Boating Gift Buys

By Wayne Gilbert

By Trevor Kugler

By Steven Washington

You can go surfing anywhere in the world. You can go climbing anywhere in the world. How about sailing? Thanks to sailing charters and schools, you can learn to sail and place your own sailing escapade anywhere in the world as well. Here is why sailing lessons are a great adventure…

1. Fresh knowledge, new skill. Learning how to sail is a refreshing new found knowledge that has been waiting for you to learn. There is so much useful information that you can tack onto everyday life, and things that you honestly never knew. The skills that will be taught and left for you to develop are amazing. Tasks that you never even thought you would bring yourself on. The skills learnt in sailing lessons will be part of your personal achievements as you advance and develop them.

2. A new environment. Have a whole new perspective of learning as you have the water as your campus and your boat as your classroom. A significant amount of learning will be done on dry land but the majority of the time you will be in the open waters to directly apply all the skills and theories you have received.

3. Physical challenge. Sailing is a physical activity and you may be overwhelmed during your first few days of learning. Even keeping your balance on a buoyant vessel can be physically challenging let alone sailing it while keeping your balance. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jennifer Quilter

Towables tubes make a great gift for your friend or family member who owns a boat. They’re fun for everyone and don’t require a great amount of skill to set up and use, and are guaranteed to give a lot of great memories of their days on the water. They make such wonderful gifts because they’re something they will use again and again, so you’ll probably hear thank yous for the present multiple times over the years.

When you go to choose one there are a lot of important things to consider. Your friend will probably be happy with anything you choose but it’s always nice to find one that feels like it fits their personality and needs.

One of the first things to think about to narrow down the options is how many people do you think will ride on this, and who are they? There are towables made just for children, or ones meant for everyone. There are ones meant for a solo rider, and ones meant for up to a dozen. Narrowing down the number of riders will narrow down your selection a lot and make it easier for you to see what’s out there. Read the rest of this entry »

By Sara Prescott

Anyone who has spent time on a boat understands that every nook and cranny is tight for space. When you are thinking about buying a nautical gift for your boater friend it is important to take “space” into consideration when making your purchase.

The Runabout Tool Set is a handy item for the boater. It includes nearly every needed tool for outboard or trailer repairs. It comes in a compact, stowable case with 51 high-quality tools, each chrome plated. If you are looking for a really unique gift that everyone needs, there is a great new flashlight – Nightstar’s Magnetic Force Flashlight. The batteries will not run out because it does not require batteries. Instead, you shake it for 30 seconds. This causes a high-strength magnet to generate enough electrical energy that it will give 20 minutes of light.

If your nautical gift is for a new boater who needs “everything” then you might take a look at the 8-piece Nesting Cookware Set. It offers non-stick Teflon and it stows away in less than 1/2 cubic foot – a real space saver for a small galley. After the meal is cooked then dishes are needed to serve the food. The Non-Slip Plates and Bowls offer dishware that comes in a variety of colors in 16, 24, and 32-pieces sets. They are dishwasher safe and can spend one minute in a microwave. A serving for four includes a plate, salad plate, bowl, and a cup. Read the rest of this entry »

By Louise Goldstein

Christmas is fast approaching, and like everyone else, you’re probably busy looking for gifts for your loved ones too. Now we all know the best gifts to give are the ones that are related to what your gift’s recipient is passionate about. So if you have a boat owner on your list, here are some suggestions on what gifts to give him or her:1. Boating gear. For sure, your boat-loving friends already have their own boating shoes and boating hats and the like. But the thing is, when you’re at sea, you never know what could get lost – or wet. When such unfortunate events happen, it would be good for your friend to have some spare gear in store, so he or she will never have to go hatless on a hot marine afternoon.2. Boat owner’s kit. We all know how much the owners of expensive cars love to clean and polish and fiddle with their cars, right? How much more obsessed, do you think, would the owner of a boat be? Boat owners definitely like to keep their boats all clean and shiny and in humming condition. A kit that contains all the necessary tools to help them maintain the beauty of their prized possession will certainly make them happy. Read the rest of this entry »

By Carla Donnelly

Do you have a boating fanatic in your family or perhaps a friend that enjoys sailing? Then maybe you should be thinking of nautical gifts as a solution for your gift giving needs for them. It seems the ideas for gifts are never ending when it comes to a boating theme. I have discovered when searching for a great present for one of my friends, who is really into sailing, that finding a boating item is easier done online becayse there are just not many boating type stores at the local mall.

Looking around the internet for items related to boating shows a number of available presents. Some were silly but some were actually pretty cool. How about a personalized life saver? Or maybe a wood shelf that is shaped like a boat? I really liked the steamer trunk because it harks back to the day of old and looks like it could contain so many mysterious sea going items. Perhaps a brass telescope?

This friend not only is a boating fanatic, he has also outfitted his entire house with a nautical theme. What do you buy the sailing type that seems to have everything already? Since I have a funny sense of humor, the pirate hat was what really stuck out in my mind. No matter what, I just had to buy that hat! Then there are wonderful items for outside decorating. Maybe some decorative wooden pilings or some carved wooden seagulls ready to take flight. Read the rest of this entry »

By Amber Contant

I remember the first time I felt the keel pull the boat into a reach wind. I was actually sailing. The engine was silent and my first sailboat was actually going in the right direction. Sailing is easier than it sounds. Many will tell you that you need to take expensive classes and obtain certificates to hang on your wall. Others will tell you that there are two great days in a boater’s life – the day she buys the boat and the day she sells it. Hogwash.

Don’t tell your sailboat-owning friends these things. If you’ve been on their boat, then you’ve seen the look in their eye when the sails are full. So, rather than put them in the doldrums, buy them something that will guarantee many happy hours under way. Nothing is cheap on the water and they will be grateful for any gift that helps their time under sail.

Sailors are different from the normal power/gas hungry boaters you see roaming around your local lakes and ocean on the weekends. Sailors are people who respect hard work and aren’t thrilled by high speed or loud engines. Sailors are not afraid of research. So the safest gift you can get a sailor is a book about sailing. There are many great books about boating in general and even more about sailing. Chapmans Piloting and Seamanship is in its 64th edition and is the Bible of boating. If your sailing friend does not already have it – buy it for them. After all, knowledge is power! Read the rest of this entry »

By Ted Koppel

A sailor navigating a sea requires a large range of products that may prove beneficial throughout the journey. Several nautical items can act as essential instruments for people invading and thriving on the sea and can also be enjoyed as Nautical brick-a-bract in the home or office.Home-office-gifts for boating enthusiasts include GPS PDA’s, memory cards and memory sticks, barometers, nautical gifts and Howard Miller clocks. Amongst these, nautical gifts consist of a variety of products such as a Brass Nautical seagull, Nautical Wall Hanging Butterfly, Captains Quarters Porthole Clock, and Sand timer.These products look magnificent when blended with several metals and wood. Because of their unique creation and sleek design, they add more exuberance to the home or office.These nautical gifts are available in a variety of finishes such as, brass, chrome, black oxidized, copper, and gold, nickel and antique fish. These products have proliferated in terms of popularity and are now been extensively used as pieces of decoration in homes and symbolize the western decor. Read the rest of this entry »

By Andy Green