Bottle Openers

[Malibudude]

Beer in cans...that's not beer you just don't like the taste of water then eh?

Stewart,

Okay I do have an occasional beer but I really don't drink much at all when I'm out on the water. For the RARE instance In need an opener ours church key is on the ignition keyring.

[NorCaliBu]

...I usually keep the same (very small) bottle opener attached to the drawstring of my boarding shorts. (never know when you need to help a buddy out)...

So you just pull the opener out of your shorts and open your buddy's beer?

That just ain't right.

:::using imagination:::

Pete: "Here let me open that beer for you"

...phsst...

Pete's Buddy: "Hey, thanks Pete...wait a second...what's that?"

Pete: "oh, sorry, let me get that short, curly off of there."

Note to self, when around Pete, drink water.

[Brodie]

As far as I'm concerned, no good beer comes in a can.

[Bill_AirJunky]

Hey Pete,

Whats with the brodie knob on your steering wheel?

Several years ago I used to ride with a guy on Sammamish who had a brodie knob on the steering wheel of his PS190. He loved to do Around the Boat. So much that when I drove for him, he'd give me the signal over & over & over. We called it "barf-o-rama". And it was super easy with that brodie knob!!

//hijack over

[Boatman]

Another problem with bottle caps is they tend to get away from you and they are no fun to step on with bare feet.

[vette-ski]

As far as I'm concerned, no good beer comes in a can.

Learned my lesson once when caught without an opener in the boat. Tried to McGyver a bottle opener and ended up cracking the top of the bottle off at the neck. May give weight to those that insist on "no glass".

[SCOTTDOMINE]

Looks like an old topic on this forum. Heres the thread with pics of one mounted on what appears to be a Skylon tower.

That's the one I was referring to

[GeorgeWBush]

on the cans.

A bit off topic, but one morning last summer we went out for our early morning sets. First pass of the morning I am pulling out to set up for the gates, and I see a beer bottle floating in the water, right about the point I am going to cut for the gates. At this point it is a minor annoyance - still outside the ski path, and (unfortunately) not terribly uncommon to find one out there. One got away from someone the day before, not a world crisis or anything. Figure I'll just drop near there at the end of my set and pick it up. I get to the end of my first pass, look down, and there is another one. Now I'm really getting annoyed. One can get away from you, sure. Two is a trend. Someone is being just plain careless. I end up dropping and picking it up.

A little later, I am pulling one of our buddies that only free skis. Our lake isn't that big - about 300 acres. As I am driving along, I start to notice another bottle, then another. Some are floating neck up, some bottom up. We ended up fishing about a 12 pack out of the lake, as well as a couple empty fifths. That really pissed me off. That's way beyond careless - it's downright irresponsible and dangerous.

No idea who did it - didn't see the problem again. I'll be watching out for it this summer. I don't really like the thought of hitting a can with my boat or my ski, but it has got to be a heck of a lot better than hitting a bottle.

I don't know where you are from, but in Oregon littering near or in a water way is a crime, and therefor does not have to be witnessed by a police officer for an arrest to be made (unlike say speeding in a car). I know you didn't see the culprit this time, but if you ever did just take down the boat numbers, and maybe pick up the evidence... it is a huge fine. I'm sure most states are similar...

[spaznoook]

Another problem with bottle caps is they tend to get away from you and they are no fun to step on with bare feet.

If you'll look closely at Pete's pic, you'll see he also mounted a cap catcher just for that. Sweet, I tell ya. Pete's got ALL the good ideas.

[Bill_AirJunky]

.........no good beer comes in a can.

Tru dat!!

I went back to look at your pic. Mounting the bottle opener there instead of on the tower is great.... out of Johnny's sight! The cap catcher is a riot too.

BTW, stepping on a crunched can with bare feet is hardly better than stepping on a bottle. Personally I've had more broken windshields than bottles in my boats. And I still have a windshield.

[Pistol Pete]

.........no good beer comes in a can.

Tru dat!!

I went back to look at your pic. Mounting the bottle opener there instead of on the tower is great.... out of Johnny's sight! The cap catcher is a riot too.

BTW, stepping on a crunched can with bare feet is hardly better than stepping on a bottle. Personally I've had more broken windshields than bottles in my boats. And I still have a windshield.

The cap catcher is a common shower caddy found in any drug store. Just removed the suction cups and put the screws through the slots.

Same here. I've never had a broken bottle. I have had a broken windshield.

As far as the brodie knob / suicide knob, once you use one, you'll want one on your boat. Think of how often we throw the wheel full lock to full lock like when docking or picking up skiers, this makes it waaaaaaaaaay easier.

[spinxt]

I sort of have a thing about bringing glass bottles on the boat. When you add boats that turn on a dime to passengers with wet hands, a broken bottle becomes a real possiblility. That on top of the fact that people are walking around in bare feet, and you're just asking for a serious laceration. Plus beer tastes almost as good out of a can right? JMHO

[NorCaliBu]

...Plus beer tastes almost as good out of a can right?

Good beer, beer worth drinking, isn't even available in cans.

[kb3]

I sort of have a thing about bringing glass bottles on the boat. When you add boats that turn on a dime to passengers with wet hands, a broken bottle becomes a real possiblility. That on top of the fact that people are walking around in bare feet, and you're just asking for a serious laceration. Plus beer tastes almost as good out of a can right? JMHO

easy cure...don't let passengers drink from a bottle!

[stroke]

I've never had a problem with people drinking from bottles and just use a lighter for a bottle opener.

[Malibu16]

I really want to incorporate a bottle opener somewhere, but am paranoid about getting anything scratched or torn up. Does anyone have any creative ideas about always having a bottle opener handy?

Here are a couple of ideas that might help you. The bottle opener thing has been a bit of an obsession for me... I don't like to be caught without one. In my boat, I have three that are mounted/stored in different places (redundancy is good?).

My favorite is the one that I just put in this winter. The retractable lanyard stretches about 2+ feet and the opener is powdercoated stainless... color matched to the boat. This is under the drivers dash mounted to the wall. I used existing screws so I didn't even have to drill a hole. Stealth, handy, and nothing gets scratched or torn.

If the one under the drivers dash isn't handy enough, ther is one that I keep in the floor cooler attached with a little carabiner. This is my back-up.

The third one is another stainless powdercoated "old fashioned" one that I mounted to the door of the rear ski locker. Lift up the door and there is the opener. I'll attach pictures to another reply.

There you have it. Three options for bottle openers... all of them hidden and no issues with messing things up. There is nothing like an ice cold beer from a bottle on a hot day.

Hope this helps

Edited March 10, 2008 by Malibu16

[Malibu16]

Here are the other two pictures of the one in the cooler and the one attached to the rear ski locker-

As cautioned in some of the other replies, I have never had an issue with caps or broken bottles in the 18+ years of skiing. It's all about having a system and making sure everyone on the boat is aware of the proper "etiquette" and where things go. Have fun and make sure everyone has a great day on the lake

I can't wait for spring...

[VinRLX]

Man, he's like the "Doug" of the bottle openers!!! A back up for his back up!

[NorCaliBu]

I've never had a problem with people drinking from bottles and just use a lighter for a bottle opener.

You allow lighters on your boat? Do you allow smoking on your boat? Just curious.

[Malibu16]

Man, he's like the "Doug" of the bottle openers!!! A back up for his back up!

OK, I have to defend myself a bit here... the reason for the opener in the back (ski locker) is so you don't have to walk to the front of the boat. The one in the cooler is the backup.

I know... a little fanatical but better to be prepared

[Schwaan]

The bottle opener thing has been a bit of an obsession for me... I don't like to be caught without one.

D,

Your wife told me where I could find you...where did you get the color matched opener? I've got to get one of those. I am planning on giving my boat new carpet for a spring present, and it would be the perfect time to install some cervesa tools.

Cheers,

JI

[stroke]

You allow lighters on your boat? Do you allow smoking on your boat? Just curious.

Yes I allow smoking when boat is not moving and with extreme caution.

Edited March 11, 2008 by stroke

[VinRLX]

Man, he's like the "Doug" of the bottle openers!!! A back up for his back up!

OK, I have to defend myself a bit here... the reason for the opener in the back (ski locker) is so you don't have to walk to the front of the boat. The one in the cooler is the backup.

I know... a little fanatical but better to be prepared

Just busting on you. If you were truly the Doug of the bottle openers, your second opener would be powered by an electric trolling motor and the third one would have a back-up generator with automatic fire extinguisher.

[Malibu16]

The bottle opener thing has been a bit of an obsession for me... I don't like to be caught without one.

D,

Your wife told me where I could find you...where did you get the color matched opener? I've got to get one of those. I am planning on giving my boat new carpet for a spring present, and it would be the perfect time to install some cervesa tools.

Cheers,

JI

Schwaan,

I don't think that I'm the person you think I am, but I'm happy to share where I got the opener. Take a look at the following site

http://www.barproducts.com/

You can search through all of the different ones along with the accessories.

I hope this helps.

[Schwaan]

I don't think that I'm the person you think I am

HMMMMMM...I'm sure I have seen your boat around LAKE MERIDIAN...by the way, I also go by Izzy.