Booty: The Inner Sailor

Still looking for Holiday gifts? Got a closet seafarer on your list? Not quite sure what would really bring out their inner sailor on Yuletide? Fear not; Pauline is here to help, as always. Here are a few suggestions for grown-ups (these things aren’t cheap so I wouldn’t recommend them for the under 18 set; I mean, unless you’ve got that kind of coin to throw around) that should hit the spot nicely.

First is the above illustrated pea coat from the J. Peterman Company of Kentucky. Peterman buys his from the same supplier as the U.S. Navy so this is as close to the real deal as you’re going to get without enlisting or enrolling at Annapolis. There are a few very minor differences but over all you have the same tough construction, warm wool and glossy buttons etched with foul anchors. Find it here gentlemen and ladies.

Our next two items come from the National Geographic Store, whose offerings I have always been pleased with. The telescope above is a precise replica of the type used by David Porter and Jean Laffite (that’s right; men on both sides of the law!) 200 years ago. Made of brass, it folds down nicely to fit in one’s pocket, which made it handy when climbing up to the main top to spot a potential prize. The First Mate gave me one of these a few birthdays back and I love it. I’ve seen every moose that cruises through my neighborhood up close from the safety of my living room. Not the original use, of course, but still worth the while. Here is the link.

Finally, a map that is as intriguing as it is accurate. The Ghost Fleets of the Outer Bank reference map. It documents every shipwreck along the Carolina coasts from 1585 to 1969 including a number of confirmed or possible pirate wrecks like Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge. NatGeo’s maps are always stunningly rendered and suitable for framing. If I lived on the Carolina coast, this would be a must have.

These are just a few suggestions but I would also encourage you to poke around both sites for other possible gift ideas. There are lots of quality goodies – some already on sale. Enjoy. Oh, and don’t forget tomorrow is the Army/Navy football game. Go Goats!