My kids love jokes, so here’s one for you. What do you get when you use a little ingenuity to cross a traditional Osterizer-like blender base, a plastic sport bottle, and a cordless drill? A BoatBlender of course!

This month we take a break from testing all the electronics, maintenance and mechanical stuff, and instead we focus on testing some fun party stuff. (That’s because our boat’s been out of the water over the winter, but the editorial deadlines continue.)
Everybody loves a good party and everyone knows that boaters always throw the best on the dock parties. I believe the reason is that while being the consummate host requires some work—you have to be up on all the latest drinks, dips, and, accessories. We boaters are up for that challenge!

I quite by accident came across this little gem on the internet while searching for items to test for this column. I contacted Stacy at the BoatBlender head office, explained who I was and what we did here at the Boat Digest testing grounds, and she sent me a sample to put through our hands-on evaluation.  

I first tested it on my own. No good host performs in front of an audience the first time. I had charged my cordless 14.4V drill overnight. I read the instructions and filled the sport bottle two thirds full with ice. I then added mix to about two thirds of the way up the ice-filled bottle. I screwed on the blender base, inserted the drill bit that’s included and pulled the trigger.
Less than 2 minutes later I poured out a perfectly slushy margarita into my glass and sampled away. It was good. So good in fact, that I went back for seconds. And that was so good that I closed my eyes, imagined I was floating in my favorite anchorage and  drifted off to sleep.

My fiancé came home and I managed to extricate myself from the “you-left-the-kitchen-in-a mess” doghouse by making her one. Now, Moira’s a margarita connoisseur and so this was the real test. Drumroll please…..  

The DrillBlender passed with flying colors. We then rolled it out at our next mid-winter boaters’ party and were the instant hit.  (Tip: always have an extra battery on the charger for when your friends ask for seconds!) It works best with a drill speed of at least 1100 rpm and not too much liquid—you need a lot less than you’d think—err on the side of more ice.

We now have a convenient way of making those much sought after frozen drinks on our swim platform while the boat is safely swinging on the hook. For your families’ and other boaters’ safety, never ever operate while under the influence. Of course, testing is never complete and so we’ll just have to spend much of this upcoming season checking out different mixes and drink recipes. It’s a tough job. We’ll get back to you on that. For more information or to order your own, visit www.boatblender.com. Brad Roberts is our Field Test Editor and is always looking for new and unique items.  If you have any suggestions for items you’d like to see tested for this column, please email him at brad.roberts@boatdigest.com