How mechanically adept does one need to be to own a Ranger?

[stwendl]

Someone once said "a bad day on the water is better than a good day in the office"

 

[StinkerBell]

The biggest problem on a Tug is not changing that fuse but where the heck did the demented squirrel who wired the boat bury it.

Winning quote of the day. :lol:

 

[harry ames]

How mechanically adept you need to be is inversely proportional to how much money you have to pay someone who is.

The old saying if you have to ask about the expense of owning a car or truck or airplane, then perhaps it shouldn't be purchased in the first. place.

Kidding aside, these are complex boats and the system are often not well explained or documented. That seems to be the biggest draw back for the bigger rangers. If you know what's wrong and where its located on the boat, replacing parts is pretty well within the average talents of someone handy with normal automobile skills.

 

[Cruzerboy]

I'm fairly mechanical, but the best thing we did (at my wife's insistence) when we bought or 2015 R-29s, was to start a three-ring binder with pages of items to be checked before: engine start, leaving home port, arriving back at home, arriving at a location for an hour or three, arriving at a location for a night or more, departing a location after a spell, etc. The pages are in plastic sleeves for ease of updating as we learn additional things--like to check the hydraulic steering fluid level in the helm reservoir. (That's a story unto itself.)

Good pilots have checklists for departures and landings. Boat skippers should too, especially as we age and experience more and more "senior moments."

T.

 

[Smokeyham]

I'm fairly mechanical, but the best thing we did (at my wife's insistence) when we bought or 2015 R-29s, was to start a three-ring binder with pages of items to be checked before: engine start, leaving home port, arriving back at home, arriving at a location for an hour or three, arriving at a location for a night or more, departing a location after a spell, etc. The pages are in plastic sleeves for ease of updating as we learn additional things--like to check the hydraulic steering fluid level in the helm reservoir. (That's a story unto itself.)

Good pilots have checklists for departures and landings. Boat skippers should too, especially as we age and experience more and more "senior moments."

T.

I love checklists, and acronyms, to help me remember what needs to be done!

Great input.... Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

Gordon

 

[Sea Jo]

This past season lost steering ,trying to put boat in a slip at lake erie,not fun. Needed fluid,tough way to learn.

 

[nzfisher]

There are many systems on an inboard Ranger, mechanical, diesel, fuel, water, exhaust, electrical, weatherproofing etc. If you want to avoid a substantial amount of "work" I would consider the Yamaha outboard. In my opinion a much more reliable, foolproof option that will give you more cruising time versus repair time. Alternately find a good mechanic that specializes in your diesel power plant (very hard to find). There is an implied replacement cost for the outboard at anywhere to 2500 to 4000 hours or whenever you feel the motor is no longer reliable but you will have trouble free running for that duration with proper maintenance. Much less likely with the inboard.