Last-Minute Gift Solutions

If you’re stumped — or perhaps in a near-panic — over what to get your favorite sailors for Christmas, we’ve got a few suggestions.

First, take off your raincoat, set down your car keys and pour yourself a tall glass of egg nog (yeah, the spiked version). Next, think about which of the following your hard-to-buy-for sailor would like best: sailing lessons from a local school, either to upgrade his or her skills to a coastal cruising or bareboat certification, or perhaps to focus on specific skills like spinnaker flying or racing tactics; a course to earn his or her U.S. Coast Guard-issued Captain’s License; a gift certificate for his or her favorite chandlery or online gear site; or a down payment on a yacht charter vacation in some exotic destination.

We think any one of these ideas would make you a hero on Christmas morning (or for Hanukkah or Kwanzaa). And you can probably complete the transactions by computer without even leaving your home. Which means, of course, that you can have a second glass of egg nog.

So here’s wishing you all very happy holidays — that are as stress-free as possible.