Finding decent Christmas gifts for boat owners is an unenviably tricky task, but luckily Practical Boat Owner is here to help! These might not all look to be the most exciting presents out there, but if you’re buying a gift for the boat owner in your life, these practical Christmas gifts will definitely see some use and not be consigned to the ‘unwanted’ pile.

Below are our recommended Practical Christmas gifts for boat owners – including top reads, stocking fillers and plenty of kit that we’ve had hands-on experience with over the past year.

Best Christmas gift cards for boat owners

If you’re really stuck for ideas or like me, you’ve left your gift buying a little too late, a gift card ensures your loved one can get exactly what they want (even if it’s not exactly the most thoughtful gift in the world!)

Here’s where you can currently buy Christmas gift cards for boat owners:

Buy West Marine gift cards
Buy Gael Force Marine gift vouchers
Buy Bass Pro Shops gift cards
Buy Cabela’s gift cards
Buy Amazon gift cards
Buy Walmart gift cards
Buy Decathlon gift cards

Note: we may earn a small commission if you click on links but this doesn’t affect our editorial independence

Best Practical Christmas gift ideas for sailors

Garmin inReach Mini 2 Marine Bundle

A combination of mobile phones and AIS broadcasts are great for keeping in touch with family at home while cruising, enabling them to track your progress. However, there are many places around the coasts of the UK, Ireland and elsewhere in northern Europe where phone coverage is poor, or shore stations don’t pick up AIS.

The solution is a low-cost satellite messaging system. Garmin’s latest is the inReach Mini 2 Marine Bundle, which includes two-way text messaging of up to 160 characters (longer messages are possible, but these are broken up into more than one message).

The unit also offers automated tracking that friends and family can follow, as well as SOS functionality linking to the Garmin International Emergency Response Coordination Centre.

The unit offers up to 14 days of continuous run time in the default 10-minute tracking mode, so will continue to work even in the event of a complete onboard power failure.

Spot Gen4 satellite tracker

This device completes a trio of relatively low cost Spot satellite tracking and messaging devices. The Spot Gen4 fits between the basic Spot Tracker, which only pings a position to your phone or email, and the Spot X that allows two-way email and SMS text messaging of up to around 500 characters. The Spot Gen4 allows your friends and family to track your location. In addition, you can pre-programme short custom text messages to indicate whether you’re OK or in need of a specific type of help.

There’s also an SOS function that sends an alert to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center, which in turn can raise the alarm with the relevant coastguard agency. The unit uses the Globalstar satellite network which now includes almost all of the Americas (apart from the very southern extremities of Chile), the north Atlantic ocean, plus all of Europe, the Med and north Africa.

Yachts on passage across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean will, however, pass through a band with only fringe coverage.

Luceco rechargable LED torch

Every boat owner needs a torch for poking around engines, bilges and other nooks and crannies. Since we got this one from Screwfix, we can’t live without it!

If, like us, you’ve got mountains of kit buried in bottomless lockers, you need an LED inspection torch to find what you’re looking for.

This nifty torch can twist around so you can stand it up or hang it down from hooks. It’s also magnetic, has three different settings, and you can recharge the batteries from your car or a 3-pin plug.

Red Original 30L Adventure Waterproof Backpack

The backpack has wide, comfortable shoulder straps and a padded back, allowing air to flow through and stop you getting too sweaty. There are two outer pockets for water bottles, and inside, a detachable padded laptop section and secret pocket for keys. 

We put this to the test in lumpy 2m seas whilst covering the start of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. It got a thorough pounding and soaking, but everything inside remained dry and intact.

Although the bag holds 30 litres, it feels a lot more spacious, especially if you don’t roll the top too much.

For anyone wanting to keep their tablet, laptop and pilot books safe in the cockpit for easy navigation, this is the ideal bag. 

Liberty Lifesaver Water filtration bottles

Boat water tanks require careful maintenance, but if you’ve let this slip, or simply don’t have a water source you can trust, the Lifesaver Liberty filtration bottle is a great, quick and easy way to get clean water. We should know – we used it to drink bilge water and lived to tell the tale!

Also, handy for hikes into the wilderness or remote anchorages where you might need to source water from a river or lake, this is the ultimate  Christmas gift for adventurous boat owners.

A larger, 5l, Lifesaver Cube is also available, which is ideal to keep onboard.

Inesis 900 Laser Rangefinder

Designed for golfers, this is equally useful on any cruising boat that encounters crowded anchorages. Even the most experienced skipper can struggle to judge distances accurately enough to identify a safe spot to anchor between other vessels – the deck of a boat simply isn’t a good vantage point for this.

A decent laser rangefinder solves this problem – when preparing to anchor you can figure out exactly the distance to other boats. Equally if another vessel anchors close to you it can be used to figure out if there’s safe swinging space for both vessels. Maximum range of this unit is a whopping 1,200m.

Portable gas detector

Ok, so this isn’t the most glamorous Christmas gift for boat owners, but if we said this could save yours (or your loved one’s) life, then you’ll agree it’s worth taking a look. A gas detector is an essential tool for a marine surveyor, but it’s also useful for boat owners to keep on board, especially liveaboards. Gas will gather in the lowest parts of the boats – the bilges and engine compartments – so it’s important to inspect these areas from time to time.

PBO’s marine surveyor Ben Sutcliffe Davies uses a TPI 725L combustible gas detector from Screwfix. The battery-powered detector can be used one-handed and has both a visual indicator and an audio alarm that beeps as you wave it around. If gas is detected, the beeping speeds up.

Gobesty collapsible travel kettle

This neat little silicone kettle is great for use in the marina as it packs up small and runs on shorepower. It’s only 3.93in when folded and 7.08in unfolded, and can carry 0.6L, which is plenty for 4 small cups or 3 mugs of tea. The plug cord is detachable and can be removed when not in use.

Inflatable Emergency Antenna

An emergency VHF antenna is a great piece of kit to have on any boat, especially if going offshore. If the main VHF antenna fails for any reason, this is your backup.

Shakespeare’s new Galaxy Infl8-5 is an inflatable antenna, which, like lifejackets, inflates using a CO2 cartridge (though a smaller size than standard lifejacket ones). It pops up straight away from the high-vis bag, but you can also manually inflate it, before attaching it to the pushpit to enhance your radio signal.

Handy also for kayaks, jet skis and dinghies, the Shakespeare Inflatable & Special Purpose Antenna inflates to 5ft and is compatible with most handheld radios (check with manufacturers for compatibility with the SMA male adaptor).

Scanstrut Rokk Mini Universal Tablet Mount Kit

As well as having a cockpit socket to keep your tablet charged, it’s a good idea to get a mount to keep it safe. Scanstrut’s Mini Universal Tablet Mount allows you to fix the tablet onto any 19-34mm diameter rail.

There’s some great navigation software out there now, such as Navionics, which you can stream or download to your tablet, so now you have a full chartplotting solution without having to invest lots of money in electronic devices.

Quirky History: Maritime Moments Most History Books Forgot

A billing of ‘maritime moments most history books don’t mention’ promises a treasure trove of long-forgotten facts.

Quirky History looks at 25 nautical events ranging from Henry V’s invasion of France in 1415, consisting mainly of chartered French ships, to World War II episodes including the Somali Camel Corps capturing a German U-boat.

Historic figures covered include Horatio Nelson, Napoleon, Rudolf Diesel and Lawrence of Arabia. The book is illustrated with 100 of author John Quirk’s cartoons.

Where possible he relates the historical happenings to the present day, tracing the history of the screw and war-time misinformation (fake news).

If you want more book recommendations head over to our Best Sailing Books guide for a whole range of nautical reads.  

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Head to Amazon’s dedicated boating page for more marine products.