R23 seakeeping characteristics

L

Last Cast 2

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Joined
Dec 1, 2025
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Hello to all, I'm looking at an 2017 R23 Diesel and was wondering about how it rode in various sea conditions. I would use the boat for fishing and day cruises mostly in the Chesapeake Bay but would occasionally run it off shore for wreck fishing. The reason I'm considering the Ranger is because I'm looking for a boat that could be used as a comfortable boat for my wife and grand kids. I would be downsizing from a 32' sport cruiser and a 26' WA cuddy fishing boat. Anyway, I have been reading that the R23 is a bit top heavy and rocks a lot at anchor or drifting. I know that I would need to sea trial the boat but winter is coming fast here in the NE so just trying to get some owner feed back. A rocking, top heavy boat would be a deal breaker. This boat has the I/O duo prop VP diesel. Any comments would be appreciated.
 
Last Cast 2 said:
Hello to all, I'm looking at an 2017 R23 Diesel and was wondering about how it rode in various sea conditions. I would use the boat for fishing and day cruises mostly in the Chesapeake Bay but would occasionally run it off shore for wreck fishing. The reason I'm considering the Ranger is because I'm looking for a boat that could be used as a comfortable boat for my wife and grand kids. I would be downsizing from a 32' sport cruiser and a 26' WA cuddy fishing boat. Anyway, I have been reading that the R23 is a bit top heavy and rocks a lot at anchor or drifting. I know that I would need to sea trial the boat but winter is coming fast here in the NE so just trying to get some owner feed back. A rocking, top heavy boat woul be a deal breaker. This boat has the I/O duo prop VP diesel. Any comments would be appreciated.
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I am a new R23 (outboard) owner so I don’t have much of a history of experience. I have found that the boat is very weight sensitive even when up on a plane. If you have several people on the boat and they are moving around, it may surprise you. The trim tabs do a great job of countering the effect but it is reactive. I’ve heard about the auto functioning trim tabs and now understand that they would be a nice addition. I don’t believe it is a safety or seaworthy issue though. For me, the other benefits of the boat as a whole, outweigh the “inconvenience” of its initial lateral stability.
 
Thanks for your reply. How does it react to waves when drifting or at anchor. Does it rock more than 3 times before settling down?
 
Couldn’t really say as I haven’t had it out in any long period swell. Drifting in 20knts and 2’-2.5’ wind chop didn’t seem excessive for a 23’ boat. It yaws quite a bit at anchor in a breeze but rolling was not an issue with just myself and my wife onboard. I have not anchored in an exposed area where there was any sort of sea state.
 
Before we bought the R23, we looked hard at the Parker 24’ & 25’ models. If I was planning on most of my time being offshore, I would have gone with one of those but since we are retired and just want to “cruise” in comfort, primarily in somewhat protected waters, we chose the Ranger.

FWIW, for going offshore, I’m more concerned about all the glass on the Ranger and taking a big sea over the bow than I am about intact stability.
 
mik said:
Before we bought the R23, we looked hard at the Parker 24’ & 25’ models. If I was planning on most of my time being offshore, I would have gone with one of those but since we are retired and just want to “cruise” in comfort, primarily in somewhat protected waters, we chose the Ranger.

FWIW, for going offshore, I’m more concerned about all the glass on the Ranger and taking a big sea over the bow than I am about intact stability.
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I see that you have an EZ Loader trailer. How do the rollers work with that bow thruster?
 
Ours has bunks, not rollers.
 
Yeah, bunks are a pain, particularly on a steep ramp. We keep ours in the water. Use the trailer 2 or 3 times a year to go to a different region for a season.
 
Thanks. Really enjoying her.
 
Last Cast 2 said:
Hello to all, I'm looking at an 2017 R23 Diesel and was wondering about how it rode in various sea conditions. I would use the boat for fishing and day cruises mostly in the Chesapeake Bay but would occasionally run it off shore for wreck fishing. The reason I'm considering the Ranger is because I'm looking for a boat that could be used as a comfortable boat for my wife and grand kids. I would be downsizing from a 32' sport cruiser and a 26' WA cuddy fishing boat. Anyway, I have been reading that the R23 is a bit top heavy and rocks a lot at anchor or drifting. I know that I would need to sea trial the boat but winter is coming fast here in the NE so just trying to get some owner feed back. A rocking, top heavy boat would be a deal breaker. This boat has the I/O duo prop VP diesel. Any comments would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Bear in mind that most, if not all, comments are likely coming from OB owners. There were only a few I/O boats built. The location of the diesel engine will have moved the COG of the boat forward and down compared to the OB. The roll characteristics will be different, perhaps significantly. Maybe do a search on here for someone with an I/O boat and get their opinion.
 
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