Santa is coming in hot. Just weeks away! Need some last minute gift ideas for the sailor in your life? Especially a live-aboard sailor? Honestly, a lot of these could be useful in land-life, RVs, etc too.
As the Holidays approach, I was thinking about what to get my husband this year. We tend to plan adventures vice buying things since we live-aboard a 44′ catamaran and don’t have a lot of space. However, the other option is things we need or could use. And of course, some fun stuff! So, I thought I’d put together a little list of things that we have come to love on our boat and now wouldn’t want to live with out, to help inspire others! Some small, some big, all available on Amazon because let’s be serious, if your are full time on the boat and anchor a lot, Amazon lockers are your best friend! Plus the fast shipping doesn’t hurt. Especially in time for the last minute holiday gift giving season!
So…here we go…
1. Garmin inReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator
Why we love it: Perfect for providing peace of mind for you and your loved ones!
While not cheap, the Garmin inReach is something we now use every time we change locations. For a small monthly fee with Explorer+, our friends and family can track us as we move real time on a map. We can also, send them free messages that we’ve started our journey, we’re okay and we’ve ended our trip as well as personalized texts and email messages. You can even set it up to post on social media.
A huge bonus, adding to our safety communications already on board (EPIRB, extra handhelds, MOB1 devices, and IridiumGo), we can use this to trigger an SOS to the 24/7 monitoring center if we are in trouble. Plus for those tracking us, they will also no our last reported position. We clip it the helm station and can grab it and take it with us if we have to abandon ship. That way it will still monitor our position and give us just another way to communicate. You can’t have too many! We will also leave it on if we are away from the boat for a bit while at anchor or on a mooring ball. We can check in on it regularly! Make sure Water Wings and Clark didn’t decide to leave with out us.
Other great uses would be hiking or anytime you might be off the grid.
2. Sena SPH10 Outdoor Bluetooth Stereo Headsets
Why we love it: Sanity. It will literally save your relationship!
I do not know to this day why we put off purchasing these “marriage saver” headsets, as cruisers like to call them. But we put it on our wedding registry (we just got married last October!) and some family members agreed this was a good idea to keep us two Scorpios from killing each other! They were right. We now use them every time we dock or anchor and for projects were one person is down below or up the mast and the other is at the helm. Gone are the days of screaming at each other or misunderstanding what the other person wants or says. We can talk in calm, clear voices and know what the other is thinking. Kevin actually helped me learn to dock talking me through it while he was throwing lines, etc. Genius.
After a lot of research, I went with these headsets. And I have been very happy with them since. They advertise 10 hours talk time. Since we use them for short periods, it’s hard to tell exactly how long they have lasted, but we go 3-4 weeks between charges at least and we move locations often. We have no issues losing connection anywhere on the boat and it definitely cuts out a lot of wind noise. We haven’t noticed wind interference until it starts blowing about 18-20 kts. Even then it’s just background noise, we can still hear each other great.
Seriously, a game changer when it comes to sanity during more stressful boating moments. Though Kevin might give it one less star for having to hear my random internal monologue and incredible singing, he didn’t even know he was missing all this fun before we got them! They have also gotten good reviews for motorcycling and mountain biking.
3. Reliefband Premier Motion Sickness Watch
Why I love it: Get Seasick? Enough said.
I was skeptical about the Reliefband Watch until I used it. While I don’t get sick often on board anymore, I swear by this relief band when we haven’t been sailing for a while or we are in some heavy, choppy, confused seas. I tested this out before we even moved aboard by reading in the car on curvy, hilly roads, something that has always made me incredibly nauseous. I couldn’t believe how long I lasted…hours! While I believe they could definitely build a better wristband for small wrists, this has helped me get through some rough nights aboard. I’m always annoyed when I realize too late that I forgot to charge as unexpected motion sickness sets in. It won’t completely stop the nausea in the roughest conditions, but it has helped me lesson and delay the effects on those especially tough days.
Side note: These work with any nauseous inducing events: Car trips, boat trips, plane trips, and had a friend swear by it going through chemo.
Why do we Love it: No more guessing how far obstacles are!
For real, this range finder has reduced our anchoring stress by about 80% especially when Kevin and I disagree on how far away an obstacle or other boat is. Now we know exactly and can make sure our boat will stay clear throughout the swing radius!
Case in point, we also spent a very long 4 days anchored off a cement wall during a massive storm with a multi-day 40+ knot wind event in Fort Lauderdale. We ended up standing anchor watch staring a rock wall wondering if it was getting closer. This would have made that fun WAY less stressful. It would have also saved A LOT of arguments when we first started out in the Med and anchoring off cliff walls that were always way closer to me than they were Kevin! 😉
It shows meters and yards very clearly and quickly. We have marked crab and lobster pots or random mooring balls at over 100m out to pick our anchoring positions to using it in crowded anchorages to calculate our swing radius which gets in tighter spots with less stress if need be.
5. Fatboy Edison The Petit Rechargeable LED Lamp Version 2.0 (2 Pack)
Why we love them: Soft light at night, for use in the saloon area when it’s dark and when we like to keep our night vision/beauty sleep going.
Kevin bought me these lamps for my birthday a while back. I was always jealous of seeing campers that had them when we were RVing. But we had a tough time finding a USB rechargeable version. The interior lights on our boat can be more than we like at times, like while we watch a movie or early in the morning when it’s still dark and Kevin needs his coffee.
We have also used it for cooking and eating on passage at night when it is dark. Red headlamps work as well, but we just put one on at the table or counter and it works really well without disturbing the person on watch.
We’ll get a few nights of consistent use out of them before having to recharge if we use them consistently on anchor. It says it should last 24 hours and based on use, I’d say that’s true.
Side note: Kevin would like you to know there is a dimmer to the ‘on’ toggle, if it comes on dimmer than expected, you didn’t actually break it, just hold down on the toggle longer. So we also recently found out they dim!!!
Why we love them: Compact, air tight, & tidy looking food storage.
These Oxo containers are great at keeping food dry, free from spillage which leads to pests is a huge plus on the boat. Depending on original packaging (paper?), you may want to put the product in a better container right away. I’m looking at you sugar and flour manufacturers! Their packaging is often spilling its contents before you even get out of the store and were certainly invite on wanted critters on the boat.
Previously we were using these big bulky round storage containers that were all the same size, so they sat awkwardly on the counter space and took up a lot of room, most only partially full. Once we brought these home on a whim, we actually went back for more. Different sizes and stackable. Airtight to keep the critters out and they just look so much better!
7. Collapsible Water Storage Cubes with Spigot
Why we love them: We don’t always want to use the water maker when in areas with hightly questionable water quality. How else can you easily manage to bring 40 gal of water back to the boat while on anchor.
We racked our brain on this one for awhile…how do we get water from a water source back to the boat when at anchor for long periods? When we were stuck in Fort Lauderdale for two months due to being single motor and waiting on parts and a haul out date, we needed a solution stat. What could we lift that was portable, wouldn’t leak, what would last? Enter these little gems.
These collapsible water cubes are amazing. They are very durable and carry 5 gallons of water each. And with the spout it’s easy to transfer water from them into our tanks on deck. While heavy, I can still left them myself in and out of the dinghy, etc. We have 8 on board and use them every time we can to fill up. We used them for months in Florida and on our way up the ICW when we found free water sources. Anytime we are on a dock or stop for diesel, we also fill them up and store them down below so we have lots of fresh water in reserves. Always a bonus, when we are places we don’t love the idea of making water, like the Chesapeake or along the ICW. Not saying you can’t, just if I don’t have to, I don’t want to.
When we are somewhere we can make water easily, we dry these out and fold them back down for easy storage.
Bonus: The filtration system that we have used for years now, including our time in the RV, is the Clearsource Ultra RV Water Filter System. We use it anytime we use hose water fill the tanks. Literally takes the “hose” taste out of water along with the chemicals. It has three changeable filters. If you have been to rural VA and tasted the very hard well water, you would understand the magic!
8. CleverMade Collapsible Storage Bins (With Lid)
Obviously organization helps!
Why we love them: Collapsable. Stackable. Storage.
Use them when you need them, store them when you don’t. We have used these on long passages when your provisioning of cans and non-perishables exceeds your storage space and when we haul things to and from the boat to our storage shed. These come in different sizes so you can probably find one that meets your needs. The storage bins are great to keep on hand.
They are incredibly easy to set up and dismantle and are very sturdy. Trust me we have tested their weight and abuse limits!
Side note: Just don’t leave them in the storage locker ashore when you might need them on the boat in the future. We’d never do that clearly, but be sure to think about future cruising plans when decided where to put things!
9. Aityvert Solar Tiki Torch Outdoor Waterproof Lights
Why we love them: Seriously who doesn’t love Tiki Torches! We also found they have added safety benefits.
We bought these fun tiki torches to add a little flare (pun intended?) to our boat on anchorages at night. Another item I just had to have after RVing for a bit. We bought four and put them up and now never take them down. Well except when docking of a few other times they are in the way. They provide a fun and hassle free aesthetic to enjoy on warm nights while out on the deck.
With one exception where we thought some Marine V-22 Ospreys were trying to use us as a practice landing zone on their night training evolution while we were anchored in Mile Hammock Bay off Camp Lejeune NC, they have been surprisingly useful as a safety tool. They mark WW’s corners in dark anchorages where there is a lot of early morning fishing boats headed in and out in the early hours. they aren’t always looking up high enought for the anchor light as they prep their bait. More visibility at eye level, the better!
Solar charging, so no energy draw or wires. Alway a bonus. We have had these for almost 2 years now and have only had to replace one that went faulty. Not bad for the marine environment.
10. YIERBLUE Rechargeable Spotlight Flashlight
Why we love it: So bright and very durable.
I was skeptical of this YIERBLUE torch because it was so much cheaper than other spot lights when I was hunting for a replacement for our 20 year old dive light we have been using as a spotlight. It got great reviews and came with some extras I thought would be super useful. Since we are always on a tight budget…b/c you know…boat, I gave it a shot. Turned out perfect. It’s crazy bright, water proof and durable. Actual comment when we put the new and old ones side by side: “WHOA!”
Great for at night to avoid crap/lobster pots, signal other boaters, you are taking the dink home in the dark, looking at sails and lines at night. It’s incredibly bright and has good distance. We can see reflective markers at least 200-300′ out. The beam is a bit more concentrated and narrow than I expected, but still gives a good field of view. It comes with red lens for maintaining your night vision when needed, probably more for hunting than boating, but a nice option. With 4 settings, High/Medium/Low/SOS (flashing), so many options there as well. Obviously the lower the light setting, the longer the battery charge will last. USB-C rechargeable another bonus.
11. Stackable Magma Induction Pots
Why we love It: Stackable / removable handles. Durable.
Space is a premium on boats, we all know that! These are solid. We have been using the same pots and pans for 3 years now and they have held up so well. And they take up so little space. 3 years later still non-stick and amazing. We also have their pans!
Bonus: We purchased this pot protector set to go in between the pots and pans to save them from getting scratched up! You can see them in the picture above. We also put them in between our pan pile. Reduces noise and scratching from the constant boat movements.
Why we love it: ALL THE BOOKS!
If you spend a lot of time on the boat without connectivity or just love to read as much as I do. This is a no brainer. I read almost 20 books on our Atlantic Crossing in 21 days. Imagine how much room those books would have taken up! No added weight or storage space needed. The Kindle Paperweight E-reader is lightweight and small enough to hold in one had and you can take it with you when you want for shore excursions or on travel. I love this as an e-reader more than any other because it is light weight, the battery lasts for weeks on airplane mode and. it does not cause eye strain.
Tip: On a budget? There are always ways to get free books, join your local library for your homeport, Amazon always has deals for cheap or free books, especially if you are an Amazon prime member. If you are military or have a DOD ID card, you can utilize the DoD MWR Library on the Libby App. There are always great books, new and old, available for download.
Amazon also claims it’s waterproof! Though I’m going to try to not actually test that out.
Best of all it has a back light, so you can read in the dark without disturbing anyone else and it does’t strain your eyes or effect your sleep patterns like an LED screen would. Just be careful where you hold it before sleep. Your partner may not love getting hit in the head with when you doze off. But I wouldn’t know…
Bonus: I needed to protect the screen, and honestly, I like to feel like I’m opening and closing an actual book, so I also purchased this cover:
Stay tuned for the stocking stuffer version of this list!
See “12 More Things We Can’t Live Without: Stocking Stuffer Edition
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