For the Boat That Doesn't Quite Have Everything.....An Easy and Inexpensive Install You Can Do At Home.
What self-respecting boat doesn’t have drink holders now days? Not many, that’s for sure. If fact, drink holders have multiplied so fast in recent years that they often times out-number passenger capacity. Afterall, some boaters are extra thirsty and just one beverage at a time isn’t enough.
The common flush-fit holders everybody is accustomed to seeing are always offered in a variety of anodized colors, red, blue, green, white, purple and more to coordinate with exterior gelcoat colors and interior upholstery combinations.
But, if you want to stand-out a bit from the run-of-the-mill, you might want more bling, especially at sunset and during after dark cruises. That’s where LED drink holders come in – like those offered by Livorsi Marine and a bunch of other marine accessory companies.
The drink holders are pretty much standardized. They fit a 3.5” cut-out and are 4.75” overall so they accommodate most normal sized cans, bottles and kuzis. They comes with a stainless steel rim and a .375” drain fitting. Also included is a removable rubber insert and a 12” electrical wiring harness for connection to a standard 12 volt system. Retail prices range from $30.00 to $35,00 per holder.
For the sample installation, we had the good fortune of hooking up with a Cigarette 38 Top Gun. Pretty ritzy, huh. Although the installation of LED drink holders is something that many boat owners could do themselves on any weekend, Mario Latka at SoCal Speed Marine now located in Lake Havasu City did the honors. A very handsome enhancement for any boat looking for that visual something extra.
This is one of the four standard cockpit beverage holders for the 38 Top Gun as it comes from the Cigarette factory.
First, remove the standard plastic cup insert and check the size of the opening to make sure it’s the same as the new LED beverage holder. In this case, it was not quite a perfect match so the frame opening had to be made slightly larger.
The three lag bolts holding the beverage holder frame to the gunnel have been removed so the minor size modification could be more easily made on the workbench.
To successfully run power to the LED beverage holder, find the easiest route to available electrical current and splice into the system. In this case, temporary removal of the stereo speaker offered the best solution.
The stereo speaker has now been removed to gain access to the wiring behind the coaming pads for the courtesy lights.
The new LED beverage holder requires nothing more than a simple two-wire connection for power. Once the connection is made, the LED beverage holders will turn-on via the cockpit courtesy light switch at the helm.
The LED beverage holder is now in place and its upholstered frame has been re-attached to the gunnel.
Making the electrical splice into the existing system takes only minutes.
When connecting wiring for a marine application, always use the type of connector with a protective covering to avoid corrosion.
Here’s the finished product. An attractive and unique upgrade for any boat interior that you can do yourself in under an hour.
What self-respecting boat doesn’t have drink holders now days? Not many, that’s for sure. If fact, drink holders have multiplied so fast in recent years that they often times out-number passenger capacity. Afterall, some boaters are extra thirsty and just one beverage at a time isn’t enough.
The common flush-fit holders everybody is accustomed to seeing are always offered in a variety of anodized colors, red, blue, green, white, purple and more to coordinate with exterior gelcoat colors and interior upholstery combinations.
But, if you want to stand-out a bit from the run-of-the-mill, you might want more bling, especially at sunset and during after dark cruises. That’s where LED drink holders come in – like those offered by Livorsi Marine and a bunch of other marine accessory companies.
The drink holders are pretty much standardized. They fit a 3.5” cut-out and are 4.75” overall so they accommodate most normal sized cans, bottles and kuzis. They comes with a stainless steel rim and a .375” drain fitting. Also included is a removable rubber insert and a 12” electrical wiring harness for connection to a standard 12 volt system. Retail prices range from $30.00 to $35,00 per holder.
For the sample installation, we had the good fortune of hooking up with a Cigarette 38 Top Gun. Pretty ritzy, huh. Although the installation of LED drink holders is something that many boat owners could do themselves on any weekend, Mario Latka at SoCal Speed Marine now located in Lake Havasu City did the honors. A very handsome enhancement for any boat looking for that visual something extra.
This is one of the four standard cockpit beverage holders for the 38 Top Gun as it comes from the Cigarette factory.
First, remove the standard plastic cup insert and check the size of the opening to make sure it’s the same as the new LED beverage holder. In this case, it was not quite a perfect match so the frame opening had to be made slightly larger.
The three lag bolts holding the beverage holder frame to the gunnel have been removed so the minor size modification could be more easily made on the workbench.
To successfully run power to the LED beverage holder, find the easiest route to available electrical current and splice into the system. In this case, temporary removal of the stereo speaker offered the best solution.
The stereo speaker has now been removed to gain access to the wiring behind the coaming pads for the courtesy lights.
The new LED beverage holder requires nothing more than a simple two-wire connection for power. Once the connection is made, the LED beverage holders will turn-on via the cockpit courtesy light switch at the helm.
The LED beverage holder is now in place and its upholstered frame has been re-attached to the gunnel.
Making the electrical splice into the existing system takes only minutes.
When connecting wiring for a marine application, always use the type of connector with a protective covering to avoid corrosion.
Here’s the finished product. An attractive and unique upgrade for any boat interior that you can do yourself in under an hour.
