This time of year, there’s a question I see asked over and over: “What’s the best Christmas gift to get a boater?”
Most people understand, when you live on a boat you have to be extremely intentional about every single thing you bring onboard. 4 Christmas seasons ago our family prepared to sell almost everything. Downsizing from a 4,000 square foot house to a 800 square foot floating home took careful planning. And the last thing we needed was a pile of new gifts that wouldn’t be practical on a boat.
On the other hand, we love everything about Christmas. It was important to us to keep up the tradition of gift giving and, of course, Santa! Fortunately, Brent had the foresight to know we’d have a long list of ‘needs’ and an even longer list of ‘wants’ once we settled into our new home.
And so, strategically that year, we came up with the best Christmas gifts for our new life on a boat.
In full disclosure, we missed the mark on a few things. Legos proved not to be ideal toys on a boat. On the flipside, ‘marriage savers‘ (headsets) continue to be some of our most used items. Over the last few years, we’ve added TONS of things to our must-have list. As we prepare to celebrate our 3rd Christmas aboard Light & Salty, we’re getting better about knowing exactly what makes the best gift.
Guide to the best Christmas gifts for boaters
FUN GIFTS FOR THE BOAT FAMILY
Personalized Cutting Board (with Boat Name)
‘NEED’ GIFTS FOR THE BOAT OR BOATER
Polarized, Floating Sunglasses
TOP CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR BOAT KIDS
Consumable Gifts: Art supplies, chalk
Adventure Gift: museum, theme park, zoo, etc. tickets
MOST USED-ON-A-BOAT GIFTS
CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR BOAT PETS
You may also want to consider some of these items, which happen to be some of our very favorite additions to our boat:
What’s on your Christmas list this year?
You may also enjoy reading:
The One About Holidays On A Boat
Gift Guide For Kids Who Don’t Need More Stuff
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Great list! I always ask for boat soap and other cleaning supplies. This year, salt-away made the list as well!
LOVE that idea Carson. Although…it feels sort of like the equivalent of Brent giving me laundry detergent. And let me be clear- I would not be amused! Hope you guys are enjoying the salt water. It’s my happy place!!
I certainly envy you and your family. The kids alone are having a blast and seeing places and things Onassis your journeys.
Thank you so much Sue. We feel so incredibly blessed to be able to share this experience with our kiddos. Definitely priceless time.
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