Support Equipment
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Cradle
Crate
Boat Lift
Rinehart Deck Jig
Sail Case
Rig Divider
Tension Meter
Tank

Last update, December 3, 2009

There are many support items that you will find handy as you mobile about with your boat. You will work it out as the need arises. Don't forget the rubber boots!

 

The cradle is essential. A construction cradle is highly recommended for building and refitting. It is not useful during rigging and pre-tuning.

 

The newly designed boat lift is an absolute must. You may feel young and strong. The lift is preventative health.

 

The crate is handy for a lot of things besides shipping. It is a good place to keep the boat all the time, at home or in the vehicle. It stays clean and is less susceptible to damage.

 

A sail case is not needed by all as many hang the rig from fashioned wire stringers in the vehicle or on the wall for storage for storage at home. Many cannot do this because of room at home or in the vehicle so a case is handy for out of the way storage places at home. A case does not have to be fancy, just do the job.

 

There are a zillion designs for a rig divider. Make one, you will like it. It is the only reliable and convenient means centering the mast at the spreaders. Centering is important to helm control in the water.

 

The tension meter takes some training as a lot of these charts floating around are not very accurate. Once you have one of these figured out you will be able to set the correct backstay tension quickly and repeat the setting when needed. Serious captains have one in their toolkits and a notepad handy to jog our wonderful memory. Some use this tool for light – medium – heavy air tensions on the rigging shrouds.

 

You don't need a tank. We did because we had never built an EC12 and there was not another group within 800 miles of us. This tank construction got a little out of hand and ended up being a precision instrument that can measure a waterline down to 1/32" inch. It is presented here to show off. Some of you may want or and have a group need, this is the way to set one up. The Acrylic is pretty, strong and straight but very expensive. Using a T-Square to measure the waterline is far better than strings or an underwater mirror. This tank was built straight from the EC12 Manual available from the EC12 store. If for nothing else, a rudimentary tank can show a rough waterline and the fore and aft trim of the boat following construction.