Sailing Gift Guide for every Sailor Budget
Choosing the best sailing gifts for the sailor in your life can be daunting, especially if you're not a sailing lover yourself. But no worries, whether it's Christmas or a birthday if you're looking for the perfect sailing gift for someone who loves the water or is a sailor, we have you covered. Read on for 9 sailing gift ideas to choose from.
The sailing world can feel distant and foreign if you are not a sailor, but after 4 years of boat life, we feel confident to guide you in selecting the perfect sailing present for sailors, cruisers or liveaboard.
Due to the restriction in space and the harsh environment on a sailboat, a sailing gift should preferably be:
Compact and functional
Don't require a lot of extra resources (water, power, space)
Durable - Made of quality materials built for a marine environment
We also consider the environmental aspect when choosing sailing gifts for each other. Most sailors value the extra thought due to their strong connection to the ocean so keep that in mind when choosing a sailing gift. All the items of this Gift idea list respect the ocean and it's inhabitants.
Disclaimer: we do get a small commission if you buy products linked in this blog. Nevertheless, all the items you see here are used by us daily on our sailboat ForTuna. We only recommend sailing gear proof tested by us. If you would like to support us make your buy through our links to allow us to stay afloat.
Best 4 Sailing Gifts under 50€
1. Sailing Gloves
Ever got burned by a sheet slipping through your hands? It's not a pleasant experience. Whether a professional skipper or a Sunday sailor, sailing gloves should be a part of their sailing gear. The reasonable price and high request make them the perfect sailing gift for your favourite sailing buddy. There are different sailing gloves on the market depending on where you sail (cold, warm climate), your sailing level and personal preference. We use sailing gloves from Zhik (use BOATLIFE10 to get 10% discount).
2. The Sailor's Checklist
Safety is the number one priority on every boat. There should never be a discussion about it. However, boat safety includes so many aspects that sometimes we need to catch up on smaller or bigger things. To avoid any mistakes and be prepared in emergencies, we have not only one but two Sailor's Checklists on our sailboat ForTuna. One is accessible on board for when we leave for longer passages and one is in our grab bag for emergency access. Why? Because this waterproof booklet includes not only checklists for navigation and sailboat maintenance but also first aid rules, Man-overboard manoeuvres and distress signals. In our opinion, this is a no-brainer sailing gift at an unbeatable price for every sailor or sailboat owner. Get your Sailor's Checklist here.
3. Boat Life Guides
Your sailing friend is thinking about taking the leap, buying a sailboat or crossing an ocean? Support his dreams with a Boat Life Guide. All our guides are designed to help you sailor friends achieve his sailing goals. What more can you ask from a sailing gift.
Best 3 Sailing Gifts under 200€
4. Sailing shoes
Like most sports sailing requires specific footwear. Proper sailing shoes are necessary on sailboats to keep the sailor protected and the white Gelcoat and teak of sailboats intact. Sailing shoes should have appropriate rubber soles to avoid slipping on wet surfaces and be adequate for the climate. On ForTuna we wear two different pair of shoes. Michael loves his ZHIK shoes and Boots while I prefer the more female version created by Made+ which are made out of recycled plastic bottles.
5. Online Sailing Classes
Eco-sustainable and useful for sure. This sailing gift has it all. NauticED offers many different online sailing classes for beginners and sailing experts. We both will take classes next year to expand our sailing knowledge, because one never truly stops learning. Sign Up below to get 2 sailing classes for free:
6. Sailing luggage
Space on sailboats is very limited so sailing luggage should be waterproof and easily foldable to take up the least amount of space while sailing. Sailing luggage usually includes different sections to divide your wet and dry sailing gear when necessary. This is a great sailing gift, as you do not need to guess clothing sizes or sailing preferences. Hop over to Zhik to choose the model which suits your needs. (use BOATLIFE10 to get 10% discount).
Best 3 Sailing Gifts over 200€
7. Foul Weather Gear
When we moved on board of ForTuna, we were convinced that we did not need foul-weather gear. We brought our skiing gear and were confident that our ski jacket and trousers would hold off water and wind. One sail on a rainy day quickly taught us that these clothes would not cut it. Great foul-weather gear is one of the best investments a sailor can make and therefore make a great sailing gift. Foul weather gear consists of weather-resistant trousers and jackets in different price ranges. The main differences in prices come due to the materials used and the added features like reflective stripes or visors, which make it more suitable to specific sailing environments. Have a look here for different foul weather gear options ranging from 300 to 900€. (use BOATLIFE10 to get 10% discount).
8. Walkie-talkie
Yes, yes we know what you are thinking. When we started sailing, we laughed at our boat neighbours with walkies. We had our hand signs and confidence, looking down at them. 4 years later and after many loud disagreements in rain, wind or sun, we asked Santa Klaus (or my dad xD) for some walkie-talkies. I will never forget my dad's face. Imagine your 30-year-old daughter coming up to you and asking for walkie-talkies. Let's just say we had a good laugh about it. A sailing gift we can recommend for every sailboat owner.
9. Extra tip
Not sure what your sailing friends needs or what kind of gear he already has. Choose an item from our stay salty collection. Every single one makes a great sailing presents and supports your favourite sailing creators ;)
We hoped you like the blog post and found your perfect sailing gift. Remember no gift is more precious than your time.
