Ranger 25

[Lochsa]

We recently sold our CDory and are narrowing the search for a new to us vessel. The Ranger 25 seems to check most of the boxes we are interested in. I would appreciate any discussion on outboard versus inboard and Volvo Penta vs Yanmar. I do favor the attributes of inboard for two reasons 1) Dingy placement on swimstep and 2) Cabin and hot water heat from engine.

Would also be interested in any 25’s potentially coming up for sale in the Pacific Northwest or AK. A lot to ask in first post. Thanks in advance. Ken

 

[Chimo]

We made the move from a 2008 C-Dory 23 Venture with 2 x 60 hp Yamahas to a, then new, 2017 RT 26 SC with the Volvo 150 diesel. At the time we thought of the move as being from camping to a motor home and we were right. Whether this is the right move for you or whether the outboard version would be better depends on your intended use. You will probably get varying views here but let me make a start from my point of view.

If you're looking to fish, the inboard is usually too fast to troll even at idle.
Are you one who takes time to make the journey and is happy cruising at 15 mph ~ 2.6 mpg (20mph ~ 2.5 mpg top speed) or do you want to cruise around 25 mph and enjoy the destination sooner? If the latter, advantage outboard. The inboard is semi-displacement and the outboard is a full planing hull. The beam is carried further forward and the bow is fuller. Great for lift and interior volume but less of a sharp entry into serious waves. If conditions don't allow planing (comfortably) you will be possibly be down at hull speed.
Comfort: You mentioned the engine provided heat but there are other thoughts if you intend to anchor rather than marina hop. Do you prefer the head/shower in the bow next to the bed or in the cabin next to the galley? Compare the overall layout with your intentions.
Outboards are a lot easier to access for maintenance
Thinking of maintenance, either RT will have a LOT more systems to learn and maintain. How much time and energy do you want to spend on that?

That's a start and I'm sure others will contribute. For us, at our mid-70's stage, we are happy cruising at that speed and enjoying the ride, even in rough water. The C-D was a cork and the RT just plows on.

 

[Lochsa]

We made the move from a 2008 C-Dory 23 Venture with 2 x 60 hp Yamahas to a, then new, 2017 RT 26 SC with the Volvo 150 diesel. At the time we thought of the move as being from camping to a motor home and we were right. Whether this is the right move for you or whether the outboard version would be better depends on your intended use. You will probably get varying views here but let me make a start from my point of view.

If you're looking to fish, the inboard is usually too fast to troll even at idle.
Are you one who takes time to make the journey and is happy cruising at 15 mph ~ 2.6 mpg (20mph ~ 2.5 mpg top speed) or do you want to cruise around 25 mph and enjoy the destination sooner? If the latter, advantage outboard. The inboard is semi-displacement and the outboard is a full planing hull. The beam is carried further forward and the bow is fuller. Great for lift and interior volume but less of a sharp entry into serious waves. If conditions don't allow planing (comfortably) you will be possibly be down at hull speed.
Comfort: You mentioned the engine provided heat but there are other thoughts if you intend to anchor rather than marina hop. Do you prefer the head/shower in the bow next to the bed or in the cabin next to the galley? Compare the overall layout with your intentions.
Outboards are a lot easier to access for maintenance
Thinking of maintenance, either RT will have a LOT more systems to learn and maintain. How much time and energy do you want to spend on that?

That's a start and I'm sure others will contribute. For us, at our mid-70's stage, we are happy cruising at that speed and enjoying the ride, even in rough water. The C-D was a cork and the RT just plows on.

Good information. Thank you. We are retired and most of our time will be extended trips in the Inside Passage. In our CDory 22’ we did some cruises several weeks at a time in Prince William Sound, Skagway south and Puget Sound north. Primarily we intend to do more of that but with more comforts offered by the RT. We are somewhat focused on the 25 because trailerability with our existing 2500/Duramax is an important factor.

When wave conditions permitted we fast cruised in the Cdory about 18-20 mph. That seemed fast enough considering all of the logs in the water. Even at that speed I have probably spun 4 props hitting debris with the unprotected outboard lower unit. In a couple of those cases I changed props on the water to get home. Even though the outboards have speed and maybe maintenance benefits, I am wary for that reason. I am not sure how exposed the prop is on an inboard? I think we would be fine with fast being 15-18 mph.

 

[Chimo]

 

[Lochsa]

View attachment 27787

Pic is worth a thousand words.

 

[NorthernFocus]

We transitioned from a CDory 22 to R25 inboard 12 years ago. As mentioned above it compares to switching from tent camping to a motor home. The comfort of the R25 makes it much easier/more pleasant to spend more time on the water. But I miss the simplicity of the CDory and the ability to explore and anchor in tighter spots. Dinging a prop on the CDory just meant installing the spare on the water. Ding a wheel on the inboard and your poking home with a kicker or calling SeaTow.

Regarding using engine coolant for cabin heat and water heater, water yes, cabin heat not so much. Maybe farther south but on Prince William Sound a diesel heater is a must for cabin heat. Plus keep in mind it only heats while the engine is running. Water heats up in an hour or so of cruising and stays hot enough to shower for several hours thereafter. Cabin heat stops as soon as the engine shuts off.

When it comes to cruising speed if you plan on extended cruising you can forget about the advertised speed. With full fuel/water tanks, 10 gal for heat and spare fuel, 15 gal extra water, two adults, a dog, and typical cruising gear we were doing good to make 11-12 knots at 3200rpm. But the real issue is range. You're looking at one gallon/hr at 6 kts vs 6 gallons/hr at 12kts. So 6 nmpg or 2 nmpg.

At the end of the day we decided the benefits outweigh the added complexity etc. It's a comfortable, reasonably seaworthy little boat as long as you're not in a hurry to go anywhere. After much consideration of alternatives we decided this is our boat for the duration. With 2700 hrs on the original Mercruiser/Cummins we just re-powered with a 110hp Yanmar. Just about to roll over the 50 hr break-in period. With your 2500 Duramax you won't even feel it back there. So the miles that you can't cover on the water you can make up for on the road.

Hope you find what you're looking for and enjoy it in the upcoming years.