Purchasing Christmas gifts for boaters can often be a difficult process. Many of your mariner friends will buy what they need as the demand arises, leaving few gift choices for the holiday season. With this dilemma in mind, here are some gift suggestions that a family sailor would be pleased to see under the Christmas tree.
MaraMAPS Folding Deck Tables
The MaraMAPS company of Tampa, Florida manufactures a line of folding boat deck chairs that bear a unique surface, a marine chart of a boater’s favorite waters. These folding tables designed for use in the marine environment using exterior urethane and paint coatings, brass or stainless steel hardware, and printing that is resistant to ultraviolet rays.
Two distinct styles of table construction are offered, with a standard size of 16 by 24 inches. One bears a classical nautical look and finish, with darkly stained top, rope edging and wooden legs. The other is more contemporary, using a white top, white wooden legs, and rubber edging. Pricing starts at $125. Custom table shapes and sizes can be provided by MaraMAPS. Wooden components used in these tables are made in a wood shop operated by disabled veterans.
ACR Electronics GlobalFix PRO EPIRB
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) are satellite based transmitters that greatly assist potential rescuers in locating boats that are in distress. Once only found on commercial vessels, improvements in technology and wider adoption of these devices has greatly lower their cost. Purchasing an EPIRB for a Christmas gift could represent way to ensure the boating safety of a loved one.
ACR Electronics is a well known manufacturer of locator beacons. The recent release of the GlobalFix PRO model represents some significant advances in EPIRB design. This beacon uses a very sensitive global positioning system (GPS) engine to allow for faster acquisition of a vessel’s position during an emergency. Search and rescue (SAR) agencies can receive a position notification from the GlobalFix PRO in as few as three minutes and a reduced search location radius of 0.05 nautical miles or a hundred meters. An automatically deployable version of this device can be found online for less than $800. More information on this product can be found at the ACR website.
Personalized Gear from BoatNameGear.com
Andrew Canepari in Newington, Connecticut started BoatNameGear.com in southern New England to provide custom embroidered products that would be enjoyed by boaters. Items like hats, shirts, towels, fenders and ring buoys personalized with a vessel name make excellent Christmas gifts for boat owners and their onboard guests as well.
In the lead up to the Christmas season, Andrew reports that their biggest sellers are polo shirts with the vessel name on the left chest. They are often ordered in pairs, with Captain and First Mate stitched onto them. A bundled set like this costs less than $50 and matching ball caps are frequently purchased to go with them. Another popular item is a non-slip mat embroidered with the phrase “Welcome Aboard” and the vessel name that begin at $60 in price.
MaraMAPS, ACR Electronics and BoatNameGear.com offer some unique products that would make excellent Christmas gifts for the boater in the family or company. In addition to items described here, there other products to consider found at their company websites.
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