Champagne flute holder

When Elvyra moved aboard in 2017, she didn't much mind the simpler live on a boat. Walking to the marina showers and toilets, no problem. Living in a small space with few belongings, sure. Limited water, usually cold, okay. Chilly nights in UK winters, fine. But one thing she asked for were a space for some champagne flutes.

I knew I had to oblige, even though I felt silly fragile glass items had no place aboard and any beverage would taste much the same from my trusty Nutella drinking glasses. So after looking for some inspiration online, I set to work.

Luckily it turned out to be both a cheap and easy project. I acquired a laminated bamboo cutting board from the local supermarket for a few quid and sliced off a piece. The bungee cord I had already laying around (always good to have onboard in a few different sizes). A bit of measuring to figure out where to place the holes and some marking and drilling. Add short bungee cord lengths held with a simple half hitch at the back.

It took a little trial and error to find the right tension for the elastic cord and voila, all four glasses were snugly in place and wouldn't move or rattle even in heavy seas. The whole contraption can be mounted in any orientation, even upside down. It went into some unused overhead space inside the drinks locker (on a boat, one must always try and discover such unused spaces to maximise use). A few spacers to keep the knots off the wall and job done.

To release a glass, simply push the black cord aside, angle out one side of the base, then slide out the other. To insert, reverse the process. Two and a half years later, we've been through some rough weather and the only time we've smashed any was when removing them a bit too eagerly!

On the other hand, we're drinking less bubbly now and Elvyra doesn't seem to mind which glass it's coming from anymore. All six original Nutella glasses are still intact by the way, despite being simply stacked in in a galley locker with no other safety mechanism.