Before I go off half-cocked...

[Cker]

I'm in Columbia SC where there are not a lot of boats (Gradys on one end - Duracraft johnboats on the other) and I'm trying to make an INTELLIGENT decision about what boat to zero in on. My choices are:
21EC Ranger but worried about the seating for my little co-pilot who likes to be comfortable. (20 Yanmar)
R21 Ranger tug (30 Yanmar)
C-Dory 22 Cruiser (90)
C-Dory 22 Angler (90)
Nimble Nomad 25 (50)
Any pointers or advice would be deeply appreciated.

 

[SlackwaterJack]

not all that familiar with c-dory (an aquaintance in San Diego had a 22 he used for fishing). fast and about the same room as the R-21EC. Very well built from what I saw. easy to trailer I hear.

Nimble...I looked at pretty closely before I bought the Ranger. same speed as the Ranger but 18" wider and 3 feet longer with a LOT of room inside but not much useable space outside The front cockpit is mainly good for anchor handling and uncomfortable for riding in, while the rear cockpit is a bit roomier (room for 2), the big "box" over the engine gets in the way. flat bottom really pounds in any kind of chop and handling is a little squirrelly. uses 4x more fuel (gas). outboard is better for reverse handling but you may want to re-power if the engine has over 1000 hours. The green hulled boats are a nightmare to keep looking nice. Draft is about the same but trailering is more work and needs a larger tow vehicle.
There is a nice one listed on BoatUs's site, its located near you (don't know if it's still avail though)http://www.boatus.com/classifiedads/searchDetails.aspx?action=search&adkey=66830. It can be a lot of work keeping up with the complex "live aboard" systems that are 10- 20 years old and no factory help available . The boats were very well built but they have cored hulls that may start to give expensive trouble.

Ranger 21...I bought one

Mainly its a questiom of fast or slow...spending 2 weeks aboard or a weekend...wanting to spend all your time at the wheel and inside or fishing /swimming/enjoying some sun...Cost of operation(mainly fuel) and hassle involved to use the boat. and of course the use/fix ratio.

How "little" the co-pilot is has a bearing to I suppose. My wife and I both fit in the R-21. But my cousin "little" Gary is 6"6" and 325 lbs...you'd have to grease him up to fit into the pilothouse with me (no thanks)

 

[RDragon]

Agree with Jack! My wife and I spent 10 days on the Erie in a Nimble. Fun boat to use occassionally, but wouldn't want it to be my primary. The layout of the nomad was a little better than the R-25, but it was underpowered and REALLY bad visibility trying to reverse the boat!
On the plus side, having the fore and aft cockpits made doing lots of locks so easy even a "Caveman could do it!" Or a guy from the PNW who has never transited a lock! 😀

Just my view on a fun boat...
Drew

 

[Stella Maris]

Ranger, no more needs to be said.........

 

[McTug]

I don't know if it will help, but we have a Ranger 25 in Columbia on the lake. We also have a friend that just parted with a 21. You can give us a call and we will be glad to show you the Ranger. Good luck Mack 600-0806

 

[ron cowan]

You have narrowed in on a group of cool boats. I looked at each of these before making a purchase. I bought a new Ranger 21 from the factory and loved the boat while I lived near the St. Johns river in Fla. Then we moved on the Tennessee River in north Al. near my grandchildren and found the tug to be too slow for going to see the grandkids. I then sold the tug and bought a C-Dory 22 Angler and now love the C-Dory with a 90. You can enjoy cruising at displacement spped with great fuel mileage or kick it up to travel at a good speed. The C-Dory has much more room in the cabin and v-berth.
My point in this response is to suggest that you be very realistic in how you plan to use the boat and lean toward the one that meets those needs. The boats you mentioned are quite different and some may miss your needs. I have enjoyed both that I have owned but know they are really different.

If you have any questions concerning my comments please feel free to call me on my cell and I will discuss them. your needs can change as mine did, but you could save a lot of money if you are carefull with the choice. I have an album "Elk-Tenn" on this site and "Ron cowan" on the C-Brat sate. Cell (256) 318-4608
Ron