Cup Holders

This will be beneath many of the esteemed members of this forum but it is worth asking nonetheless.

In my humble opinion, cup holders traditionally on boats look and are crap. I am doing a custom new build at the moment and trying to find an elegant solution to the perennial problem of resting our brew somewhere.

If we pretend the odd landlubber wont try use it as a handhold, and that we are willing to spend over the average to find or create the right solution, has anyone got any ideas for solving this problem?

The scale of the project means there is scope to think outside the box.

The best thing I have so far is making a marinized version of my 20yr old Saab cup holder.



Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

No pictures
Once sailing vessel has them cut into the seat cushions. Bonus, doubles as a cozy.

 

I am looking for something more substantial/permanent as the cushions won't be out in heavy weather.

That is a good idea nonetheless though. Thanks for suggesting it.

 

Use Viking cup holders, a scuttled butt, or none. The cup was a horn that could not be set down. Finish it or pass it to a man who could. With a scuttled butt, the cup was round on the bottom and had to be drank immediately. Optionally, just use a classic jack shape. /_\ With non slip bottoms, they won't spill until you capsize.

 

Traditional varnished timber cup holders (with a wee notch for the handle re coffee and tea mugs) can look quite nice.
Or you could go to the opposite extreme, and create carbonfibre / epoxy holders - a nice extravagance that will save a few ounces.
(I once saw a beautiful carbon fibre toilet seat and cover on a Wally launch)

Here is quite a range of different cup holders available from Defender in the USA, including gimballed ones.
https://search.defender.com/?expression=cup holders&s=1&Trigger=ac

Changing tack, I am just wondering if you are connected with the classic Colin Archer Velsia?
Velsia - Classic Yacht Info http://classicyachtinfo.com/yachts/velsia/

 

I have to stay away from the defender website or my wife starts freezing credit cards! They have a hell of a range on there, if it was for anything else I would start there.

I should of been a bit clearer. I am specifically looking for something and out of the ordinary and interesting thus the Saab cup holder, which I am still trying to figure out.

On the other tack, I am connected to Velsia in that I have sailed a thousand miles on her or so over the years as one of my best mates owns her with his family. Do you know her? She is one of my personal top 5.

 

I don't know Velsia as such, but I have enjoyed reading about her and her adventures occasionally in Classic Boat magazine.
I can see why she is in your personal top 5 - I have a soft spot for Colin Archers, and have sailed on a friend's gaff ketch Colin Archer (heavy but comfortable - 39' hull length and 19 tonnes displacement) from Southampton down to Lisbon 30 years ago, and out here in the Caribbean.

Re the Saab cup holders, they do look very neat, but I guess that the Saab folk are probably not too keen on divulging any secrets about them.....

 

Velsia is an unusual Colin Archer in that she was built not as a pilot boat, nor rescue boat (redingskoite) but as a yacht, for the Swedish ambassador to Norway I believe in 1890. She is so enchanting that I ended up with a double ender myself though an Atkin one. She is one of those boats which looks after you and not the other way around.

Which Colin Archer were you aboard? Maybe this should be a private msg. Velsia's cupholder's are lacking, in keeping with her era.

 

Less is more. Built in cup holders with a drain; where possible; not in plain view.

 

I'll pm you Velsia with the info re my friend's Colin Archer (and also not to hijack this thread).
I note on the link I posted previously re Velsia that she has a Saab diesel engine - maybe you could offer to give them some free advertising, if they let you have a couple of their mug holders for Velsia?

 

How about something that could be used as handhold? Some stout finger friendly 1/2" pipe bent in cup holder diameter, with an under-support loop. It would be a semi-permanent fixture mounted with a few stout screws to a stout base, and on a vertical surface more or less like this, but strong enough for handhold.https://www.walmart.com/ip/Custom-A...-Holder-44-oz-Capacity-Multi-Colored/24940398

It would double as towel or clothes hanging loop.

 

FWIW- I use to be a boat dealer, I ran a car repair shop and I have seen and used most all of the current production drink holders and over many years have also tried to come up with a "better" holder. (Try holding a drink in an old 930 Porsche that can corner at 1 G +) So far I am still using the mesh line catcher bags in my cockpit as my drink holders. My cockpit is fairly small with lots of line and anything that protrudes into it either catches lines and or gets smashed, broken off or knocked overboard while often leaving a bruise on the crew. They hate that! The mesh bags are not elegant but they do what all the "designed" holders don't. The catch bags are near where the crew is working, they are easy to "hit" with your drink, they fit any size or shape and they don't have the potential for line interference or crew injury. I first tried making dedicated pockets for drinks but I have found the wide opening for the line was the place of choice for all of the crew. The wad of line stored in the bag is good for stabilizing your drink. Obviously, you don't put your drink in the bag with the spinnaker halyard that is about to run out . I still find the small pockets useful for cell phones, handheld radios and sunscreen bottles so I still add them when I sew up a bag.
Good luck with your design, and I really do hope you can come up with a better design, but in the meantime, I will continue to make cheap and effective mesh catch-all bags. Every boat can use a few!
B

 

I was hoping that you were going to take this down the line of Porsche cup holders then, that would be an exciting jump.

The bags are practical idea. I will see if I can find a way to add some pizaz to them.

I have contacted Saab, well the new owners of Saab "NEV" and hopefully they can provide some insight into how their contraption works. I will keep updating as this evolves.