The U.S. Coast Guard, as a public service to holiday gift shoppers has announced its recommended USCG Approved gifts for 12 nautical days of Christmas… there are lots of important items on the list.
“Nothing says ‘I love you’ to a mariner like the gift of a marine GPS navigation, a Coast Guard approved life jacket, boating safety course or 406 MHz electronic position indicating radio beacon,” said Lt. Cmdr. Chris O’Neil, the Coast Guard’s chief of media relations. “Regardless of the occasion or holiday, the gifts we recommend this year can save a loved one’s life, making them the perfect gift this season, or throughout the year. Diamonds are pretty, and big-screen, high-definition televisions are great for watching the big game, but they won’t help you prevent a boating accident, or survive after you’ve been in one.”
Among the Coast Guard’s recommended nautical gifts are:
- A Marine GPS navigation system
- A 406 MHz EPIRB (make sure you register it after purchase, or rescuers may be delayed in reaching you!)
- A Coast Guard-approved life jacket (because they float, you don’t…)
- A handheld VHF-FM radio with DSC
- A Boating Safety Books (boater education saves lives — it’s a fact)
- Vessel Safety Check (VSC) from the Coast Guard Auxiliary (it’s free!)
- A Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher
- A first aid kit in a watertight container
- A seamanship book
- Electronic Nautical Charts for the areas your favorite mariner frequents
- A signaling kit
- A life raft with a survival kit
Some of the most valuable gifts don’t cost anything but time, such as scheduling a free vessel safety check with your local Coast Guard Auxiliary.
