Made to order · Free UK delivery, 4 to 9 working days

Christmas gifts for sailors

The months ashore are long.

For delivery before Christmas, order prints by Thursday 10 December. An AI portrait of your own boat needs time to choose a preview: order it by Tuesday 8 December.

View every print
At Anchor: marine artwork At AnchorFrom £17.99 Under Sail: marine artwork Under SailFrom £17.99 Room to Sail: marine artwork Room to SailFrom £17.99 A boat photograph made into a flat-colour gouache-style print Make it personal: their own boatFrom £16.99 Print their photo as it is, or try an AI portrait with a free preview. Homeward Wake: marine artwork Homeward WakeFrom £17.99 The Quiet Berth: marine artwork The Quiet BerthFrom £17.99 Slack Water: marine artwork Slack WaterFrom £17.99 Headland Light: marine artwork Headland LightFrom £17.99 Harbour Light: marine artwork Harbour LightFrom £17.99 Storm Keeper: marine artwork Storm KeeperFrom £17.99 Inner Harbour: marine artwork Inner HarbourFrom £17.99 Crab Boats: marine artwork Crab BoatsFrom £17.99 The Cove: marine artwork The CoveFrom £17.99

These Christmas gifts for sailors keep the water in view. Choose a sailing or motorboat art print, or a print of the boat they sail, made from your photo. Every print is made to order and delivered free to UK addresses. Below the prints you'll find ideas by budget, by the person you're buying for, and when to order.

A frosty yacht cockpit in a still December harbour, a coiled rope and a parcel tied with holly on the seat.

The best Christmas gifts for sailors this year

Start with six boat prints, three with sails and three with engines. None shows a real boat or a named harbour, so none of them can be the wrong boat.

  • At Anchor: one white sailing yacht at rest on celadon water. A calm picture for a bedroom or a study.
  • Under Sail: a pair of classic yachts under full sail, in ivory canvas. A tall, portrait-shaped print for someone who races or cruises.
  • Room to Sail: a little dinghy beside an ochre buoy, with sage-green water all round. Good for a first boat.
  • Homeward Wake: a cream motor launch drawing a long white line across deep green water.
  • The Quiet Berth: a blue and ivory cruiser tied up at a wooden pontoon on a still estuary.
  • Slack Water: an ochre and ivory launch on its mooring buoy, on slate-teal water.

The first three hang together as a set of sailing prints. The last three are motorboat prints, for the sailor who shares a pontoon with launches.

New this autumn: lighthouse prints such as Headland Light and Storm Keeper, and coastal prints of harbours and coves, including Inner Harbour and Crab Boats. They suit a sailor who loves the coast as much as the boat.

A print of their own boat

A flat wrapped parcel with a sprig of holly on a yacht saloon table.
The boat they actually sail, not someone else's.

A picture of the boat they actually sail says more than a picture of someone else's. There are two ways to make one.

Keep their photo exactly as taken when the hull, rig and sail numbers must stay as recorded. Upload the full-size file and the tool shows which sizes suit it.

Or pick an art treatment: watercolour, marine oil or a colour study. A free watermarked preview comes first. Look closely at the hull, rigging and fittings, because the AI sometimes alters small parts. Choosing a preview takes extra time, so allow a few more days before Christmas.

Someone on the crew will usually have a good photo. Use one you're allowed to reproduce. Our boat portraits page sets the two routes side by side.

Secret Santa gifts for sailors

Drawn a sailor from the office or the club? A Secret Santa limit doesn't stretch far, so look at the A4 posters and the mugs. A yacht at anchor or a harbour at dawn suits anyone who sails, and because none of our boats is a real one, you can't pick the wrong boat. The list below comes straight from the catalogue, so the prices are the ones you'll pay.

Gifts under £20

Stocking fillers for sailors

A Christmas stocking by a fireplace with a small wrapped parcel and a coil of rope at the top.
From stocking fillers to something special.

An A4 poster slips into a stocking and fits a small frame from any high street shop. A mug printed with one of our boat or harbour scenes is the other easy stocking filler, and it gets used every morning. Pair one with a small print of the boat they sail if you have a good photo of her.

Christmas gifts for sailors by budget

For a bigger present, here's the rest of the range by price.

Under £50

Larger posters make a statement above a sofa or a bed. Measure the wall first.

Under £100

Framed posters sit behind plexiglass, and canvas comes stretched over a wooden frame, so neither needs a frame shop.

Something special

Framed canvas and larger metal prints suit a main wall. Framed, their own boat is a present they'll keep for years.

Christmas gifts for boat owners, dads and partners

A motor boat wake curving away across calm grey-green water.
Think of the boat he talks about, not the brochure.

For him

Think about the boat he talks about, not the one in the brochure. Under Sail suits a yachtsman who loves classic boats. Homeward Wake suits a man who'd rather have an engine and a flask. Our sailing gifts for men go further.

For her

A calm mooring often lasts longer on a wall than a dramatic sea. At Anchor and The Quiet Berth are the two most restful pieces. If she owns the boat, a print of hers beats any of them.

For dad

Dig out a photo of the family boat from a good day and print it. If there's no family boat, choose the kind he'd buy: a dinghy, a yacht or a launch.

For yacht owners

Yacht owners notice rigs. Choose a portrait-shaped print with room above the mast, or print their own yacht from a broadside photo.

For motorboat owners

Owners of motor cruisers look first at the hull and the windows. Slack Water and The Quiet Berth show the boat at rest. Read our motorboat portrait guide before uploading a photo of theirs.

Nautical and coastal gifts for people who love the sea

A seaside cottage window seat looking out to a harbour, a framed lighthouse painting on the wall.
For people who love the sea, not only boats.

Not everyone on your list owns a boat. For a friend who walks the coast path or keeps a cottage by the sea, try our nautical gifts. Our full guide to gifts for sailors adds books, courses and experiences, and boat gifts covers new boats, birthdays and retirements.

When to order for Christmas delivery

Each print is made once you order it. Production takes 2 to 4 working days and delivery 2 to 5 more, so allow up to 9 working days. Weekends and bank holidays don't count.

From 1 November the last order dates for prints and for AI portraits appear at the top of this page and in your basket. Delivery is free to UK addresses. Delivery and returns has the full terms.

Questions, answered

What is the best Christmas present for a sailor?
Something tied to the water they actually sail on. A print of their boat is hard to beat. A sailing art print, a sailing book or a training course also works well.
What do you buy a sailor who has everything?
Buy for the house rather than the boat. A picture for the wall won't compete with the kit they already own.
When should I order for Christmas delivery?
Allow up to 9 working days: 2 to 4 to make the print and 2 to 5 to deliver it. From 1 November the last order dates are shown at the top of this page and in the basket.
Can I get a print of their boat in time?
Yes, if you order early. A direct photo print goes into production straight away. An AI portrait waits until you've chosen and approved a preview, so order it a few days earlier.