Sailing Stocking Stuffers

AHOY! Happy Winter Solstice, from I'dRatherBeSailing! Today is the shortest day of the year, and also the day where everyone realizes they better get around to Christmas shopping...

In today's letter we have:

• Our 1st Sailing Stocking Stuffers Episode!

Since everyone and their dock-neighbors are doing holiday gift guides, we wanted to get in on the fun too! But we're going to do things a little differently, in classic I'dRatherBeSailing style. We're also doing ours late, because we're a bunch of sunset-chasing procrastinators. The other guides are mostly shoes and jackets, with the occasional rope bag or cooler thrown in. Our guide is going to be like when your mom *I mean Santa* put cool little knick knacks in your stocking that were thoughtful, and you never thought you needed. Kind of like a survival grab bag of items you can give to the sailor and cruiser in your life. A Sailors Survival Stocking, if you will.

These won't be expensive brand name things. Sorry, no Yeti coolers. They should be able to be purchased last minute, easy to find, and be helpful to some aspect of boat life. There won't be any links, or affiliate codes, we're not trying to sell you anything. Everything is something we all bring with us on every sailing trip, and recommend to all our sailing friends.

So here's the rules:

• Useful to sailors and cruisers

• Has to fit in a stocking

• Be under $20 (ish)

• Small enough to fit in a go-bag

• Get-able last minute

Drumroll...

• Spices. An odd item to find in a stocking, but by the time they need it, its too late. Ever tried to find pepper in Ponza? It doesn't exist! Make a little grab bag of pepper, paprika, Old Bay, Gospel Rub, and their favorite seasonings. You'll save their dinner, and some provisioning time too.

• Tabasco. That little bottle is worth its weight in gold outside of the states, and they'll be wishing they that taste of home to put on the fish they just caught. Speaking of fish...

• Collapsible Fishing Rod. Fish know when you don't have a rod, thats when they decide to bite. One is little over $20, but a decent kit can travel with them anywhere, and is perfect for when dinner is under the boat.

• Filet Knife. Sailors always need a new filet knife. The old one is always rusty and dull.

• Lures. The Lure Monster is always eating the lures. Every sailor can use another couple.

• Pole Spear. For when dinner is hiding in the reef.

• Miniature Baby Shampoo. Use for defogging dive mask, so you can see the dinner hiding in the reef. Unbelievably useful.

• Reef Safe Dry Shampoo. Boat Hair is a thing. Get a travel size.

• Insulated Tumbler. Keep those sundowners cold, and extra dishes out of the Galley. Bonus points if you can get it monogrammed.

• (Scented) Baby Wipes. If you know, you know. Hey, it gets hot out there.

• Waterproof Lighter. The boat lighter is always wet, and somebody lost the matches. A butane, or electric arc lighter can be a lifesaver.

• Cheap Work Gloves. Doubles as diving gloves, and fish cleaning gloves too. Get them from Home Depot for a couple bucks.

• Lifestraw Water Filter. Anyone who's made a water stop at a non-potable water port wishes they had one. Boiling the water may make it safe, but it does't make it not brown. If anyone has a trip planned to Carriacou, this will make sense after one water stop.

• Suture Kit/First Aid Kit. Because you never know, and the best anchorages don't have Emergency Rooms.

• Neosporin/Anti sting. Sometimes Paradise stings. Noseeums. Jellyfish. Rash. Eczema. A little tube goes a long way.

• 50% OFF YachtWorld Coupon. Print out a piece of paper that says 50% OFF All Boats on Yacht World. Enjoy their extreme confusion and excitement as they figure out your exceptional gag-gift.

They may bat an eye at the odd assortment, but they'll be txting their gratitude from overpriced roaming data...somewhere in the Caribbean.

Thats it for today! Stay salty and stay safe from that storm thats brewing.