10 Gift Ideas for a Sailor – FOR UNDER $100!

Over the past year of living and cruising aboard a sailboat and the 4 years of living and sailing previously, we have come up with a list of things that we use the most as sailors for less than (or close to) $100. Here is our list of 10 gift giving ideas for the sailor in your life.

 

1. A Book

We actually have a few book recommendations for different scenarios and here they are.

Chapmans Piloting and Seamanship https://amzn.to/2rUxPsL – This is like the bible of boating. It has reference for “the rules of the road”, anchoring, signaling flag meanings, safety requirements, etc. It should be in the library of every boat owner.

This Old Boat https://amzn.to/2suev2r –  A great book for the sailor who is fixing up (or thinking about fixing up) an old sailboat. We used this book for reference through our years of fixing up old boats.

“20 Affordable Sailboats To Take You Anywhere” https://amzn.to/2s7ww9A and “Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere” https://amzn.to/2sFzkrd – These are two books that are great for the person looking to by a sailboat on a budget. I found them extremely interesting and useful when I was looking for my first cruising sailboat.

These are 3 great true stories and very inspiring books about young single handed sailors.

• “Dove” https://amzn.to/2FfcyBp

• “Maiden Voyage” https://amzn.to/2PQCXd1

• “Swell” https://amzn.to/2Ffdq99

 

2. Waterproof Headlamp

A waterproof headlamp is absolutely essential to a sailor even if they are not sailing at night. It is important that these headlamps are bright enough, reliable, and have a “red light” feature to preserve your personal night vision. There are a crazy amount of waterproof headlamps on the market which makes it to hard to choose but here are our two favorites.

Foxelli USB rechargable Headlamp https://amzn.to/2PFZVUO – This has proven to be a reliable and versatile headlamp for our boat.  We like how they are light, inexpensive, and can be recharged via USB. We have x2 onboard because they are so affordable.

Mantus Marine Headlamp https://amzn.to/2OT21LL – By far the best headlamp that we have ever owned. It is robust, super bright, has an extra supportive head-strap, and has an S0S signal setting along with its red light and two brightness settings. I highly recommend this headlamp to any boater.

 

3. Sun Protection

Whether your sailor is sailing in the tropics or seasonally in New England or the Pacific Northwest, the sun can be brutal and unhealthy for your skin. We have two proven solutions for the suns harmful rays.

A Straw Hat – We like the Pineapple design under the brim and they have a bunch of other designs as well. https://bit.ly/FFPSLifeguardhat

and

Raw Elements All Natural Sunblock https://bit.ly/RawElementsTula Use code TULA for 10% off your total order. It is a little thicker than conventional sunblock or sunscreen but it is the only stuff we use. The ingredients are mostly organic which is safe for your skin as well as non-nano zinc and all reef safe ingredients (which is actually required in some eco sensitive vacation destinations around the world).  We recommend the tin for a plastic free solution for the lotion, face stick for your face, and the lip rescue stick for protecting your lips (the tin is versatile enough for your whole body for a simple solution). They also sell the same products but tinted if blending in is crucial.

 

4. Nautical Leash/Collar

This is for the sailor who also has a dog. Jetty loves her Benny and Jack matching Mahi collar and leash as well as her hand spliced 3-strand leash. The perfect accessories for a boat dog! https://www.bennyandjack.com/?ref=tula

 

5. Fid Set

Selma Fid Set https://amzn.to/2FhhB4p Every sailor should eventually learn how to splice his/her own lines. It’s the strongest and cleanest way to make “eyes”, connect two lines, terminate lines, and make continuous loops and soft shackles. I’ve been using the selma fid kit to do a ton of splicing with dyneema line. A good fid kit is the first step and essential to start splicing.

 

6. Aluminum Low Friction Rings

https://amzn.to/2S3tmwM We’ve been using these things all over our boat lately. They are so versatile and can replace heavy blocks or broken fairleads. They say everything on a boat should have at least two uses and these have about 100. A variety of these rings in different sizes would make a great gift for a sailor. Stick with rings less than 11mm hole for a small boat (less than 30′), 10mm-16mm hole for a medium boat (30′-45′) and 10mm and up for a larger boat (bigger than 50′).

 

7. Trolling Lure

There is no better feeling than catching a fresh fish dinner underway on your own sailboat. Our favorite lure is a cheap flying fish lure from walmart but very similar to this one https://amzn.to/2Kp9MZn. Maybe get a few for that sailor because fish LOVE them and chew them up pretty good. Here’s a nice little kit of some more productive lures for different conditions https://amzn.to/2DRmqzZ

8. Kindle

Wether your sailor is underway or at anchor there is nothing better than a good book (especially without an internet connection) and the kindle is the answer to having a TON of them without infringing on the space constraints of a boat. Sierra was hesitant about getting one because she gets headaches looking at electronic screens for too long but she is ecstatic about her kindle. The display gives her no headaches and is really easy to read and I (Billy) am super happy about it because there aren’t a ton of books taking up valuable space and weight aboard. https://amzn.to/2KqEzFd

 

9. Towboat Membership

https://bit.ly/TowboatUSA Ok, this one is a little over $100 but hear me out. It is actually priceless. I have been on boats since I was a baby and have owned my own boats since I was like 14 but I STILL renew my Towboat U.S. membership every year. It saved us when Neverland broke down and our tow would have cost us over $600 or when I was stuck running out of fuel once or twice on my whaler… We recently heard a story of our friends boat who dragged in Irma and washed up on a beach. The salvage would have cost them over $3k but with their unlimited membership it was $0! Talk about cheap insurance. Their unlimited saltwater towing is $149 (which is the one I recommend) and they have one more expensive one as well as a few cheaper options. I think every single boater should have this. You also get a discounts at certain fuel docks and marinas with a membership AND your 1 membership is with you for any boat that you own, borrow, or charter! Check them out here and use promo code HEWAF66 – https://bit.ly/TowboatUSA

 

10. Boat Bean Bag Chair

https://amzn.to/2R4vIeQ Ok, this one is also just over $100 but it is also one of the best purchases we made in the past year. It might be a little cumbersome for a small cruising sailboat with huge space restraints but the best thing about it is that you can just throw it on any uneven surface and strap it down. These things are water and mold resistant which makes it perfect for a boat. They are light and super comfortable allowing you to sit literally anywhere you put it. I even recommend this for almost all boats other than sailboats as well. There’s nothing like crossing the gulf stream on a 27′ center console with a cushy bean bag as your passenger seat (I’ve fallen asleep a handful of times in this scenario). https://amzn.to/2R4vIeQ

 

Bonus!!! – Merch from Their Favorite Sailing Youtube Channel!

There’s nothing like repping the designs of the sailors that inspire, teach, motivate, entertain, and relate. It also helps US keep sailing as well! Check out our very own Tula Shop Here for some great Tula gear. Below are some more online stores from some of our favorite sailing channels too.

https://rubyrose.my3tees.com/index.php

https://www.bonfire.com/wickedsalty/

https://www.bonfire.com/store/zingaro/

https://svdelos.com/shop/

 

There it is folks, our 10 gift giving ideas for the sailor in your life for under $100. I hope this article helps you in you holiday shopping whether its for someone else or even a present to yourself. If you have questions, experiences, or other gift recommendations definitely let us know in the comments below. Happy Holidays!!!

 

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