Practical Gift Ideas for Sailors

When we first moved onto our sailboat, it was a struggle figuring out what would fit on the boat, and what we would actually end up using.

Now, after 4 years of living aboard and sailing the USA, Bahamas and the Caribbean, we’ve got it dialed in.

These are items we either use regularly on our boat, or would absolutely bring again after seeing what works (and what doesn’t) out here.

I’ve gathered up a list of our favorite items we have onboard, plus a couple of items we’d add after learning from other cruisers along the way.

I’ve organized this list into the following 6 categories:

1. Practical Boating Gifts
2. Cooking Tools that Save Power
3. Convenient Cooking Gifts
4. Cool And Comfortable Clothing for Cruising
5. Safety At Sea Gifts
6. Sailing Sundowner Gifts

1. Practical Boating Gifts

PredictWind Subscription

PredictWind is one of our top go-to weather apps when planning out passages. We are subscribed to the annual Standard Plan, which allows us to use the Weather Routing and Departure Planning tools. Learn more about these tools in the review I wrote about using PredictWind for our sailing adventures.

PredictWind has saved us more than once from going out in salty winds and choppy seas!

In addition to their subscriptions, PredictWind offers routine webinars free of charge (no subscription required!).

Garmin InReach Plan

We never leave on a passage without our Garmin InReach. It’s not just for emergencies—it’s a lifeline that keeps our family informed and gives us peace of mind.

We use the Essential Plan, which includes unlimited Emergency SOS, unlimited check-ins, and 50 text messages per month. What makes this device indispensable for us is the Live Tracking feature. 

Before we depart, I set the pin drop intervals (usually every 2–4 hours depending on the length of the sail), and our family can follow our journey in real time via a private link.

This really came in handy on our longest offshore sail to the Caribbean when we sailed from the Bahamas to the Dominican Republic. It was our longest passage yet, and I could tell our parents were glued to the tracker. It reassured them—and us—that if anything went wrong, help was just a button press away.

Whether you’re sailing solo or with a crew, having a way to call for help outside of VHF range is non-negotiable. The Garmin InReach Mini is compact, rugged, and has never let us down.

🆘 If you’re buying one gift for a sailor this year, make it this.

Blu3 Diver System

We bought this system before we quit our jobs, knowing we’d likely be doing most of our bottom cleanings ourselves.

And now we’re very glad we did.

We use it every time we clean the bottom, and it makes the whole process so much quicker and easier compared to trying to do it just snorkeling.

It’s definitely more of an investment, but for us it’s been worth it to be able to handle this ourselves instead of relying on hiring out cleanings.

Luci Lights

We use our solar powered Luci lights nightly when at anchor. We hang them in our cockpit at night to increase our boat’s visibility, and they last all night long. Then we keep them in the cockpit during the day to charge back up for another night.

They are also helpful for finding your boat by dinghy at night in a crowded anchorage. I especially like the colored Luci Lights for this.

Rechargeable Head Lamps

Who doesn’t use headlamps on a sailboat? We use our rechargeable headlamps every hour for our engine checks when we are underway and during maintenance projects to have additional lighting that is hands free. They recharge in just a couple of hours.

Mini LED Flashlights

We have these mini LED lights stored all around the boat. We are always looking for a flash light when looking for something in our lockers and storage areas.

Bug Zapper

One downside of a nice calm anchorage can be the bugs! We use this electric fly swatter to help keep the bugs at bay.

Waterproof Dry Bag

A waterproof dry bag is essential for going to shore on the dinghy. We fit everything in ours from our wallets, phones, bug spray, portable grocery bags and more!

Portable Printer

Living fulltime on our boat, there are times when we need hard copies of passports, pet health certificates and other documents. We’ve had this Cannon PIXMA TR150 printer onboard for over 3 years now and it still works great! 

I like that I can connect it directly to our laptop and don’t need the internet to print.

2. Cooking Tools that Save Power

Tea Kettle

We use our tea kettle for making coffee at anchor with our French Press coffee maker. This doesn’t use any electricity, something we keep a close eye on when out at sea.

French Press Coffee Maker

This is hands-down our favorite way to start the day on the boat. No power needed, just hot water and a quick press. The insulated design keeps coffee hot in the cockpit, even when we get distracted by the never-ending boat chores. It’s tough, easy to clean, and makes more than enough for two. A must-have for any caffeine-loving cruiser.

☕ We use ours every single day.

Cast Iron Skillet

This is our go-to pan for all of our cooking – everything from scrambled eggs, reheating leftovers, to one-pot meals. It’s great for the stovetop and in the oven. Cast iron skillets cook food by retaining heat, and we easily store them in our oven after use. 

Pressure Cooker

We are still fine tuning how to use our stovetop 4.2 L pressure cooker, and we are amazed at how much time and power it saves us.  

So far we have “baked” potatoes, steamed vegetables, and cooked black beans and garbanzo beans. I’m still tweaking the time on cooking rice with it. 

It reduces the amount of time we have to keep the burner on, which is a big plus for us when cooking in the galley in the hot Caribbean islands.

🍲Save time and power!

Solar Oven

While we don’t have a Go Sun Sport Solar Oven yet, it is definitely on my wish list! You can cook meals all with the power of the sun! This allows you to cook without using battery power or gas, and without heating up the inside of your boat.

3. Convenient Cooking Gifts

Instant Pot

While instant pots may use up some power, they are popular for quick easy meals. They can be used at marinas when connected to shore power, or possibly run off house batteries for those with a lithium battery bank.

Air Fryer

Another item on my wish list is a small air fryer. I’ve just been introduced to them recently, and I enjoy the time they save when cooking with them. I can also cook things like chicken or pork chops much healthier in the air fryer as compared to frying them on the stove top.

Induction Cooktop

I learned how to use an Induction cooktop when sailing on our friend’s boat from St. Maarten to Bermuda. I love how it doesn’t heat up the galley, and how quickly it heats up the pan and starts cooking. It was so easy to use while underway (of course, we were also on a catamaran, so the no heeling helps!).

4. Cool and Comfortable Clothing for Sailing

Our go-to clothing for sailing is anything moisture-wicking and items that have UPF protection. Cotton clothing absorbs moisture, and won’t dry out fast. My top recommendations are:

Long Sleeve UPF 50 Shirt

I wear this Columbia long sleeve shirt ALL THE TIME! I have actually gone through a couple of them, and even gifted one to my sister who sails on SV Vagari.

Men’s Long Sleeve Shirt

Here is the men’s Baleaf UPF 50 sun protection shirt. We wear these shirts all of the time, even throughout summer. I like Baleaf equally as much as my Columbia long sleeve shirt.

Moisture Wicking Tank Top

These loose fitting moisture wicking tank tops are perfect when we are sailing in the Caribbean. They dry quickly and help keep me cool.

Men’s Moisture Wicking T Shirt

Scott’s Under Armour Tech T Shirt is in our laundry weekly, or as frequently as we can get laundry done. This is my husband’s go-to short sleeve shirt.

Sun Hat

Scott and I frequently wear these sun protection hats when we are out paddle boarding, or relaxing on the beach. It’s great having the extra protection from the sun for my face, chest and shoulders.

5. Safety At Sea Gifts

Don’t pull a Captain Ron, one of my all-time favorite sailing movies, and leave the dock unprepared!

In all seriousness, it is important to make sure your sailor is fully prepared. Check out the US Coast Guard’s Boater’s Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats. While I won’t go into all of the requirements here, below are just a couple safety items I recommend:

Spinlock Deckvest Life Jackets

We wore these Spinlock Deckvest Life Jackets during our passage from St. Maarten to Bermuda. We found them far more comfortable than the offshore inflatable life jackets we had on Pelagia, so we replaced ours with these.

These Spinlock life jackets are equipped with a sprayhood to help keep waves and splashes out of your face while waiting for rescue. 

They also have a strap that goes between your legs for added safety. We had these straps attached each time we wore our life jackets, you don’t even know it is there. 

Helly Hansen Offshore Raincoats

This is one of the first purchases Scott & I made after we bought Pelagia, and we still use these all the time. Anytime it’s raining or even looks like it might, we’re grabbing these coats.

They’ve kept us dry through downpours while underway, anchoring, and even on grocery runs to shore. This is definitely one of those items we’re really glad we have onboard.

Personal Locator Beacon

We have thankfully never had to use ours, but we do have this Personal Locator Beacon aboard Pelagia in the event of an emergency. This is a redundant safety measure along with our Garmin InReach.

A Personal Locator Beacon will use satellites to transmit a distress signal in the event of an emergency.

Marine Series Medical Kit

When traveling offshore, or cruising along the ICW, we have found ourselves in some really remote areas. 

Having a marine series medical kit on the boat (and some level of training such as CPR/First Aid/AED) is important to be able to handle minor medical incidents until additional help can arrive.

Silicone Placements

I bought these silicone placemats after one particular rough anchorage and some of our dishware that don’t have rubberized bottoms were sliding on the table in our cockpit. 

I have since bought more of them to keep on the counter in our galley. They have saved our tumblers several times from falling and spilling in rolly anchorages.

6. Sailing Sundowner Gifts

Kindle Paperwhite

I find I do a lot more reading now that I have more time. I got this Kindle paperwhite reader for my birthday right after we sailed away. I love that I can use it outside to read in the cockpit! I have a library card and can check out books directly on my Kindle.

Kindle Unlimited Subscription

The Kindle Unlimited Subscription gives you unlimited reading and unlimited listening from any device. What I love about the Unlimited Subscription is not worring about a return/due date. Amazon also runs offers for discounts on Kindle Paperwhites when you sign up for Kindle Unlimited. It’s a win win!

Hammocks

We love to lounge around in our hammocks on the bow of the boat. We strap them to the mast and foresail and take in the beautiful scenery, and maybe a cocktail too!

Soda Stream

Our SodaStream has saved us a ton of space on board. Instead of stocking up on cans or bottles, we just keep a few syrup bottles and make drinks as we go.

It doesn’t use much power, and the syrups last a long time, which means fewer provisioning runs and less storage taken up.

Insulated Wine Tumblers

The Hydroflask stemless wine tumblers with lids are an upgrade we made after a rolly anchorage we were in while sailing in the Abacos that completely knocked our red wine all over our white cockpit!

They are very handy for rolly anchorages as well as dinghy rides to shore for meet and greets with fellow sailors.

5 Crowns

This is our new favorite game! Scott and I play this game a lot with our sailing friends or just the two of us. We’ve even got our family hooked on this game!

Rummikub

We’ve had a lot of fun playing Rummikub with our sailing friends. It’s also a great game to play with the cruising kids. It’s all plastic and easy to store on the boat.

Cribbage

Scott and I played cribbage a lot while hopping along the south coast of Puerto Rico. It’s a fun game for two people. Don’t ask who has the winning tally in this game though… ☹

Nautical Blanket

I love throwing a blanket over my legs in the cockpit after the sun goes down. It is always cooler out on the water.

Gifts for Cruisers

Here is our gift idea list for sailors that we either can’t live without, our have on our own wish list. I may have even added a couple items to my wish list while creating this list.

There are several practical gift ideas for the sailor just starting out to gift ideas for the sailor who has everything. Let’s be honest, you can never have enough wine tumblers!

I hope this list helps you in your shopping activities. I would love to hear about your favorite sailing items over on Facebook or Instagram.

And after you get your Kindle eBook all set up, check out these sailing adventure books to keep your sailing spirit alive!

More Sailing Inspiration Posts:

• 11 Best Sailing Adventure Books: Escape to the High Seas
• 10 Best Sailing Movies for Epic Tales on the Water
• Practical Gift Ideas for Sailors
• Sailing Interview with SV Vagari – Wandering Through the Waves and New Adventures