Whether you have a sailing fanatic in the family or want to thank the staff at your marina, these 5 homemade gifts for sailors are sure to please. Or, if you don’t have time to make something, check out our list of 60 boating gifts for inspiration. Read-on for quick-to-make and easy-to-stow gift ideas for the sailor in your life.
This post was based on an article originally published in Good Old Boat Magazine.
1. Margarita marmalade
This twisted marmalade is great for both sweet and savory cooking and only requires 3 ingredients that you’ll likely already have on board. My personal favorite, is to put a dollop on top of cheese and crackers for a decadent happy hour snack.
Ingredients
3 lbs of limes
4 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of Tequila
4 tbsp. of Cointreau or Controy (optional)
Makes 4 cups of marmalade
Directions
Remove and slice lime zest into 1/16” slivers
Juice limes, then add water so that you have 4 cups of liquid
Coarsely chop remaining fruit and tie in a cheesecloth bundle
Boil zest and lime water and immerse the cheesecloth bundle
Once boiling, reduce and simmer for one hour
Remove bundle, bring to a boil, and add sugar
Reduce heat to simmer, stirring until the mixture sets up (about 10 minutes)
Remove from heat, and stir in Tequila and Cointreau
Can your margarita masterpiece
2. Sailboat glamour shots
If you’re excited by the idea of a margarita on toast for breakfast, we should clarify this next one. By “sailboat glamour shots” we mean photographs, not throwing back Crystal on your 1981 Cape Dory 22 (though that would be cool too). Sailors love their boats like they love their children, and you can really never have enough pictures of your floating pride and joy. Take a couple of glamour shots of a fellow cruiser’s boat next time you’re both out sailing, print, and back on cardstock for a personalized card.
3. Catch-of-the-day BBQ rub
Cruisers love things that save time in the galley. Bottling your favorite spice mix or rub makes a great and easy-to-stow gift. Try bottling up this barbeque rub for freshly caught fish:
Ingredients
2 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 tbsp. coriander
2 tsp. chilli powder
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
Makes ~10 tbsp. of spice mix, enough to fill a small spice jar
Directions
Mix your spices and put in a decorative jar
Hot-buttered rum mix
If ever there was a beverage for a cold night on the boat, it has to be hot-buttered rum. This delicious hot rum recipe is sure to warm the cockles and fellow cruisers’ hearts. To add to this gift you might like to include a bottle of your favorite rum.
Ingredients
One stick of salted butter
2 cups of brown sugar
1 tsp. of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. of nutmeg
Instructions
Mix ingredients well until blended and put in a decorative jar.
Add a label with instructions for mixing (mix one tablespoon of hot rum mix, one shot of rum, and one cup of boiling water).
A cruising care pack
Package some of your favorite goodies for on the boat. Sunscreen, ginger chews, citronella candles, chocolate, solar lights, coffee are all thoughtful little things to have onboard. Bundle them up in a mesh bag and it can later be used on board for storing fruits and veggies.
Whether it’s a card, gourmet galley provisions, or a cruising care pack, these thoughtful, easy-to-stow gifts are sure to leave your fellow-sailors smiling.
Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.