Top Ten Christmas Presents for a Sailor

Christmas is a time for giving, but what to buy the sailing fanatic in your life? Halcyon Yachts is here to help with 10 great ideas.

Halcyon Yachts have delved deep into Santa’s sack and found some interesting and unique gift suggestions.

Top ten Christmas Presents for a Sailor:

1. Rum – the sailors Tipple. Every sailor drinks Rum, don’t they? If it’s not a bottle of Mount Gay Rum from Barbados, then try a Rum Club membership so the sailor in your life can choose what Rum he would like to drink and how often he would like to drink it! Look at www.the-rum-club.com or www.craftrumclub.com for monthly, bimonthly or quarterly subscriptions so the sailor in your life can never go dry!

2. 3D Nautical Charts – If you are feeling generous and your sailor has been particularly good all year, then these gifts are just amazing. Nautical art based on real ocean charts, either 3D or with lights mimicking actual light sequences from buoys or tracks from yacht races and expeditions. If your sailor competed in the Rolex Fastnet Race this year, what an amazing gift to give them – an illuminated track of their route around the Rock. www.latitudekinsale.com or www.guidinglightcharts.com. Fantastic unique gifts, well worth the investment.

3. Headphones. What sailor puts to sea without a pair of headphones? Whether they be small earbud type received with a new mobile or the all singing and dancing state of the Art noise reducing ones such as Bose QuietComfort 35. These are amazing pieces of wireless technology and the new version even has Google Assistant built in, so you can play music, receive texts and get answers without even glancing at your phone. www.bose.co.uk

4. New Sailing Kit. Sailors always are looking for the next bit of kit that will keep them dryer and warmer for longer. Depending on your budget, there is always new clothing to tempt even the most residential of sailor. New on the block recently are Australian firm, Zhik. They are fast becoming a credible competitor to Henri Lloyd, Musto, Gill and Helly Hansen. Their flagship product being the Isotak 2 Ocean range. www.zhik.com

5. Book a holiday! If you are unsure of joining your Sailor out on the water, why not try the next best thing – a holiday near the water in amazing surroundings. How about a lighthouse stay in the Shetlands, or perhaps the luxury of a renovated fort in the middle of the Solent? There are some wonderful retreats to explore around the UK. Take a look at www.ruralretreats.co.uk and www.shetlandlighthouse.com for the ultimate short stay break or www.solentforts.com for that little bit of luxury and pampering!

6. Bespoke painting. The gift that keeps on giving! Stephen Lees in Lymington is a contemporary artist that will let you paint some of your picture with him in his waterfront studio, or you can let him know what you would like and he will paint it bespoke just for you. His original pieces are just amazing and his effervescent personality will always make you smile. Don’t forget to say hi to Border Collie Tim whilst there! www.stephenleescontemporaryart.com

7. Stellarscope Star Finder. Keep your sailor occupied whilst onboard with this amazing gadget. It allows you to view the stars with one eye whilst identifying them on an illuminated built-in star map with the other. It allows you to discover the magic of 70 constellations and 1,500 stars. It can be used anywhere in the world, in both hemispheres. Found in all good marine chandleries and also www.amazon.com.

8. Gecko Adhesive pad. My favourite gift and it’s really cheap at under £10! Inspired by the seemingly-miraculous way Geckos can effortlessly climb on even smooth surfaces, these little patches of silicone adhere to dashboards, chart tables etc to hold mobiles, sat-navs, sunglasses, keys and other small items in place. We don’t know how it works, but it does so amazingly well. It’s not sticky to the touch, doesn’t leave a residue, and is endlessly-repositionable. A really good stocking filler. Found at www.marinesuperstore.com and also www.amazon.com

9. Dry bag and Duffel bags. A must for any sailor is a bag that keeps everything dry in even the wettest boat. Many sailors concentrate on keeping themselves dry and forget that they need to keep their kit in tip-top order too. The worst thing ever is to grab that clean, dry set of thermals and find that everything is damp or wet. Halcyon has teamed up with Overboard and recommend their dry bags for smaller items and Duffel bags for the ultimate in crew bag. These bags will keep anything dry and they even guarantee if you drop your duffel bag overboard that everything will still be dry once recovered. Available in lots of funky colours and sizes, they are just the best thing. www.over-board.co.uk

10. Big Boy Beanbags. As seen on Dragons Den! The ultimate in luxury lounging, you know you’ll want one!! For use at home or even on your yacht. We had great fun testing these at the Southampton Boat Show. The bean bags are made from breathable waterproof fabric (non-sweaty) and are machine washable with a separate inner bag full of the beans. 180cm x 145 cm and they come in 10 different colours. www.bigboybeanbag.com

Happy shopping!!

Halcyon Yachts Ltd is a dedicated international yacht delivery specialist with highly experienced and qualified crew. For more information or to see details of their recent deliveries please visit http://halcyonyachts.com/