It’s that time of year again and the question of what to get the boater on your list is coming back around as well. “Fun” is a relative term when it comes to boating gifts and accessories: some items many boaters would like and view as “fun”, “neat” or “I’ve been wanting a new one of those” may be things they really hope will never be needed.

Last year’s “fun” list included things like an Inflatable Life Jacket (PFD), handheld VHF radio, or an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon); each is a great addition to a boater’s equipment list.

While the items on last year’s list may meet the fun level as new-tech additions to their on-board equipment, the following gift ideas for 2022 may be closer to falling under the less than enthusiastic, “Oh, wow…Socks. Gee, thanks” designation, but sometimes you just may need the marine gift equivalent of “socks.”

New Dock Lines: dock lines don’t last forever: chafing wear, repeated stress and sunlight can take a toll. Replacing the current set of odd, worn lines may save your boat when a storm is coming and the old, degraded lines you’ve been meaning to replace are all you have on hand to secure the boat against the weather. Another practice that can also make life easier for the skipper or crew, is to have color-coded lines so in a docking situation, when things can be stressful already, you don’t have to dig through a mixed pile of assorted length, but all the same color, lines looking for the ones you want to use. I have way too many assorted length and diameter lines on board, so the daily working lines are 4 blue 25’ x ½” lines and 4 red 35’ x ½” lines. The rest are tucked away to be used if/when needed. Always neatly coil/stow the lines the same way so untangling won’t be an issue and deployment can be quick.

New Bigger (or Additional) Fire Extinguisher(s): The regs have changed and even an extinguisher with a gauge reading “in the green” may no longer be “legal”. Along with a change in the extinguisher size designations, there’s now an expiration period on extinguishers and any non-rechargeable extinguisher older than 12 years, regardless of what the gauge says, won’t count if you’re boarded by the Coast Guard or inspected by the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Extinguishers that are rechargeable must have an attached tag showing not over six years since the last recharge.

When thinking about fire extinguishers, it’s good to remember that the “minimum” extinguisher standards were derived through laboratory testing with standardized “test” fires being extinguished by technicians who do that every day. A person with no experience even practicing with a fire extinguisher, much less a person with no experience in fire-fighting in an actual life-threatening situation, will likely be much less successful in utilizing all of an extinguisher’s rated effectiveness. An occasional onboard fire drill, like the occasional Man Overboard drill, is a good plan for family boating.

The standard “5B” size (formerly BI) extinguishers…the small 2.75 lb ones, about the size of a rolled-up Sunday newspaper, are empty after only 8-12 seconds! The larger “20B” (formerly BII) size functions for about the same amount of time, they just spray out more fire-extinguishing chemicals in that same 10+/- second period.

Either way, not a lot of time to avoid the other two options after option 1: “Put out the fire”, fails. If things are still on fire after your meets the minimum requirement extinguisher is empty, your options may quickly narrow to option 2: “Abandon Ship!” or option 3: “Burn up.”

New Fenders: fenders get old, slimy, deflated, and cruddy, and the line attachments can give out or split with age. Boats aren’t legally required to have fenders but one of the issues that CG Auxiliary vessel examiners often observe is boats with too few and too small fenders for the size of the boat. Protecting a nice boat from “dock rash” is a challenge when the few fenders available are barely bigger than a loaf of white bread. Think about those fenders being the only barrier between the boat and dock when a gale warning is in the forecast and 30+ knot winds and 3’+ seas may combine to pound the boat against the dock for hours on end.

The advice here is get the biggest ones that can be stowed conveniently and 4 is a good target number. Like dedicated dock lines, matching fenders can make docking easier and quicker without having to explain which fender goes where every time you dock the boat. Adding same-length lines (aka fender whips) to each fender further reduces the decisions that may need to be made in a hurry when wind or current is accelerating your approach.

Fenders aren’t sexy or exciting but avoiding dings and gouges when returning home can make for a much more enjoyable, relaxed outing and any docking evolutions while out, like a fuel stop, will be less stressful, as well.

So, no flashing lights, digital readouts, bells or whistles on this year’s last-minute gift list, just boating essentials; two will be used regularly and can make your boater’s life easier and less stressful. The other you hope you’ll never need but is too important to overlook. So, way better than goofy Christmas socks... or even regular socks.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org or www.flotilla25.org