Thursday, September 11, 2008

I *heart* SnapIts!

Let me tell you about my SnapIts. I just love my SnapIts. There is no other drinkholder for me!

When I first scored my Capri 18, Central Air, I did what all new boat owners do: I went on a shopping spree. Being somewhat naïve -- somewhat more naïve than I am now -- I purchased a couple of the suction-cup style cupholders. Live and learn, I guess. After several extremely unsatisfying experiences, many that involved spilled drinks and the need to 'lick and stick' the cupholders to the cockpit sides - GAG! - I threw those sad little cupholders into the yard sale bin. After that, I considered buying the gimballed-style stainless steel cupholders that hang from the lifelines. The problem with those, according to several sailing buddies, is that they have a tendency to fall overboard... and sink. Even employing an elaborate fastening strategy involving a "scrunchy," they still fell overboard... and sank.

Enter SnapIts!! I can't remember where I first happened upon this little wonder, but it was serendipity indeed. The SnapIt... get this... snaps onto the stanchion... and it does NOT fall overboard... nor does it sink... nor does it spill drinks! (Sailors, however, have been known to spill drinks just fine on their own, thank you very much.)

My boat is fully tricked-out with Snapits. Hydration is important, right? My cockpit holds 6ish or so people, and I have SnapIt capacity for 6 drinks, of course. (When you're not paying attention to where you're going and are about the run aground, the last thing you need is a crew member scrambling to find a place to put his drink when the skippers calls "Ready about!"... and then spilling it down his shorts and belly-aching about his wet crotch for the remainder of the afternoon. [giggle])

Of my six SnapIts, I have two 'Racing SnapIts' - one each on the port and starboard stern pulpits. I have a 'Convertible SnapIt' that serves as either a single or double drinkholder on the port amidships stanchion. I also have a 'Double SnapIt' on the starboard amidships stanchion.

Lest you believe that something that just 'snaps' onto a stanchion can't really be that secure, let me assure you that the fine folks that make SnapIts already thought of that. Each SnapIt (except for the Racing SnapIt) comes with a little 'wraparound' piece that screws onto the Snapit to keep it perfectly secure.

Please note that I am not on the payroll of the company that makes SnapIts, nor do I receive kickbacks or free SnapIts for plugging their products (although I would welcome that, of course.) I just happen to be a satisfied sailor who (1) can write 1,000 words on the most inane subject matter, and (2) thinks that SnapIts are the best sailing innovation ever!

3 comments:

Tillerman said...

Brilliant! Thanks for participating.

Carol Anne said...

Having just been spilled upon by not just one, not just two, but three sticky soft drinks and a bottle of water today, I am going to have to make a gift of SnapIts to the skipper upon whose boat I was crew this weekend.

He'll probably also appreciate not having to wipe up sticky stains on the cockpit floor, too.

Anonymous said...

I shall go out and buy some next week