Surf Cat

Are you wondering what to get the sailor in your life for Christmas? Here is our pick of 41 top products that are perfect Christmas gift ideas for sailors:

1. Garmin inReach

This is a clever portable device that provides an affordable way to keep friends and family in touch with your whereabouts when offshore. It allows you to send and receive SMS text messages to any mobile phone, email address or other inReach device, anywhere in the world, via the Iridium satellite constellation.

In Reach works like a Sat phone and provides live online tracking and email and can also be sinked with your phone and operated through an app.

inReach SE+ £399.99. explore.garmin.com

2. Henri Lloyd neoprene gloves 

Sailing with cold hands sucks. We tested a selection of winter gloves and these came out top. The full-fingered gloves have neoprene thermal insulation, which means that even when they (inevitably) get wet, they keep your hands warm.

The grippy surface on the palms proved particularly good when handling intricate jobs and overall we were really impressed with this glove. Tough, flexible and easy to get on and off even when wet.

£30-35. henrilloyd.com

3. Yachting World subscription

A hardcopy of the world’s favourite sailing magazine every month from £18.49 a year – or an ipad/iphone digital issues for £15.49…

Now THAT’S Christmas!

See the latest Yachting World subscription offers

4. Musto Corsica BR1 Jacket

Warm, waterproof, and ideal for both winter sailing or walking the high street, the Corsica jacket is lined with heat-retentive Arctec fleece that keeps much of its insulating power even when wet.

£160. musto.com

5. Gill Tarp Barrel Bag

All sailors need a decent kit bag. This 60L no-nonsense barrel bag is made from durable waterproof tarpaulin and features a two-way zip and padded shoulder strap.

£60. gillmarine.com

6. Jerrycan backpack

Dacoblue founder Conny Dahlin became all too aware of the difficulties of transporting fuel and water during a five-year circumnavigation on his Oceanis 411. His solution? These sturdy, UV-resistant 20lt bladder that can be carried with a shoulder strap or full backpack style harness.

The bags can be lashed for stowage on deck when necessary using stainless steel eyelets around their edges. Once empty the bladder can be folded away and stowed in a locker, eliminating the need to have the deck festooned with empty cans. Different colours and labels are available for fuel and potable water.

From $176. dacoblue.com

7. Wing-Surfer 

For the person who has or wants every toy, this is the latest compact watersports trend. The inflatable handheld wing offers a cross between windsurfing and kitesurfing rigs, but with no strings or rigging needed. It allows a very simple, pure method for a board rider to harness the wind, be it on a foiling kiteboard or a SUP – just blow it up, grab the handles and go.

From $799. naishkites.com

8. Papa’s Pilar Rum

 

Because every sailor enjoys a drop of rum, right?! Inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s adventures between Florida and Cuba on his boat, Pilar, this rum brand was created in collaboration with Hemingway’s estate, and the family remains involved and donates a majority of its proceeds to charity.

The blonde rum version costs $29.99. Dark rum $39.99 papaspilar.com

9. Waterproof iPhone housing

GoPros and similar action cameras are great devices, but they are both expensive (some more than £500) and need charging. Recent smartphones have a camera that is just as good as a high-end action camera. This neat case turns an iPhone into a fully waterproof action camera.

It’s waterproof to 50ft or 130ft, depending on model, and is compatible with all GoPro mounting accessories. Full control of the phone’s camera is achieved via the volume buttons.

From US$119.99 proshotcase.com

10. Carboteck bracket and bezel

An upgrade for the dinghy sailing enthusiast in your life. This forged light and impact resistant carbon bezel is designed for use with a Velocitek Prism or a Raymarine Tacktick Micro Compass. The forged carbon is created by mixing paste fibres with resin, then squeezing the material into the desired shape.

Prices: Bezel £49.99; Compass bracket £89.99. carboteck.com