Buying for a sailor is harder than it looks. They are particular about their gear. They already own the obvious stuff. A bad gift, wrong size waterproofs or a gadget they already have, ends up in the back of a locker. A Christmas gift guide for sailors needs to account for that. The best approach is to think about what they actually use, what wears out, and what they would not buy for themselves.

This Christmas gift guide for sailors covers the full range. RYA course vouchers for the sailor who wants to progress. Clothing that lasts. Books and navigation tools. Gadgets that earn their space onboard. Experiences that create memories. Stocking fillers under £50. Every item here is something we have used, owned, or recommended to our own students at Commodore Yachting. If you are looking for a Christmas gift guide for sailors that actually delivers useful suggestions, this is it.

Why sailing gifts are tricky — and how to get it right

Sailors are a hard bunch to buy for. They own specialised kit that most people do not understand. They have strong opinions about brands. And they have limited storage space on a yacht. The best Christmas gift guide for sailors works with these constraints rather than ignoring them. The golden rule is to think about what the recipient will actually use, not what looks impressive under the tree. A sailor would rather receive a decent head torch than a decorative ship in a bottle. Function wins every time. Keep that principle in mind as you work through the suggestions below.

RYA course vouchers: the gift of learning

The single best recommendation in any Christmas gift guide for sailors is this: buy a course. Not a thing. An RYA course voucher from Commodore Yachting gives the recipient total freedom. They pick the course that fits their level, from Competent Crew and Day Skipper through to Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster, or specialist Powerboat Level 2.

Course vouchers start at around £395 for a Competent Crew weekend and go up to £2,495 for the full Yachtmaster Fast Track programme. You choose the value, they choose the dates. This Christmas gift guide for sailors recommends this approach because it solves the fundamental problem with sailing gifts: sailors know their own skill level and ambitions better than anyone else.

Vouchers are valid for 18 months from purchase. That gives the recipient flexibility to plan around tides, weather windows, and work schedules. They can put it towards a full range of RYA sailing courses, from practical skills weekends to longer mile building passages. The other advantage of course vouchers is they do not take up cabin space. Yachts are tight on storage. Most sailors have more gear than locker space. A Christmas gift guide for sailors that ignores storage realities is not being honest with you.

For the sailor who already holds their Day Skipper, look at the RYA Day Skipper practical skills weekend as a refresher. Or push them toward Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster prep. There is always a next level in sailing. This Christmas gift guide for sailors recognises that progression is the real reward.

Sailing clothing and gear

Good sailing clothing is expensive. That is exactly why it makes a good gift. The sailor in your life probably owns foul weather gear that is doing the job but is three seasons past its best. Or they are layering a thermal from 2018 under a salopette with a leaky seam. No Christmas gift guide for sailors should skip the wardrobe.

Base layers first. Helly Hansen and Musto both make merino wool thermal tops that sit under a smock or jacket. Expect to pay £60-90 for a good top. Merino does not stink after a day on the water the way synthetic fabrics do. That matters when you share a cabin with three other people. A Christmas gift guide for sailors that does not mention merino is missing the single best fabric upgrade most sailors can make.

Mid layers next. A decent fleece from Gill or Henri Lloyd runs £50-80. Look for one with a high collar and a cut that does not ride up when you reach for a winch handle. The Gill OS2 fleece at about £65 is a solid choice. A branded polo shirt from your sailing school is another good mid layer option. The Commodore Yachting polo at £25 is something our students wear on and off the water. It is practical, recognisable, and supports the school they trained with.

Foul weather gear is the big ticket item. A set of Musto MPX Offshore trousers and smock costs around £500-700. That is a serious gift. For someone who sails regularly it transforms the experience. Dry, comfortable, properly fitted foulies are the difference between a sailor who goes out in marginal conditions and one who stays in the marina bar. This section of the Christmas gift guide for sailors focuses on gear that our instructors reach for themselves. We do not recommend kit we have not tested on the Solent in February.

For smaller budgets: sailing gloves at £25-40. Gill race gloves at £30 are popular. Deck shoes from Dubarry or Musto start at around £100. A sailing knife with a marlin spike, such as the Lanyard brand at £35, is a practical gift that gets used every trip.

Books and navigation tools

Sailors read. Not just novels, though plenty of those too. They read pilot guides, navigation textbooks, tidal atlases, and cruising guides. A good book is one of the most reliable gifts in any Christmas gift guide for sailors.

The RYA books are the obvious starting point. “RYA Day Skipper Handbook” by Malcolm Robson is a clear, practical reference at about £25. “RYA Yachtmaster Handbook” by the same author is roughly £28. Both cover the syllabus in plain English without the padding that some textbooks suffer from. This Christmas gift guide for sailors recommends having both on the shelf regardless of current certification level.

For cruising narratives, “The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst” by Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall is a gripping read about the 1968 Golden Globe Race. “A Voyage for Madmen” by Peter Nichols covers the same race from different angles. Both are under £15 in paperback and make thoughtful additions to any Christmas gift guide for sailors looking for something beyond the technical manuals.

Navigation tools make excellent gifts too. A proper set of parallel rulers from Chartcraft costs about £20-30. A Breton plotter is £10-15. A good pair of chart dividers runs £15-25. Even in the age of GPS and chart plotters, every RYA course requires manual navigation skills, and every competent sailor carries the tools. Including traditional navigation equipment in a Christmas gift guide for sailors is not nostalgia; it is practical advice.

A Portland or Weems and Plath barometer is a more decorative option at £60-100. It looks good in a home or on a boat and actually gets used. Reeds Nautical Almanac is the essential reference for UK sailors. The 2026 edition is about £45 and contains tide tables, light lists, port information, and radio frequencies for the entire UK and Ireland coastline. Every yacht in the Commodore Yachting charter fleet carries one.

Gadgets and accessories

Sailors love a good gadget. But they hate a bad one. The trick is finding something that solves a real problem rather than creating a new one. This section of the Christmas gift guide for sailors focuses on kit that earns its place onboard.

A handheld VHF radio is one of the most useful gifts you can buy. The Icom IC-M25 is waterproof, floats, and costs about £130. It is the backup radio on many yachts, including ours. Every sailor should have one in their grab bag regardless of whether the boat has a fixed VHF. A Christmas gift guide for sailors that skips safety equipment is doing you a disservice.

A personal AIS beacon or PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is a step up in both price and importance. The Ocean Signal RescueME PLB1 costs around £250 and fits in a pocket. If someone goes overboard, this is what gets them found. It is the kind of gift the recipient hopes they never need but will be glad they have.

LED cabin lights are a smaller option. The Luminaid PackLite is a solar powered inflatable lantern at about £25. It packs flat, charges in sunlight, and provides warm light for a cabin or cockpit table. We keep several on our yachts for evening navigation and cockpit dinners. Gadgets like this earn their place in any Christmas gift guide for sailors because they are cheap, useful, and unlikely to be duplicated.

A waterproof phone case from the Overboard range costs £15-30. Most sailors have dropped a phone down a companionway or had one soaked by a rogue wave. A good case prevents an £800 replacement. A deck brush with a telescopic handle at about £20 sounds unglamorous but anyone who maintains a yacht will genuinely appreciate it. Salt spray dulls gelcoat. A rinse and brush after each trip keeps the boat looking good.

For the tech minded sailor, a wireless wind sensor like the Calypso Wireless at £170 replaces the traditional masthead unit and streams data to a phone or tablet. It is a modern take on an old problem and a unique gift that is unlikely to be duplicated. Every Christmas gift guide for sailors needs at least one wildcard option, and this is it.

Gift experiences: charters and mile building

Sometimes the best gift is not a thing at all. A yacht charter experience or mile building passage creates a story. This section of the Christmas gift guide for sailors is for the person who already has all the gear and just wants more time on the water.

Commodore Yachting offers giftable charter experiences from £350 for a weekend self-sail charter. Add a skipper for £120 per day if the recipient wants to relax and learn rather than handle everything themselves. For a more structured experience, mile building weekends start at about £495 for three days of passage making, night sailing, and tidal navigation around the Solent and south coast.

The Channel Islands holiday is seven days of offshore passage making at about £995. It involves night crossings, tidal gate planning, and landfalls in St Peter Port and St Helier. It is the kind of trip sailors talk about for years. Any Christmas gift guide for sailors that ignores experiences is missing the point. Sailing is something you do, not something you own.

Gift certificates for experiences are available from the Commodore Yachting office. You specify the value and the recipient chooses the date. Check the course calendar for available slots. Summer weekends book up quickly. Christmas is the right time to secure a spot for the following season.

Stocking fillers under £50

Not every gift needs to be a big production. A well chosen smaller item can be just as appreciated. This final section of the Christmas gift guide for sailors rounds up practical items that fit in a stocking.

A RYA keyring or car sticker from the RYA shop costs under £10 and signals belonging to a community. A folding rigging knife with a shackle key is about £25 and every sailor needs one. The Lankford brand at £18 is the budget option. A Sheepsfoot rigging knife from Myerchin at £45 is the premium choice. Mentioning a good knife in a Christmas gift guide for sailors is never wasted. They lose them, break them, and always want another.

A set of good ear plugs for sleeping in a marina or anchorage. The Loop Experience Pro at £30 are comfortable and reduce noise without blocking it entirely. They work for night watches too when the engine is running. A RYA logbook is about £12. Every sailor keeps a record of their passages for tidal calculations, fuel tracking, and the satisfaction of looking back at where they have been.

A waterproof notepad and pencil from Rite in the Rain at £15 lets the recipient take notes in a cockpit spray without worrying about soggy paper. We use these on our courses. A head torch with a red light mode is about £20-35. The Petzl Actik Core at £35 is a favourite. Red light preserves night vision, which is essential for anyone who sails after dark. A handheld compass from Plastimo at £55 pushes past the £50 mark but is a beautiful piece of traditional navigation equipment that every serious sailor appreciates. A Christmas gift guide for sailors that misses these basics has not spent enough time on the water.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best christmas gift for a sailor who has everything?

An RYA course voucher. Even experienced sailors have gaps in their training or want to move to the next level. A voucher lets them choose what they actually need. You specify the value, they pick the course. It is the most flexible option in this Christmas gift guide for sailors.

How much should i spend on a sailing gift?

Under £50 works for stockings and casual gifts. £50-150 covers good quality clothing accessories, books, and navigation tools. £150-500 buys foul weather gear, courses, or gadgets. Over £500 covers course bundles, yacht charter experiences, or full foul weather systems. A Christmas gift guide for sailors should help you match budget to recipient, and these ranges give you a starting point.

Are RYA course vouchers refundable?

They are transferable and valid for 18 months but not refundable. The recipient can change their chosen course date within the validity period. Check the course calendar when gifting so you can include a note about popular dates that might fill early.

What size foul weather gear should i buy as a gift?

Do not guess. Buy a voucher from Musto, Gill, or Henri Lloyd instead. Sizing varies between brands and fit is critical. Too loose flaps in the wind. Too tight restricts movement at the helm. A gift card from a marine clothing retailer is the safest option. This Christmas gift guide for sailors recommends sizing vouchers for exactly this reason.

Can i gift a yacht charter through commodore yachting?

Yes. Buy a gift certificate for any value and the recipient books the dates that work for them. Weekend self-sail charters start at £350. Skippered charters and mile building passages are also available as gifts.

What is a good sailing gift under £25?

A RYA logbook at £12, a Breton plotter at £10, a rigging knife at £18, a waterproof notepad at £15, or a RYA keyring. All fit in a stocking. All get used. A Christmas gift guide for sailors does not need to be expensive to be useful.

Do sailors prefer practical gifts or decorations?

Practical every time. A sailor would rather receive a decent torch or a dry bag than a framed print of a clipper ship. There are exceptions, but if in doubt choose function over ornament. That is the guiding principle behind this Christmas gift guide for sailors.

Where can i buy RYA course vouchers?

Directly from Commodore Yachting through our website or by calling the office. Vouchers cover the full range from Competent Crew to Yachtmaster Fast Track. We can post a printed voucher or email a PDF.

This guide was written by Tom and Jonno, RYA Yachtmaster Instructors and joint owners of Commodore Yachting.