Alcohol storage ideas onboard

[sndog]

Hello as always. I am wrapping up a few projects, and now need to figure out a good way to store, and easily access alcohol for guests onboard. Here is about 75% of the alcohol that goes onboard, minus the wines, and trying to figure out a good way to have it stored, and readily accessible. I am trying to keep doubles of everything, but I am thinking one upfront, and one in a storage area. Would love to see what others are doing, or did, or any other thoughts and ideas in reference to it.

I have three areas I can, but also need to put my library there as well, one of the the photos is some of the books, but it is enough to fill all of the cabinets near the stereo, which has since been removed and replaced with Devialet Phantom Gold speakers. I will update photos to give a better perspective when I can.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Diep]

I have heard of people storing wine down in the hull where the water keeps the temps pretty stable. Like under a V-Berth or similar so you could consider that for backups and "deep storage".

Our boat has a built-in bar (all grand banks seem to). We don't keep much on board and only make a couple kinds of drinks. So I ordered some empty round bottles that would fit the bar and labeled them. Then I just refill them as necessary from larger bottles at home. I also got some small bottles to keep the mixers in.

None of which is really relevant to your question. I mainly wanted to post and appreciate the Casamigas Blanco, which is my go-to for margaritas, and the fact that I too will have trouble letting go of the Calculus book.

 

[snowskierandpilot]

Vodka will fit anywhere on a boat and helps to lighten the dark water look! Good luck with the project, have fun and remember to enjoy your work with a beverage at the end of each work session.

 

[O C Diver]

I only drink red wine. So maybe you can adapt what I did.

My friends and I make wine at a place called Bacchus. Using their facility, we do all the steps. So when we bottle, a half barrel is 12 cases (12 bottles per case) and a full barrel is 23 to 24 cases. We normally do 2 or 3 types per year. Yes I like my wine and sharing with friends.

When cruising, I could take the dividers from two cases and put 16 bottles in a milk crate, perfectly. Putting the bottles in cork down kept them properly wet. Typically I had 4 milk crates to cover June through September. With 8 or 10 wines types, I could store most in deep storage and keep one crate handy. Deep storage was my closet under shoes and everything else on the floor.

Milk crates offer a solid structure with almost no weight. A piece of very thin plastic makes the bottom solid. At a cubic foot, a full crate is still manageable if you need to transfer the location. For me, being able to pull the container out to inventory as opposed to unstacking a lot of bottles in a remote location was a great feature.

Ted

 

[KnotYet]

... I too will have trouble letting go of the Calculus book.

Please, no more! I did my 3 semesters over 50 years ago and I'm still waiting for the first
need for differential equations in (my) real life as an engineer, inventor and all-around techie.

 

[Diep]

Haha, maybe its Stockholm Syndrome!

With that said, in my real life as an engineer I also don't have need to solve a differential equation. However, calculus underlies the understanding of the theories at play. Essentially I "think" with calculus without even realizing it every day - I bet you do too!

I read this "calculus" book a while back and thought it was good. It reminded me of how much we see the world through a "calculus" lens. I recommend it to anyone with a general interest in STEM stuff. Its a light read.

Infinite Powers — Steven Strogatz

A brilliant and endlessly appealing explanation of calculus—how it works and why it makes our lives immeasurably better. Without calculus, we wouldn’t have cell phones, TV, GPS, or ultrasound. We wouldn’t have unraveled DNA or discovered Neptune or figured out how to put 5,000 songs in your pocket.

www.stevenstrogatz.com

Sorry for the drift OP. Back to the bar!

 

[sndog]

Vodka will fit anywhere on a boat and helps to lighten the dark water look! Good luck with the project, have fun and remember to enjoy your work with a beverage at the end of each work session.

I have some vodka as well, and dont forget he Aperol for Aperol spritzes.

 

[sndog]

I only drink red wine. So maybe you can adapt what I did.

My friends and I make wine at a place called Bacchus. Using their facility, we do all the steps. So when we bottle, a half barrel is 12 cases (12 bottles per case) and a full barrel is 23 to 24 cases. We normally do 2 or 3 types per year. Yes I like my wine and sharing with friends.

When cruising, I could take the dividers from two cases and put 16 bottles in a milk crate, perfectly. Putting the bottles in cork down kept them properly wet. Typically I had 4 milk crates to cover June through September. With 8 or 10 wines types, I could store most in deep storage and keep one crate handy. Deep storage was my closet under shoes and everything else on the floor.

Milk crates offer a solid structure with almost no weight. A piece of very thin plastic makes the bottom solid. At a cubic foot, a full crate is still manageable if you need to transfer the location. For me, being able to pull the container out to inventory as opposed to unstacking a lot of bottles in a remote location was a great feature.

Ted

The milk crates holding the spares, in the bilge, as my bilges are dry is actually a really great idea, as there is a lot of room down them, and are about 20" tall. So great idea.

 

[sndog]

I have heard of people storing wine down in the hull where the water keeps the temps pretty stable. Like under a V-Berth or similar so you could consider that for backups and "deep storage".

Our boat has a built-in bar (all grand banks seem to). We don't keep much on board and only make a couple kinds of drinks. So I ordered some empty round bottles that would fit the bar and labeled them. Then I just refill them as necessary from larger bottles at home. I also got some small bottles to keep the mixers in.

None of which is really relevant to your question. I mainly wanted to post and appreciate the Casamigas Blanco, which is my go-to for margaritas, and the fact that I too will have trouble letting go of the Calculus book.

I would like a bar style area, and trying to figure it out. I started out the refit in the kitchen area thinking lots of space, but when I started putting all the stuff in, you learn it does not have a lot of space. So trying to make some additional space is getting challenging.

Glad you approve the Casamigos, it is why there are 3 bottles of it there. And Calculus, when is a refresher not needed. There is also the Brothers Karamazov if you want some heavier reading.

 

[sndog]

Haha, maybe its Stockholm Syndrome!

With that said, in my real life as an engineer I also don't have need to solve a differential equation. However, calculus underlies the understanding of the theories at play. Essentially I "think" with calculus without even realizing it every day - I bet you do too!

I read this "calculus" book a while back and thought it was good. It reminded me of how much we see the world through a "calculus" lens. I recommend it to anyone with a general interest in STEM stuff. Its a light read.

Infinite Powers — Steven Strogatz

A brilliant and endlessly appealing explanation of calculus—how it works and why it makes our lives immeasurably better. Without calculus, we wouldn’t have cell phones, TV, GPS, or ultrasound. We wouldn’t have unraveled DNA or discovered Neptune or figured out how to put 5,000 songs in your pocket.

www.stevenstrogatz.com

Sorry for the drift OP. Back to the bar!

Well, perhaps diffy screw....ehh differential equations, is the need for such a well stocked bar

 

[ranger58sb]

Hello as always. I am wrapping up a few projects, and now need to figure out a good way to store, and easily access alcohol for guests onboard. Here is about 75% of the alcohol that goes onboard, minus the wines, and trying to figure out a good way to have it stored, and readily accessible. I am trying to keep doubles of everything, but I am thinking one upfront, and one in a storage area.

You must have many more guests than we do. Or maybe you like your guests better than we like ours.

But then I'm also too lazy to mess with "mixed" drinks. Any more than two ingredients, not happening. Ice is an ingredient.

More seriously, we've stored boatloads of stuff in milk crates. More recently I've been using Rubbermaid (or similar) see-through boxes with lids, approx. the same size as milk crates for stowing compilations of related stuff... with box tops labelled... and something like that should work for bottles too, I'd think.

-Chris

 

[Graeme Walker]

We bought cheap socks from Walmart and wrap each bottle so there is no clinking, works well.

 

[slowgoesit]

Where are you located? I honestly think you have too much booze on your boat. Just as a personal favor, We'd be willing to take, say, half of it off your hands. No, please don't thank us, it's what we do!

 

[Moonfish]

We have a liquor cabinet in the main salon that is mainly comprised of 750mL bottles (so we can fit more!), which we refill from the 1.75L bottles that are stored belowdecks. Those are stored below the waterline under the aft berth, where it stays very cool. We also wrap glass bottles with thick socks or old towels to keep them from clanking. Except in the liquor cabinet. It's so full nothing moves in there!

 

[sndog]

Where are you located? I honestly think you have too much booze on your boat. Just as a personal favor, We'd be willing to take, say, half of it off your hands. No, please don't thank us, it's what we do!

Lol....I didn't realize too much was a possible thing

 

[sndog]

We have a liquor cabinet in the main salon that is mainly comprised of 750mL bottles (so we can fit more!), which we refill from the 1.75L bottles that are stored belowdecks. Those are stored below the waterline under the aft berth, where it stays very cool. We also wrap glass bottles with thick socks or old towels to keep them from clanking. Except in the liquor cabinet. It's so full nothing moves in there!

That is a great idea as i was trying to.figure it out w the 1.75l

 

[SteveK]

My boat came with a ridiculous cabinets with large doors in the salon, only 4 inches deep on two levels. Nothing else would fit in there except bottles.

 

[slowgoesit]

The folks we bought our boat from quantified all their storage spaces by how many wine bottles they would hold!

 

[MOJO]

We bought cheap socks from Walmart and wrap each bottle so there is no clinking, works well.

Did the same thing while we spent 6 yrs in the Caribbean. Would buy cases of liquor and wine at Isla de Margarita where it was very inexpensive, put the bottles in cheap socks and store them under the bunks, in the dry bilge, stuff them in lockers, etc. Never had a bottle break...

 

[Patrick4002]

my boat was a pr boat from a big internation firm. id have diferent storage array for bose. not normal even after 2 years cruising with the boat i descoverd a secret hiding apace for the captain stock. with spacers for bottels. i can stock appro. 140 bottels in special places. cooled and non cooled.

 

[slowgoesit]

my boat was a pr boat from a big internation firm. id have diferent storage array for bose. not normal even after 2 years cruising with the boat i descoverd a secret hiding apace for the captain stock. with spacers for bottels. i can stock appro. 140 bottels in special places. cooled and non cooled.

Don't leave us in suspense! What was IN that secret hiding space?!? Please don't tell us it was empty . . . that would break my heart . . . . Lie if you have to

 

[Shrew]

These are teak CD holders screwed to the bulkhead. I placed cut sections of the rubber mat that they put in bar wells, at the bottom of these teak CD holders under the bottles. The bottles stay in place while were underway and in 9 years have yet to have an issue. I keep the most commonly used liquors up there.

In one of the cabinets below I keep spares and rarely used items along with a selection of exotic beer and some boxed wine (don't judge me, there are some decent boxed wines out there nowadays).

 

[SteveK]

my boat was a pr boat from a big internation firm. id have diferent storage array for bose. not normal even after 2 years cruising with the boat i descoverd a secret hiding apace for the captain stock. with spacers for bottels. i can stock appro. 140 bottels in special places. cooled and non cooled.

Other people use lead for ballast.

 

[gettaway]

You must have many more guests than we do. Or maybe you like your guests better than we like ours.

But then I'm also too lazy to mess with "mixed" drinks. Any more than two ingredients, not happening. Ice is an ingredient.

More seriously, we've stored boatloads of stuff in milk crates. More recently I've been using Rubbermaid (or similar) see-through boxes with lids, approx. the same size as milk crates for stowing compilations of related stuff... with box tops labelled... and something like that should work for bottles too, I'd think.

-Chris

Ice is an ingredient. best line I've heard in a long time!

 

[Patrick4002]

Don't leave us in suspense! What was IN that secret hiding space?!? Please don't tell us it was empty . . . that would break my heart . . . . Lie if you have to

this is the starecase from the sundeck to the saloon

when we had the boat for almost 2 years while cleaning i found this hidden bose cabinet with holds 19 flask of rum

 

[slowgoesit]

In one of the cabinets below I keep spares and rarely used items along with a selection of exotic beer and some boxed wine (don't judge me, there are some decent boxed wines out there nowadays).

It's called Cardbordeaux, not boxed wine . . .

 

[Daveo]

Not often that I hear a new, to me, one here. Cardbordeaux, brilliant.

 

[Daveo]

Bottom line is, you need a bigger boat.

 

[t/t CVN69]

Bottom line is, you need a bigger boat.

Seems a bigger boat is often the solution to an embarassment of ladies shoes.....ans I thought it was Chateau-Neuf en Boit

 

[SIBERNUT]

There is an amazing amount of open space in most boats. Start pulling out cabinet drawers, make a dedicated shelf between drawer end & hull. A selection of Mad Dog fits nicely.