hdco1313
New Member
Hello Fellow Laser Forumites,
I’ve been looking forward to making this post ever since the Bottleport was just a sketch on a piece of notebook paper almost two years ago. Since LaserForum helped me a lot with the initial research (one thread is even quoted in my patent application), it feels right to make the first announcement here as a new sponsor of the forum.
The Bottleport is a new device that FINALLY gives dinghy sailors a place to put a water bottle that is:
--Totally secure
--Totally out of your way
--Immediately accessible with one hand.
I came up with the idea after losing one too many water bottles over the side and/or having them underfoot.
It screws into a 5” Viking inspection port with the same watertight seal and flush fit as the original lid, and works perfectly in combination with your Fat Bag. I have been testing the prototype on my Laser (#90759, old but still tight) for a year now and it has become indispensable.
For full details and a YouTube video, go here:
www.bottleport.com
Would love to hear any questions / comments you have as I’m currently compiling FAQ for the full site when it goes up. Post here, email me at [email protected] or call me at 323 788 8520. Let me know what you think!
The first orders will ship out next week to individuals and retailers. The Bottleport will sell for $29.95 on my website and at the usual places you get your sailing gear. I’m taking advance orders now on the site.
I’ve sent some pre-production samples out to some folks to use and review so you may see some of those reviews coming shortly.
Since this is the first Bottleport post, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank some of the people who have helped out along the way. It’s been an interesting process—I work in entertainment here in L.A. and knew nothing whatsoever about designing and manufacturing a product (not to mention shipping, patenting, selling etc etc etc). Here are some people whose time and enthusiasm made all the difference:
--George Yioulos, West Coast Sailing: George has given me his time and great advice from the very start of the project and continues to be a supporter. Thanks George!
--Mike Strasser & Will Tammen, www.think2build.com: Call these guys if you have no idea what you are doing and want smart, elegant and efficient design work done.
--Jim Myers, Intensity Sails: One of the first people other than me to use the Bottleport in a boat and it’s great that he is even MORE enthusiastic now.
--Rob Beach, Annapolis Performance Sailing: As the 900 pound gorilla of sailing gear, there is absolutely no reason Rob needed to be as accessible and open as he has been. Maybe that’s why the gorilla is so heavy.
Blah blah blah. Sorry. As I said I’ve been waiting awhile to write this. It’s going to be very cool the first time I see this on someone else’s boat!!
Thanks for reading,
Greg Little
[email protected]
I’ve been looking forward to making this post ever since the Bottleport was just a sketch on a piece of notebook paper almost two years ago. Since LaserForum helped me a lot with the initial research (one thread is even quoted in my patent application), it feels right to make the first announcement here as a new sponsor of the forum.
The Bottleport is a new device that FINALLY gives dinghy sailors a place to put a water bottle that is:
--Totally secure
--Totally out of your way
--Immediately accessible with one hand.
I came up with the idea after losing one too many water bottles over the side and/or having them underfoot.
It screws into a 5” Viking inspection port with the same watertight seal and flush fit as the original lid, and works perfectly in combination with your Fat Bag. I have been testing the prototype on my Laser (#90759, old but still tight) for a year now and it has become indispensable.
For full details and a YouTube video, go here:
www.bottleport.com
Would love to hear any questions / comments you have as I’m currently compiling FAQ for the full site when it goes up. Post here, email me at [email protected] or call me at 323 788 8520. Let me know what you think!
The first orders will ship out next week to individuals and retailers. The Bottleport will sell for $29.95 on my website and at the usual places you get your sailing gear. I’m taking advance orders now on the site.
I’ve sent some pre-production samples out to some folks to use and review so you may see some of those reviews coming shortly.
Since this is the first Bottleport post, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank some of the people who have helped out along the way. It’s been an interesting process—I work in entertainment here in L.A. and knew nothing whatsoever about designing and manufacturing a product (not to mention shipping, patenting, selling etc etc etc). Here are some people whose time and enthusiasm made all the difference:
--George Yioulos, West Coast Sailing: George has given me his time and great advice from the very start of the project and continues to be a supporter. Thanks George!
--Mike Strasser & Will Tammen, www.think2build.com: Call these guys if you have no idea what you are doing and want smart, elegant and efficient design work done.
--Jim Myers, Intensity Sails: One of the first people other than me to use the Bottleport in a boat and it’s great that he is even MORE enthusiastic now.
--Rob Beach, Annapolis Performance Sailing: As the 900 pound gorilla of sailing gear, there is absolutely no reason Rob needed to be as accessible and open as he has been. Maybe that’s why the gorilla is so heavy.
Blah blah blah. Sorry. As I said I’ve been waiting awhile to write this. It’s going to be very cool the first time I see this on someone else’s boat!!
Thanks for reading,
Greg Little
[email protected]