1997 Ranger 21

[SEADOG63]

Hi recently joined the site what a great source of information. I recently bought a trailered 1997 21 and am having a ball with it. Not having an owners manual i was wondering about a few things. Should the forward bilge drain to rear? This boat has no drain to rear. The engine control panel on this year what indicater lights are there? On the rear of the skeg there are two what look to be water intakes on either side just forward of the prop. they look like water intake but the water intake is at the middle of boat opposite of the sea cock. Does anyone have knowledge of an owners manual for this vintage R21 1997? Many thanks

 

[capndon]

Go to Forum Index then click on RangerTech Bulletins and find R21 Manual. We purchased an R21/07 last year and had a great summer on Lake George NY and can't wait to put her back in the water this Spring. Good luck and good cruising.

 

[Lone Star Ranger]

Welcome aboard, but I have to warn you. 😱
We started out with a 2008 R-21ec and are now proud owners of a 2011 R-27!!! :lol:
I've heard the term "twofootitis", but we had "sixfootitis"! 😀

We had so much fun with our 21, it was our first boat, so I can understand how much fun you are having.

 

[SlackwaterJack]

Keep in mind that the "97 R-21 and the (post '05)R-21ec are not identical boats, and the engine could be different too.

 

[RonGinger]

I have a 2001 21, and although I only got a couple days on it last summer I think its a great boat, and Im looking forward to some serious boating this summer.

I think what you see as water intakes are for the cutlass bearing in the stern. The casting for it usually has a couple slots, one on each side.

I do not think the bilge drains from the front to the rear. The back bulkhead of the house seems to block it fully. I was a bit disappointed at the bilge capacity and the non-self draining cockpit. It never occurred to me it would not be self draining, until I had the boat home and was washing it in the driveway when I realized there was no water running out.

I leave my boat on a mooring, so I was unwilling to trust just a bilge pump. I have had a cockpit cover made that snaps around the coaming, and up to the top of the house. I had it done just after I hauled the boat for winter, so it has not been used yet, nor do I have any photos.

What engine does your boat have? Mine is the 3cylinder yanmar, 27hp

 

[SEADOG63]

Thanks for that bearing information. kinda crazy that the forward bilge wasnt designed to drain rear.??? My boat has the two cylander 18HP engine. Does a sold 6.5 knots. Best fishing spave in a small boat Iv eve had. We like the boat a bunch.

 

[tlkenyon]

I have a 2005 R-21 Classic (non-EC). The forward bilge does indeed appear to drain to the rear under normal conditions, but it does not drain completely. I had it on the trailer near my house and had it parked on a hill with the bow facing up the hill. I noticed some water running out of the hull drain plug and wondered where it was coming from, because I had previously had the boat on the level and it had fully drained. By process of elimination, the water had to come from the residual water in forward bilge and the area beneath the pilot house floorboards....so there does appear to be rather complete drainage in the right conditions.

I also wish that the cockpit was self-bailing. I have my tug on a lift, but the battery has run down a few times from operating the bilge pump over a rainy week. I am torn between accepting the occasional accumulation of rainwater and the risk of pulling the hull plug and the tug sinking of the lift fails (although that is an unlikely circumstance). A non-bailing cockpit is also somewhat scary in big waves, but being in the center of the Great Plains, I hope to avoid most of that kind of problem.

We really enjoy our tug and are looking forward to our second season on the lakes in the area.

If there is any way I can be of assistance or anything else, do not hesitate to send me a PM.

Regards,

TK

 

[SEADOG63]

Thanks for that, the 1997 definitely does not drain to the rear. no hole to do so. Kinda weird that wouldn't
be there. None the less those engineers at Ranger probably had good reason at the time. I just installed a backup bilge for
the very reason you mentioned. Being on the San Francisco Bay and Delta 2-3 footers are not that uncommon. The boat design insures that self bailing deck is not possible but all else is great we love the boat and how economical and rooooomy the rear deck is. Going Sturgeon fishing tomorrow. Take em easy