8 Easy-to-Buy Christmas Gifts for Boat Owners
October 20, 2022 5 min read
Here’s a pro tip for the holidays: Every boat owner, for every occasion, everywhere in the world, wants stuff for his or her boat. That should make shopping easy, right?
Well, not necessarily. The problem is that for anybody except the boat owner, boat accessories can be tough to choose and buy, since not many of them are “one size fits all.” Almost anything that permanently mounts to a boat requires careful measurement and planning.
Fortunately, there are still plenty of boat-related goodies that are virtually universal and require little or no installation work, making them easy to choose and buy, even for non-boaters.
Here are a few of the best gifts for boaters this year.
1. Boat Smartphone Holder
Smartphones have lots of uses on boats: for communications, entertainment and even navigation. But most boats lack a secure, convenient place to put a phone, so it ends up in a pocket, a cupholder or loose on the dash. Lots of different purpose-built phone holders are available, but these require no measuring or drilling at all:
Most Popular Marine Smartphone Holders
Suction Cup Mount Phone Holder — Simple and easy to stick onto any smooth surface
Flex-X Holder with SeaSucker Vacuum Mount — Versatile option with highly adjustable viewing angle
Pontoon Universal Speaker and Phone Holder —Mounts to square pontoon rail and holder Bluetooth speaker too
ROKK Mini for Phone with Rail Mount — Universal, secure phone holder clamps to rails; also available with a versatile cable tie mount.
ROKK Active Waterproof Phone Holder/ Wireless Charger — Does require some minor installation work and connection to 12V power — but it’s too cool not to include it on this list.
2. CaddyCan Portable Boat Trash Can
Who wants to get a trash can for a gift, right? But for boaters, it makes a lot of sense. Boating and fishing produce lots of garbage — snack wrappers, empty cans and water bottles, bait and tackle packaging, etc. But boats, like cars, generally don’t have anywhere to put it, so it ends up on the floor, back in the cooler, in cup holders and so on. Then, when you get back to the dock, you have to gather it all up again to throw it away. So a dedicated trash receptacle is actually a lot better gift than you might think at first glance. The CaddyCan mounts easily to any rail, collapses when not in use and keeps lightweight trash from blowing out when underway. For smaller boats, take a look at the Junior version.
3. Cooler Add-Ons
So this one isn’t truly universal, since some cooler accessories are specific to the brand and size of cooler, but that shouldn’t be too hard to find out.
Our high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cooler top cutting boards install in seconds with no screws and can be used for prepping snacks, drinks or bait without damaging the top of that shiny, high-dollar cooler.
They are available for YETI, Engel, K2 and Dakota rotomolded coolers. Other no-drill cooler accessories include drink caddies for YETI and Engel that are great for sandbar afternoons and fishing rod and tackle units for YETI and Engel. For serious hosts, check out this Cooler Top Serving Tray.
4. Helm Pads
As good a gift for every boater is a foam helm pad. With an easy peel-and-stick application, you can add cushion under your feet. Along with extra padding under feet, helm pads provides non-slip traction.
Boat Outfitters can custom cut our top-quality 6mm gray or teak Shark Deck material to virtually any rectangular shape with your choice of corner radius.
We also have pre-designed pieces for bolster pads, cooler tops, helm pads, step pads, and more on our EVA foam decking page. If you need some custom-cut, unique pieces give us a call and we can get them made!
5. Rod Holder Flagpole
Whether it’s a dive flag for safety, an American or state flag for pride, or the flag of a favorite college or pro team, boaters often fly flags both underway and at anchor. The problem is that smaller recreational boats usually don’t have a convenient way to do it.
A flagpole that drops directly into an existing gunwale or T-top rod holder makes it easy.
Powder-coated aluminum rod holder flagpoles feature a beautiful, durable white finish and stainless hardware. Fiberglass flagpoles are easier on the wallet and available complete with dive or American flag.
6. No-Drill Drink Holders
Speaking of cups, boats never seem to have enough places to put them. Fortunately, there are lots of convenient ways to add more drink holders to virtually any boat without drilling a single hole.
Popular Installation Free Drink Holders
Pontoon Drink and Wine Bar with Serving Tray - The perfect way to serve drinks and food on your pontoon boat, accommodates nearly every size/shape drink or wine glass on the market.
Vacuum-Mount Drink Holders — SeaSucker-mounted double drink holders are available for vertical surfaces and with an adjustable RAM Mount arm for maximum versatility in mounting locations.
Suction Cup Drink Holders — Available for one, two, or three drinks with white, black or teak bases, our Stainless cup holders mount instantly on any smooth, flat surface.
YETI Side Mounted 3 Cup Beverage Caddy — Utilizes the tie-down slot on the side of the cooler as a mounting point, while integrating its own tie-down slot so that you can still secure the cooler.
7. Mesh Storage
Turn wasted space into storage! Organization is key on any boat. There are many different shapes and sizes for mesh bag storage. These are great for keeping sunscreen, shoes, fishing tackle, and any lose items safe and out of the way. From suspended tackle bags to velcro and stick-on storage bags, these are the perfect gift for any boater.
8. Boat and Dock Lines
Lines, also commonly referred to as ropes are a necessity on every vessel. We often forget how vital mooring lines are until we pull up to the boat ramp dock, marina, fuel dock, or even the local watering hole. It's good to have some spare lines and to replace them as they wear out.
Dock lines usually last a few years before UV exposure, or normal wear and tear start to break them down, so a boat owner will always appreciate them as a gift! The Double Braid Nylon Dock Line we offer is a high-quality rope to ensure secure docking, and is supple, making knot tying a breeze.
