Ranger 37 1980 - suitable for cruising??

[johneltin]

Hello!
I’m about to make a decision on a Ranger 37 1980, only because it’s within my budget and I wonder what are the pros and cons for cruising and live-aboard.She seems to be an Australian version and I intend to cruise north from the south coast of Aus to the Great Barrier Reef.

Do you thing it would be an unsuitable boat for that purpose? Too unstable and the wrong keel?
I’ve only ever sailed beach cats (on the wire, every day for half of each year for 30 years) but want to ‘buy the boat and sail away’ and though the price of this boat is good I may be making a mistake in design.

I have posted my questions in another forum, (here) in the hope of getting the right advice: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/.....uld-i.html

Any opinions appreciated. J

[Nick]

.
She has a longish fin keel and a ballast ratio of 48%, so I don't see any stability or seakeeping issues. At first glance she looks like a very suitable coastal/offshore cruising choice if she appeals to you. She has a skeg hung rudder, which is much more sensible than a spade rudder. My only comment would be that her long overhangs limit accommodation slightly compared to most modern boats, with LOA of 37ft and LWL of only 29ft. This reflects her racing pedigree - she was designed to the IOR handicap rule and was the last production boat to win the Southern Ocean Racing Conference. If cruising performance and safety are more important to you than caravan-like accommodation this is an advantage rather than a problem though - and there are certainly plenty of berths (9 nominally).

I hadn't come across the marque before, but she certainly looks like a boat I would be happy to own and take on extended cruises.

[sahona]

Looks very similar to the Ericson39 that we went liveaboard on in 2000.
The interior was rebuilt to reflect two people cruising rather than seven racing..
The great thing is these IORs were built to take a bit of a hammering, so the rig should reflect this and take all a cruiser would want to endure. You may find it's under-engined for your purpose.

[johneltin]

Thanks Nick - here's another attempt at the link: http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-s ... R=12863150

[johneltin]

The great thing is these IORs were built to take a bit of a hammering, so the rig should reflect this and take all a cruiser would want to endure.


Thanks but what about the keel? I have been advised to look for a 'full length' keel with a view to sailing the Barrier Reef - corals!! Limited choice down here and I may be waiting years to find the right keel!!

[sahona]

Your link fails (for me) so I can't see the keel if indeed there is a picture.
Ours was a bit like an inverted sharks fin, which tended to ride up over obstacles rather than bang into them.
It was a case of walking to the bow to tilt the boat and disengage the keel from the bottom.
I didn't think about keel configuration when we bought the boat - it was one of those that "looked right" and it seemed to be so.
I worry that you have a fatalist attitude towards grounding, perhaps an ice-breaker would be more suitable!!!
Seriously I didn't think yotties were allowed anywhere near a position where they could damage coral heads nowadays.

[johneltin]

Thanks Admiral, here are some links - again:
http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-s ... R=12863150

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=2163

[Nick]

The great thing is these IORs were built to take a bit of a hammering, so the rig should reflect this and take all a cruiser would want to endure.


Thanks but what about the keel? I have been advised to look for a 'full length' keel with a view to sailing the Barrier Reef - corals!! Limited choice down here and I may be waiting years to find the right keel!!

The link you give goes to an S&S 38, which I am pretty sure is not the same boat. Here's a diagram of the Ranger 37 showing the keel profile:



Looks pretty robust to me - a long fin with a raked leading edge. Of course, if you plan to regularly go smashing into coral reefs you might stand more chance of getting away with it with a full-length encapsulated keel, but why not just navigage a little more carefully? Long keel boats still sink!

[sahona]

Long keel boats still sink!

Almost.

[johneltin]

Thanks everyone,

Things have progressed a bit more towards the negative since my posting:
1. To have it lifted out and immediately back with a waterblast and a quick inspection quoted at $550 – the slipmaster who did the last work reckons her bottom was pretty BAD and just painted over!
2. The forums mostly advise that she’s more of a racer than a cruiser.
4. Though it looks like a Ranger 37, according to the forums there are some differences and it’s numbers do not match the American lists. It may have been built in Aus.
5. AND most important: the survey is a forgery – I emailed it to the surveyor after noticing a suspicious type-o in the name ‘Ansell’ instead of ‘Ansdell’ !!!

I will look at a Herreshoff 36 and that may be more suitable – if I can afford it!

Thanks for the advice, John