Newbie here, considering purchase

[goatjean]

Hi to all. I only discovered the Rangers recently and believe that I'm getting hooked. There is a 1996 Ranger 21 for sale a couple of hours from me that I'm considering taking a look at. It is offered at $15,000. I didn't know what the members here felt about that figure, if it was in line or not?

Boat appears to be in great shape judging from the pics I've seen. I've read several other threads here regarding pro's and con's of the Rangers.

My biggest concern is speed, because the owner says that this boat has an 18hp Yanmar, while all of the other 21's I've seen have the 30hp Yanmar. Would anyone venture a guess to the cruising speed of a 21 with the 18hp engine?

The boat would primarily be used in the bayous of Louisiana, so I'm not looking for a speedboat obviously. However, I don't want to have a 4 hr weather window to worry about either.

Also, and this may be a very ignorant question, but how responsive are these boats in reverse? I've owned mainly outboards and a couple of inboard/outboards, but never a true inboard with a rudder.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again,
Chris

 

[captain's cat]

Chris, it's a displacement boat. Hull speed (which is fast as it will go without planing, and it won't) is approx 1.33 X Square root of the waterline length in feet. If the waterline is about 20' the Hull Speed is around 6-7 knots. No matter how much hp it has. Unless it gets "up out of the water", that's it for top speed.

That engine will "sip" diesel...The 18hp diesel will be fine if it's fast enough for you.

As far as reverse maneuverability, you need some speed for the rudder to take effect. The stern will naturally "walk" one way, called prop walk, not very much though.

Charlie

 

[goatjean]

Thanks Charlie. Wow, that's great info. I didn't realize that a displacement hull had such a finite limit on speed. I assumed that it came down to power to weight ratio, much like anything else. Very interesting. Still a little confused on the 18hp though, as I was browsing through the pics and saw TF Varley's 1995 for sale, which is a year older yet had a 27hp.

Is there a chance that this boat has been repowered? Were the 21's ever offered with an 18hp engine?

Thanks for the info regarding reverse maneuverability. I guess it's one of those things that you just have to get used to. It just seems like even with a decent amount of speed that the rudder would have little effect.

Did you have an opinion on the price, in general? I think I saw a 21 that was 9-10 years newer for about $4000 more. Not sure of the hrs. on this particular boat. I realized that there are many variables involved etc. Just wondering if that seemed in the right ballpark assuming the boat is in good condition.

Also, I had another quick question that I have been unable to find and answer for as of yet. Are the stringers, transom, etc. wooden cored or are the hulls wood free?

Thanks again to all for any input.

Chris

 

[RProffer]

Here is a little history of the Yanmar engine used in the R21 to help avoid some confusion. Ranger used the GM series engine in the R21. For a while they used the 2GM20 engine which developed 18 HP at 3600 RPM. Ranger later upgraded the engine to the 3GM30 engine which developed 27 HP at 3600 RPM. Yanmar replaced the GM series engine with the YM series engine, and Ranger switched to the 3YM30 engine which develops 27 HP at 3600 RPM. 3600 RPM is the Maximum Rated Power the engine is supposed to be run. I can get 3800 RPM on my 3YM30. The first number of the engine model indicates the number of cylinders. The 2GM20 has 2 cylinders. The 3GM30 and 3YM30 have 3 cylinders. The last two numbers of the model number indicate the horsepower of the engine. Generally speaking, people round up the Maximum Rated Power to the next even number (i.e 18 to 20 and 27 to 30). The 3YM30 is designed to run at 3400 RPM or less 90 percent of the time. The amount of speed you get at a given RPM depends on the conditions at the time (e.g. wind, current. etc.). I can generally get 7 to 8 MPH (6 to 7 knots) at 3400 RPM on my 3YM30. I can get up to 9 to 10 MPH at max RPM (11.5 MPH with a good tail wind and current). Ranger installed a 40 HP in one R21 at a test, and I understand they only gained one MPH, which was not cost effective.

I cannot say what kind of performance you can expect with the 2GM20 engine because I do not have any experience with one. I think you can expect similar performance with the 3GM30 and 3YM30 engines. From what I have read, Yanmar makes an extremely reliable motor. Searching the blogs on Tugnuts and C-Brats, I don't remember finding any problems with the Yanmar engines used on any of the Ranger boats.

As far a driving in reverse goes, it is a little iffy, as is my experience with most boats. You usually are not going fast enough in reverse for the rudder to have much of an effect. I use my bow thruster a lot when going in reverse. That said, the R21 is the most maneuverable boat I have ever driven. It is a joy to drive, especially at slow speeds and docking.

 

[rt11002003]

The R21EC is quick (responding to power) and light weight with considerable windage. The large rudder is helpful when backing down, but the vessel moves quickly when struck by the wind. In my marina the space between docks isn't much, so I'm not comfortable using a lot of power to back down, which it what it takes for the rudder to work well. Sometimes I'm successful and get my slip the first time without the bowthruster. But, if it's windy I'm forced to use it almost 100% of the time.

They back down as well as any single screw inboard I've ever used.

Gene

 

[commander bill]

My understanding is with the 18hp engine you will have to drain fuel every so often as it actually makes diesel fuel rather than using it. Jokes aside you will not believe how efficient these small engines are. I have talked to a few individuals with the older R21 design (newer design is semi-displacement) and most speak in terms of quarts/hour while cruising. My R25 only has 75hp Yanmar and I tend to stay at 6-7 kts. I used 60 gallons for 80 hours for my first year. I ran more time my second season but kept less percise records.

 

[Texas_Steve]

Chris:

If you haven't caught the article linked to the Ranger Tug site, the story about three fellows that took their 18 HP R21's on the inside passage to Alaska from Seattle will be a real eye opener. They are the most amazing little boat you will ever own from a maneuverability and efficiency standpoint. Learning to back up a single screw inboard is an artform that can be mastered with practice. My R21 EC doesn't have the bow thruster, so I've had to learn how to reverse her into her slip. It's a combination of using the prop walk in both forward and reverse to accomplish your goal, but once you get the routine down, it's really not difficult. when I purchased my boat new from Wefings in Appalachiacola, Marc asked me how old I was. Seemed like an odd question, but I told him. His comment was that the boat should be good for between 5 and 10 thousand hours without an overhaul and that I had better start using a lot or the boat would outlive me. If you decide to go with the Ranger Tug, you will not be disappointed as long as you keep decent expectations as to her top speed capability.

Steve

 

[RProffer]

That is why I bought the R21-EC. I just retired. I have no where to go and all the time in the world to get there. And with the miserly fuel consumption, I can afford to take it out all the time. 😎