The cup rack is ready! Present on many of the oceanographic research vessels I’ve sailed on, the cup rack keeps you honest. If there is just a stash of cups, many people leave them behind all over the ship. Make coffee, take it to the lab, set it down, forget about it. Other people don’t want to clean up after you, so it sits there for days until finally someone does. However, if there is a cup and a mug with a number assigned to you on it, you’re forced to keep track of it. The number corresponds to your bunk number, which you also have to know for roll call during drills.  If you go to grab your cup or mug off the rack and it’s not there, you have to think about where you had it last, and track it down. This also helps out the cooks, as they’re not washing cups and mugs all day. Each person only uses one, and is responsible for cleaning it too.