Ranger R-23

Congratulations to both of you on your new purchase! :mrgreen:

I will be R23 boating vicariously through you, especially since you both ordered the outboard models, so I hope you tell us how you enjoy the boat and post lots of pictures! 😉

I'm especially interested in hearing your performance and fuel economy numbers, both of which I expect to be excellent for a boat of this size.

Jim
 
Hello fellow Tugnuts! We are proud new owners of an R-23. We took delivery in June from Pocket Yacht Company in Grasonville, MD and we keep our boat at Flag Harbor Marina in St. Leonard, MD convenient to the middle Chesapeake Bay. Family of five (14, 13, 9) and having a great time with the boat.

Background: I inherited an Atlantic City Catboat from my grandfather in my 20s…..I was 11 years old when he purchased the boat in 1981 and we sailed it together from Atlantic City, NJ to our current marina, Flag Harbor. I spent many summers sailing the bay with my grandfather and have great memories. Kept the boat until we realized the kids were too young to enjoy it on a regular basis and sold it several years ago. As the kids grew up a bit, we wanted to get back into boating. We were looking for a solid powerboat that was 1) economical, 2) seaworthy, 3) able to sleep family of five, 4) suitable for tubing/skiing/fishing/exploring the bay, 5) under 28-30’. After seeing the R-23 in December on the ranger tugs website I knew it was going to be ideal for us.

A few notes on the boat.

Outboard: happy we went with the outboard model. 1) easier to service, 2) still economical, 3) lots of extra room for storing gear (tube, life jackets, etc), 4) still very quiet. If you have the door and large cockpit window closed you won’t notice it at cruising speed.

Handling: Honestly not much to compare it to. We had a couple powerboats growing up but on lakes, not chop like the bay. We’ve had the Sara Jo out in some 2’+ bay chop and it handled very well.

Fuel Consumption: Haven’t played around too much with a lighter load, trimming etc, but seem to be averaging 2.8 to 3.0 mpg at cruising speed which is 25-30 mph…..this is with all five of us. Cruising RPM seem to be in the 4100-4300 range with the whole family…..I will graph out fuel consumption at different RPMs later this summer.

Options: We went with three big options….
1) AutoPilot: love it. Really happy we did this.
2) Air Conditioning: Works with shore power only (unless you have an external generator). Ideal for the muggy mid-atlantic nights. Happy we did this.
3) Bow Thruster: overall happy with the decision. Generally not needed if my wife is on board, but if I’m alone with the kids it is very helpful.

Big thanks to Andrew and Jeff from Ranger Tugs and Mark from Pocket Yacht. Everyone was really helpful during the purchase process.

I will post another review later in the summer after we’ve had more time on the boat.

Joe Koenig
 
Thanks for the R-23 feedback Joe and good luck w/ the new boat sir.

Please do indeed post back later in the summer as you mentioned.

Safe boating to you,
Dan
 
Thanks JFKoenig. Looking forward to hearing more about the R-23 as I hope to buy one in a few years.

Two quick questions for everyone:
1. Does it have a hot water heater
2. Is the diesel heater an option with the gas outboard?

Thanks!
 
Thanks Joe. We are hoping for delivery of our R-23 in late August. We went with the same options. Went back and forth on the Autopilot and finally went with it. Thanks again for your review.

What did you pay for bottom painting on your new R-23?
 
NautiTug -

The R23 has a hot water heater (shore power). But I do not think the outboard version has the option for a diesel heater.

Champ -

We were fortunate enough to get a slip with a lift at our marina so no need for bottom paint yet.

Also there was a question about ventilation. While underway we keep the salon door and large window open as well as the four hatches in the main salon / helm station....as well as the side sliding windows. I find this is very sufficient ventilation for hot days on the bay. At slower speeds you can also keep the v berth hatches open which adds to the airflow.

Joe
 
Thanks for all the great the info. Especially on the ventilation, there was some concern about the cabin being to warm on hot days. While on the heat subject we decided on the diesel heater which is an option on the o/b. We went back and forth whether to get the heater or the a/c and decided the heater might be more practical where we are. I think It is either or.
Jim
 
Joe, congratulations on your R23 purchase. Hope you have a great Summer with her. I'm looking forward to your end of Summer post.

Regarding adding a heater to a R23, I would consider a Wallas diesel stove/heater, in place of the standard alcohol/electic stove. Not only is alcohol pricy (about $18 a gallon), but I wouldn't want to have three fuel sources on board - gas (outboard), alcohol (cooktop), and diesel (heater). Having a Wallas diesel stove/heater would cut the fuel sources to two and cut the devices (separate stove and heater) from two to one. Unfortunately, the Wallas isn't a factory option, so having one on board would involve pulling out the the factory stove and installing the Wallas.

Jim
 
I am also looking forward to the R23 posts (pics please!!!). My wife and I are going to look at one in a couple of weeks........ would prefer the R29 but the price difference is too much of a hurdle at this point in our lives with a 10 year old daughter still. The R23 looks like a baby R29........ love the lines on it. My only reservation might be the fuel economy with the OB.
 
It looks like the Diesel heater, forced air furnace (diesel sterndrive only. I wonder if the factory would replace the stovetop with a Wallas Nordic DT heater/stovetop and install a small diesel tank for it. Would help extend the season here in the northeast.

http://reedyachtsales.com/Library/speci ... 010516.pdf
 
Does anyone know if the 5,000 pound dry weight listed on the specs includes the weight of the outboard?
 
Hooray! Thanks to Bruce for having the patience to get me aboard the forum! I am anxiously awaiting delivery on my R-23. Expected in next week! I will let y'all know how it goes.


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Thanks everybody for the info on the R23. I am considering purchasing the R23 with the Stock OB engine. I can understand why some folks may prefer the IB profile but the offsetting factors are .. Ease of maintainance, available speed options, reasonable fuel economy, available OB mechanics, quiet reliable operation, ease of handling, thus offsetting the different profile to some extent.
And just as important IMHO is the interior design of the R23. It seems equal to or may be better than some of the other models.
In my case I will have to keep her in a slip in a salt water environment in Florida. Thus I will need good bottom paint and periodic bottom cleaning. I think the Stock OB engine tilts up to keep the prop out of the water but not sure.
By reading the previous posts I have decided to look carefully at the R23 and the appropriate options in my case.
Thanks again for this very helpful info and I am hoping it will continue to reinforce my decision about the R23 model.
Fair winds to all.
Bob
 
Mine just left the factory! Heading south now🙂


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I just got my new R23 with the 200 Yammy. It replaced a 2015 R25. I really like the new 23. It is quiet, fast ,fuel efficient and comfortable......Not to mention easy to work on. It is not as "stout" or robust as the 25 but lighter and my F150 handles it easily. Both boats do different things better.....really depends on what your needs are
 
Cruiser: What options did you end up going with?
 
We got our R 23 August 17th. Drove up to Salem Ma. for two day training. Peter and the crew at Winter Island Yacht Yard are the best ! Wagner showed us around the boat and then we were onto the water. Lots to learn and by the end of day two we were on the way south to Quincy Ma. where we have a slip for the rest of the season. Diane and Rosemary made the paperwork process painless.
We have been learning more about the boat daily and it is a lot of fun. The electrical parts can be very confusing to me. I was very fortunate to become acquainted with John DeCaro who also has an R 23. Our boats arrived within days of each other. His is beautiful too ! John has been very helpful in the learning process and it's a great feeling knowing he is not far away.
The thruster is great as we try to back into the slip ! Learning new and exciting things every day (this is the 3rd time I am writing this as I keep getting logged out) We are very happy with the boat and look forward to every time we get to go out, Jim
 
Have you been in any moderate swell or chop? How does she handle it?
 
Steven,
Read the third post on the first page.
 
I have owned boats all my life. Started with a 16'7" Boston Whaler at 12 and maxed out with a 62 Ocean Alexander in 2006. Everyone is a compromise. The R-23 has shown to be the biggest return of pleasure with the least amount of pain! It does so much for the price and size but best of all is the feeling of quality and safety. I did show some of the limits but none are because of lack of quality or expectation. It still is only 23 feet!! With 6 large people and full fuel and water, I did need to work to get her over the step. Once over and cruising it preformed well. In choppy conditions it rides well and of course being enclosed and dry is a plus. Most of my cruising is with my mate and together we weigh in around 260lbs together... We cruised at 30 mph at 4300 rpm getting 3.3 mpg the other day and it's still almost new! I think the only point is to remember is it's size. With that being said, I would not hesitate to take it anywhere weather permitting.


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