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Old 10-10-2014, 16:46   #1
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Ranger 33

I am looking to buy my first boat. It will be occasionally be a weekender with a few longer trips a year. Mostly it will be for entertaining friends, family and others. I am really interested in a Ranger 33 I found that is unofficially for sale.

A few things we need are ease of sailing singlehanded, headroom (I am 6') and of course low budget. I'm not fortunate enough to have a big budget before I get a ton of folks who start recommending that I should really find myself a 2014 42' XXX kind of yacht.

Other than a survey, sail and a good look in all the nooks and crannies, what would you suggest to a new owner on a minuscule budget buying his first boat bigger than a canoe?


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Old 10-10-2014, 16:54   #2
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Re: Ranger 33

Nice boat, Gary Mull design IIRC

Boat Inspection Trip Tips - SailboatOwners.com
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Old 10-10-2014, 17:42   #3
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Re: Ranger 33

Thanks for the link! That's great information. I take her out a week from tomorrow so that will give a chance to dig in a take a hard look.


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Old 11-10-2014, 20:10   #4
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Re: Ranger 33

There has been a lot of discussion of the Ranger 33, over on latitude 38. It seems the staff there really likes them. I dont know if latitude has a search feature, but even a telephone call to staff would probably get you some good advice. I like the idea of a well performing cruising boat, and the 33 seems to fit that category. _____Good Luck. ______Grant.
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Old 12-10-2014, 07:17   #5
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Re: Ranger 33

Thanks for reminding me about Latitude 38. I will definitely search against the site and try to contact someone there for additional tips.


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Old 12-10-2014, 07:33   #6
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Re: Ranger 33

Don't know 'em, but personally have only heard good things and not aware of any holy crap run away disabilities...

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Old 12-10-2014, 16:57   #7
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Re: Ranger 33

The Ranger line was an upgrade of the Cal line for Bangor Punta or whoever owned the Cal name at the time. There were a number of the 33s in Hawaii and raced almost as a class in the '70s. Seemed to hold up to our pretty nasty conditions in the channels and never heard anything bad about the boats. For some reason they seem to be available relatively cheap so look to be a bargain for a good sailing cruising boat. No personal experience, however.
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Old 12-10-2014, 17:18   #8
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Re: Ranger 33

Thanks for all the comments. The research I have done shows a solidly built boat that ticks off all the important things on a moderately short list of requirements. I haven't seen anything yet that suggests any sort of fundamental design flaw that I should be concerned over.

That being said, I know that every boat is unique so I plan on getting a professional survey and going over her to the best of my ability. We are taking her on a sea/lake trial. The man who had her passed away and the family hasn't taken care of her but externally she looks to be in shockingly good shape.

There is no power to the boat (shore, solar or other). I am not sure what we are going to find when we open her up and go below. I hope we don't find 6 inches of water!




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Old 12-10-2014, 17:39   #9
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Re: Ranger 33

Take a spare battery and jumper cables with you. If it has sat, the batteries are probably DOA. Have fun, and let us know how it goes. _____Grant.
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Old 12-10-2014, 17:54   #10
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Re: Ranger 33

Not a 33, but i used to crew on a ranger 29. Good solid boat, not top of the line but not the bottom either. The owner was a pretty knowledgeable and experienced boater and had specifically looked for a ranger 29 when he bought it.

Given their age, i think a serious survey is in order....
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Old 13-10-2014, 03:14   #11
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Re: Ranger 33

Quote:
Originally Posted by gjordan View Post
Take a spare battery and jumper cables with you. If it has sat, the batteries are probably DOA. Have fun, and let us know how it goes. _____Grant.
Or wunna dees....

http://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-PSJ...battery+jumper
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Old 15-10-2014, 17:38   #12
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Lightbulb Re: Ranger 33

They're great sailing boats, especially for the money. In their price range, they're tough to beat in that regard. I owned one for 5 years and she never showed any bad habits, even when pushed. Although, I'm told that at the limit, the boom's a touch undersized.

Nice big bilge sump, fairly good engine access. Just add some lazy jacks, & a cockpit locker organization locker & you're good to go. And yeah, that locker's HUGE.

The cons; Galley's miniscule, & the dinette's a touch small. Plus she's a little shy on storage space in the main cabin. Though you can work around this; either by breaking out the tools, & or being creative in other ways. As basically the space behind the seatbacks in the Saloon goes completely unused, as she come in factory trim. Vertical seatbacks in the cockpit.

Here's a few reviews, including Latitude 38's boat of the month:
Ranger 33 Review - Bing
Latitude 38 Boat of the Month: Ranger 33

A couple of other good boats to look at in the same price range are; Cal 34 (bigger galley & more comfortable cockpit), Ericson 35 (bigger down below, especially for entertaining & cooking), Ericson 32. And a few others.
If you just want bigger down below period (with amenities), look at a Catalina 30. They're not offshore boats, but for size for the money, they're tough to beat. If you get one, make sure to get the tall rig.

And if you want to do things on the cheap, take a look at Cal 29's. The quality's still there, it's just that they're a bit smaller. However, I've seen decent used ones go for $6k.
Cal's & Rangers were made essentially by the same company. Just different names & designs. As can be seen at www.sailboatdata.com

Make up a cheat sheet, or list of note cards in terms of what you want in each area of the boat. It helps to have a checklist when you're looking at boats, as it's easy to fall into lust with something, only to later discover that you glossed over X, when that was a feature or brand which you really wanted.

Given the age of Rangers, & these other boats, what separates them is; quality of care, & what they have accessory wise. Particularly as, when purchased new, accessories can wind up costing a LOT.
Dodgers, Biminis, Ground Tackle, Auto Pilots...

Also, prior to doing the full on pull it out of the water survey, you might consider having a mechanic look over the engine first. And tell you a bit about it's health, plus what may need replacing etc.
Ditto on having a rigger look over those systems too. As those two areas are the most expensive (and critical) on the boat.
And take a friend who's sail savvy with you when you go to inspect it, as well as on the test sail, so that you have an idea of their health as well.

PS: Given the age of said boats, a lot of them have been repowered, from Atomic-4's (gas) to Diesels. And there's little difference in the market price between them for the most part. So get one with a diesel. They're more reliable, easier maintance wise, & better when it come time to resell the boat.
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Old 15-10-2014, 20:44   #13
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Re: Ranger 33

Thanks for all the info. I found out she has an A4 with 20 hrs on it. The fuel tank was stripped for racing back in the day and replaced with a 5 gal. There is no main and the headsail is serviceable (no roller furling). Until the man passed away, she was mostly used to pull his kids around on a raft using the headsail or A4.

The positive is that I think she could be had well below budget so I can get things done immediately and I get to guarantee the quality that goes in. The negative is a cheap boat is the most expensive boat in the long run.

I know there is always a better boat out there that is just a bit over budget (regardless of most budgets). At some point you have to jump in and get out there to learn. I just don't want to jump in over my head (much).


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Old 16-10-2014, 04:19   #14
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Re: Ranger 33

As much as that boat has been bastardized use wise... Under budget is an absolute must... The A4... even though it only has 20 hrs on it is a serious negative... because... well... it's an A4...
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Old 25-10-2014, 18:58   #15
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Re: Ranger 33

A friend has a Ranger 33 great sailing boat. He is over 6 feet tall and can not fit in v berth. You may want to see if you feel comfortable in the v berth?
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