ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard announces top safety gifts and stocking stuffer ideas for the Holiday season.

"Mariners need to be prepared for the unexpected,"said Capt. Jack Kenyon, chief of prevention for the 17th Coast Guard District. "What better way to show someone you genuinely care than the gift of survival in Alaska's unforgiving waters?"

Coast Guard’s top nautical gifts ideas 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! In remote Alaska areas, this may become your ONLY way to call for help.)
•A Coast Guard-approved life jacket (because they float, you don’t…)
•A handheld VHF marine radio
•A Boating Safety Course (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
•Nautical charts for the areas your favorite mariner frequents
•A signaling kit (mirror, whistle and day/ night flares)
•Clothing that is warm and water resistant and appropriate for Alaska and its extreme environments
•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. For more information on scheduling a free vessel safety check visit www.safetyseal.net. To find a boating safety course in your area visit http://www.aboutboatingsafely.com/.

From the Coast Guard family to yours, Happy Holidays!