Custumization 21EC?

S

Sterellie

Active member
Joined
Apr 24, 2009
Messages
35
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C SE
Non-Fluid Motion Model
18' gaffer wooden custom
Vessel Name
Strega
I've had my 2009 21EC for about a month now. Time to think about custumizing the cabin for overnight camping both in the water and on the trailer. I plan to haul it to many distant places, using RV parks and motels along the way. It needs to be comfortable for my yellow lab and me. What have you fellow 21EC owners done on your boats?
 
The smartest thing we did for comfort was going to IKEA and purchasing a 3" full size foam mattress which we cut and fit for the V berth. I also purchased a plastic container that fits exactly between the end of the berth and the sink cabinet. I am tall and this allows me to stretch out and has greatly enhanced our enjoyment of nights aboard. I would also suggest fan... we have two, one is a regular 20" box fan (Walmart) that we set in the entryway on hot evenings and the other is a smaller 12" battery operated fan (Walmart) that we use when we're away from shore. We live in Texas and really have no complaints about the heat when sleeping aboard even during the height of summer. If I were going to spend a few dollars, that's where I would spend my money. You will be amazed at how comfortable your new boat is once you make a few small adjustments.

Texas Steve
 
Well, what we did - from back to front - a motor bracket for our 6 HP kicker mounted beside the swim grid (an essential option!); the dodger top which we are considering fully enclosing for rainy weather with a cockpit table for extra outdoor dining space; a port-a-loo under the back seat for night time use because of the central location of the indoor toilet; a single burner kerosene stove/heater; a folding teak side table which hangs on the side of the cabin opposite the helm; a mounted teak dish rack behind the helm above the fridge. Our 6 1/2 ' Zodiac (the smallest they make) mounts neatly sideways on the swim grid around the kicker motor which will actually push our boat at over 5 knots!

As for making the cabin bigger ~ good luck! There is an amazing amount of cupboard and fridge space which we recently discovered during our six day trip to Princess Louisa Inlet on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. What we do is keep an extra Rubbermaid container with lid on deck, and use a plastic dish pan to wash the dishes outside. At night, the suitcases come out on the motor mount. Folding the helm seat down certainly makes a difference to the inside space when you are not running.

Bruce from BC
 
Any suggestions for a great coffee maker? Thanks for the above suggestions. I have the barbeque and will add the 3" foam mattress with the extention idea (I am 6' 3") The lab doesn't need an extension...
 
Hi,
I don't know if this is any help for customizing the "inside of the EC cabin" but I've been thinking of ways to improve the amount/flexibility of the cockpit area seating as well (planning to buy a tug soon, but probably a pre-EC version). The cabin is really small in them and I'd like to move the steering wheel from the center to the strbd side and then enlarge the portside cabinet to hold a small fridge and use the added counter area to install a very small sink.
So far I've just played with the cockpit and think I can add some side mount drop down seats and add a flip-over seat back (like I've seen on the Martini Harbor Cruiser version) to make a center "lounge". Also add a small table mounted to a flush floor base in the raised area near the aft seat.

I've posted a picture in my gallery..........comments? ideas?
 
Id like the crabber version.
 
I'd like the crabber too....too bad they don't make one...was inspired by the Fisher 25 crabber, Maybe Ranger will like it so much they'll give me one :lol:
 
You think a lot like I did with my R-21. In fact I had Ranger install the engine cover hinged seat back when I ordered my 2006. It was great to lounge on when anchored out. I also like the Crabber version and had drawn that up when I was making design plans. The biggest kicker with it was the exact engine placement and how it impacted the front of the pilothouse. with the narrow beam to get past the pilothouse it was like going forward on the current boat and is not what you want as often as would be required in everyday activity. to put down an anchor every now and then is different. I opted to leave the pilothouse alone and added a hardtop over the cockpit. Then I made a sliding curtain that hung from the hardtop to enclose the cockpit back about 3/4 of the engine box. This was great to add usable enclosed space such as porta-pottie at night and fixing breakfast if raining in the morning. after this I decided that a hard enclosure would be better and built a hard sidethat extended back 48 inches and attached under the side flange of the hardtop. The side had a 24" sliding door that had a window. sounds crazy but to avoid having to steer from in the pilothouse all the time I put a socket on the wheel and had an extension pole with a universal joint on the end to insert into the socket. With a director's chair I was able to sit outside the pilothouse and steer. At 5 to 6 knots this was not an issue and a little stretch I could adjust the throttle. Sold the boat prior to completing the other hard side but saw that it was making a much more usable boat. These little tugs are great little boats and should last forever. There just was no way to address getting to the grandkids house in less than 4 hours so I had to let it go.
Good luck with projects on a tug. Let me know if you find a way to make the crabber work because it is neat looking. My scaled drawings just showed thatyou would be all over yourself trying to move around.
Ron
 
I know what you mean...if the 21 was just 10-12 inches wider the Crabber would work...C'est la vie! makes a nice picture.
That hard top looks like it cost a pretty penny...sure looked good though.

One thing I'll miss is how easy it is to set anchor in my current boat (Adventure Craft) I can drive-shift and work the lines at the same time. The down side is I need to do it constantly unless I set a stern anchor as well. She hates being anchored and will wander 180 degrees constantly and keeps pulling the anchor(s) free. Even with the bow and a stern anchor it has spun conpletely around on several occasions! the best way to anchor is stern to the wind...a bit more stable but spooky if the wind comes up!

I assume, being a monohull, that the R-21 is a bit more civilized.
 
Ron,
I think I was able to solve the "crabber conundrum". By taking the "shoulders" off of the pilothouse the walkway clearance increased by 4" on both sides. and i added a second open air pilot location much like the central station on the "martini boat". I wonder what a one-off like this would cost? 😱
 
Interesting, I did not think of that. Did you add the second station forward of the engine box like the Martini launch? I like this. what are you looking at for overnighting? Need to get this off my mind or you will have me back redesigning on a boat I no longer have. Oh, to have the money to play around with such. Can not imagine what they would charge for a one off, but my thoughts run in the lines of modification of an existing boat. There are some good fiberglass people out there and a lot of shops are not full now. Keep me posted on your ideas and plans.
Ron
 
I too have little time and less money to play with something like this...My only hope is for Ranger to build a few and then I'll buy it on the used market several years later. I like that the boat retains the v-berth for overnites.
But I had to get the darn thing out of my head ...like a tune that keeps repeating over and over. Now that it's done I can let it go.
Here in the Valley we have 8 -12 aluminum boat manufacturers (Bentz, Riddle, Thunderjet, Weldcraft, Hudson, Bloodsworth, CustomWeld, Duckworth). I may see if I can get bids locally...but I find that aluminum boats look a bit too utilitarian.

Once reality sets in...I sincerly doubt that I will find a better fit for me than the R-21 ...especially for the price.
 
Higs said:
IIRC, its about $10 per pound to build a custom boat.

IIRC ... ?
$10 / pound? for fiberglass,aluminum,cold molded? Including engine and systems?
Click to expand...
 
Was for aluminum, all inclusive. Can go up with fit and finish, for example, Nordhavn boats are about $15 per pound. $10 is a guide line for custom build, can do bare minimum and spend less, or full luxury and spend a lot more.

Nordhavn's new 56 MS weights 95,000 and bases for $1.3, $13.68 per pound.

Ranger 25 weighs 5750 and bases for 137,937. $23.98 per pound.

C-Dory 25 weighs 3602, and sells for 75,000. $20.82 per pound.

Its cheaper per pound to build a boat as there is no advertising to build into the product.
 
Well I'll be ...😱 ...It seems that even I can learn something new every day.

This a great forum or what?
 
IIRC: if I remember correctly. 🙂

What software did you use to draw the crabber?
 
I just use " MS Paint"
I've tried several other programs but keep going back to the old standby. I like it beacause it's fast and has a nice simple look (takes about an hour to knock off a drawing).I'd do it in finer detail or even 3D if I had lots of time to burn (but I don't)...haven't had much time to burn since around 1972 or so. Occasionaly I'll use 2 programs at a time to produce personalized Xmas cards or boat portraits (gicle' prints) for friends when I have the time to spend on it (the missus seems to be the final arbiter of how time is spent around here 😉 )
 
We should have a design competition for all who want to join in. Use the ranger 21 hull, come up with your own topsides.
 
That would be a very good idea...maybe get the factory involved to judge and hand out hats for good ideas. (I've started to notice that hats are becoming a much more important part of my life due to my continuing expansion of cranial dermis)
We'd need a special gallery page, and maybe 2 departments... one for stuctural changes/new boat, and another for small improvements (as in minor layout changes or better cleats). It'd be nice for the factory to be involved to help keep things "real".
 
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