it now on Amazon
Victorinox Skipper Pro
The Skipper Pro does away with several of the Skipper model’s less vital functions and it’s all the better for it. It provides basic DIY necessities (a wire stripper and a pair of screwdrivers); basic everyday devices (a bottle opener, can opener and tweezers); and basic boating tools (a serrated blade, reamer punch and lockable marlin spike).
It also co*es with a hi-vis orange lanyard (which is handy because it will sink like a stone if dropped overboard), as well as the option of a nylon pouch and personalised engraving.
Check out Yachting Monthly’s guide to the best multitools for boating
Garmin Quatix 7
This flagship GPS smartwatch from the King of wearable tech can provide chartplotter and autopilot control, as well as integration with your Fusion-Link entertainment system. For most people, the traditional button controls will prove more useful than the touchscreen interface but there’s no questioning the depth of functionality.
In addition to a built-in LED flashlight, you get tide data, activity profiles for land and water, performance metrics, smart notifications, health monitoring and optional BlueChart g3 coastal charts and inland maps.
It also co*es with a 47 or 51mm case, as well as the option of a bright AMOLED display and solar technology for extended battery life.
Read Yachting World’s full review of the Garmin Quatix 7
Hawke Endurance ED 7×42 Monocular with co*pass
Waterproof, fog-proof and nitrogen-purged, this marine-specific monocular co*es with seven-times magnification, which is about as much as you can profitably handle on a moving platform. It co*bines that with a 42mm objective lens, which means you get masses of light for excellent detail and colour rendition in dim conditions.
The use of posh BAK-4 Roof Prisms and coated low-dispersion glass enables more of that light to make its way to your eye instead of bouncing around inside the monocular. And the built-in co*pass and rangefinder enable you to check landmarks and buoyage with extra confidence.
Buy it now from Amazon
Garmin inReach Mini 2 Satellite co*municator
Give the gift of peace of mind on the water with this co*pact satellite co*municator that sends and receives messages, tracks and logs location points, and uses simple navigation globally.
Buy it now from West Marine
Buy it now on Garmin.c**
Four Seas Salco*be gin
Salco*be Gin has partnered with the RNLI to conjure up a Christmas tipple with serious nautical appeal. Taking its inspiration from the four seas that surround the UK, it delivers a fistful of classical Juniper, alongside hints of whisky-smoked lemon, Cornish sea buckthorn, briny Irish sugar kelp and floral Welsh elderberries.
Rich and full-flavoured, there’s a lovely balance between sweetness, soft citrus and subtle salinity that might even earn it a place as your new go-to gin. And for the next two years, 10% of every bottle you buy will go directly toward saving lives at sea.
Buy it now on salco*begin.c**
SipaBoard Drive Tourer
A motorised SUP board might seem like an odd idea but if you’ve ever been caught out by wind, tide or fatigue, a board with built-in propulsion is likely to have enormous appeal. If, like the SipaBoard, it also features a self-inflating mechanism and a built-in co*pressor, that’s also a major plus.
But this premium SUP board is not just about a safer and easier experience. It’s also about enabling you to go further and to do more. To that end, this highly efficient Drive Tourer model uses the new modular Dual+ Battery System to provide up to six hours of jet power, alongside integrated LED lights for a bottom-lit night cruise.
Buy it now on sipaboards.c**
Zhik Seaboot 700
Designed to feel like a “superlight running shoe”, the Seaboot 700s weigh just 500g apiece. This is still a proper offshore model though, with flexible construction for easy movement plus outstanding grip on both wet and dry decks thanks to a mid and outer sole designed in collaboration with Michelin.
Constructed with a waterproof eVent outer and a breathable inner membrane, it’s also easy to adjust thanks to a rapid lacing system, external stretch gaiters and an elastic hem. It’s certainly not cheap but Zhik watersports gear is famously desirable and this lovely antidote to the industry’s traditional leather boot is no exception.
Buy it now on watersportsoutlet.c**
Temo 450 Carbon
French co*pany, Temo, has launched a carbon version of its 450 portable electric engine. Designed for reduced weight, increased performance and uprated strength, it retains the portability, eco-responsibility and quietness of the base model, while adding a bigger 12.8 Ah battery for up to an hour’s operation at full power.
Weighing just 4.6kg, it co*es with a 5-year warranty as well as the promise of rapid response from Temo’s Brittany-based service centre. In short, if you need a portable, easy-to-install electric motor for a co*pact dinghy, tender or rowing boat, this is a supremely attractive way to achieve it.
Buy it now from temofrance.c**
Tag Heuer Skipper
If you want something more laid back and classical, the latest version of Tag Heuer’s Skipper watch is just the thing. First introduced in 1968, this reborn model will apparently serve as the ‘flagship’ for a new series of TAG Heuer maritime models and it lays down quite a marker.
In the absence of a bezel, it takes the same approach as the recent ‘glassbox’ Carrera with a face that extends almost to the perimeter for excellent legibility. It also gets the Carrera’s 39mm diameter case as well as the latest TH20-06 movement with bi-directional winding and an 80-hour power reserve.
Buy it now from tagheuer.c**
Riva Mambo Backgammon Board
Riva’s boutique of curiosities is full of kit to covet but this backgammon board is among the very best. Designed with all the style that has made Riva such an icon, the box is built from mahogany and maple and trimmed with Riva’s classical aquamarine mambo fabric.
The dice and counters are crafted from white and aquamarine acrylic glass with mahogany inlays, and even the container used for throwing the dice is an objet d’art in its own right. It’s unashamedly premium – but if you can afford it, there’s an even more decadent leather version available for £4,400!
Buy it now from rivaboutique.it
EzRaft
By using lightweight high-tensile fabrics based on kite surfing technology and a patented 3-tube design that requires no heavy structural parts, the EzRaft 250 packs down into an easy-carry backpack and weighs just 11kg.
Available at 2.5, 2.8 or 3.1m (for four, five or six people), the centre tube of its trimaran design makes it feel more like a raft than a regular inflatable dinghy. You sit quite high and since the floor is above the waterline, it self drains.
It’s easy to row but you can also fit an outboard engine of up to 4hp, so for smaller boats that can’t carry a conventional tender, it makes plenty of sense.
Buy it now from ezraft.c**
POP Fenders
Fenders can swallow up a huge amount of your storage space when not in use, so how about investing in a set of these telescopic models? POP Fenders are able to collapse from 620mm to just 250mm for much more efficient on board storage.
Built from tough vulcanised rubber that can be recycled by the manufacturer at the end of life, they don’t squeak or streak and they can be washed in a domestic dishwasher. They also co*e in a whole variety of RAL colours so you can tailor them to the style of your boat.
Buy it now from popfender.c**
Fortis Finseeker sunglasses
Fortis’s research into fishing-specific sunglasses has created a line of shades that do a great job for family boaters. Available with a range of lens options in both polymer and glass, the flagship Finseekers use an anti-reflective inner coating to eradicate reflections of your face.
They also feature integrated vents to minimise fogging and sweat chambers to wick away moisture, plus spring-loaded hinges on the arms to protect against damage through over-extension.
The green/blue FS003 lenses are likely to be popular but for the ultimate upgrade, the photocromic polarised glass lenses will adapt to brightness for penetrating vision in everything from midday sun to dusky half light.
Buy it now from fortiseyewear.c*.uk
Best Christmas gifts for boaters under $50
Seawater & Sawdust
MBY contributors Tom and Lorraine Owen don’t like to make things easy for themselves; rather than buying a second-hand motor boat, they built their own new one from scratch.
Now they’ve written a book about the experience, recounting every painstaking step on the journey from stack of raw timber to 30-foot wheelhouse cruiser in such detail that you can smell the sawdust on every page.
Buy it now on Amazon
Muggi drinks carrier
Back in the days when we were actually allowed to work in an office together, our Muggi was a key member of the MBY team. Perfect for ferrying the team’s piping hot brews in one hand and a fistful of custard creams in the other, it really took the sting out of the logistical nightmare that was the office tea run.
It also works rather well on boats, where its deep drinks holders and grippy feet ensure the risk of a spil*age is kept to a minimum. Even better, all Muggis are now made out of 100% recycled material, including recovered marine plastic.
Buy it now on Amazon
Wonderbag slow cooker
This simple device uses insulation rather than power to create wonderfully rich slow-cooked stews. You just bring the pot to the boil, pop it in the bag and let it simmer for up to 12 hours, saving energy and reducing emissions. The co*pany also provides subsidised Wonderbags to African co*munities.
Buy it now on Amazon
AnySharp knife sharpener
Is it just us or do knives lose their edge faster onboard? The AnySharp Pro is a very effective knife sharpener that will work on anything from a serrated sailing knife to the finest Sabatier carving blade.
A sturdy metal body with a powerful built-in suction cup means you can attach it to any flat surface and keep your hands well away from the cutting edge while sharpening. Perfect for the galley or tool box!
Buy it now on Amazon
Lifeventure thermal travel mug
Every boat owner needs one of these to keep their cuppa warm at the helm when the rest of the crew are sheltering from the cold in the saloon.
The stainless steel casing has a matt finish for better grip with cold, wet hands, plus a flip-top lid to prevent accidental spil*s. The vacuum-insulated walls will keep your drink piping hot for up to three hours.
Buy it now on Amazon
Nauticalia floating keyring
It doesn’t matter whether the boat is a £5,000 Fletcher or a £5million Sunseeker, if you drop the keys in the water, they’re going down.
Unless they’re attached to a large piece of buoyant cork, of course. And if you’re going to have a cork keyring, why not make it champagne cork shaped?
Buy it now on Amazon
Helly Hansen HP half-zip pullover
This mid-layer top is made from double-knit polyester for light protection from the cold. The lightweight material makes it quick to dry if you do get a soaking and it’s easy to pack into a small bag for short trips away.
The high zip collar will help to keep your neck warm and it’s available in a good variety of colours.
Buy it now on Amazon
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