Ranger 26-2 stability/seaworthiness

C

catahoula

New member
8
13
A friend and I are looking at buying a Ranger 26-2 and wondering about it's suitability for some coastal cruising or light offshore, like a trip in the San Juans or from San Diego down Baja... or possibly a downwind Transpac-route trip. We're inland so the trailerability is a big plus.

There's an older thread citing the IOR design influence, the waterline is is very short for the size (19.8 ft), and it's certainly light and probably needs some chainplate/bulkhead/deck fitting reinforcement. But, the ballast ratio is decent (38% and 4.75 ft draft semi-bulb keel) and the beam is pretty conservative at 8 ft, so seems like AVS should be reasonable. This particular boat seems to be in good condition. 

Basically just looking for a gut check- we know it's a small boat, but people have Transpac'ed on Moore 24s and Merit 25's etc. Is this way sketchier? or in the same ballpark? When you load down the boat a bit, does the hollow bow and stern get better or worse? 

Cheers

 
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SloopJonB

SloopJonB

Super Anarchist
72,304
14,625
Great Wet North
catahoula said:
A friend and I are looking at buying a Ranger 26-2 and wondering about it's suitability for some coastal cruising or light offshore, like a trip in the San Juans or from San Diego down Baja... or possibly a downwind Transpac-route trip. We're inland so the trailerability is a big plus.

There's an older thread citing the IOR design influence, the waterline is is very short for the size (19.8 ft), and it's certainly light and probably needs some chainplate/bulkhead/deck fitting reinforcement. But, the ballast ratio is decent (38% and 4.75 ft draft semi-bulb keel) and the beam is pretty conservative at 8 ft, so seems like AVS should be reasonable. This particular boat seems to be in good condition. 

Basically just looking for a gut check- we know it's a small boat, but people have Transpac'ed on Moore 24s and Merit 25's etc. Is this way sketchier? or in the same ballpark? When you load down the boat a bit, does the hollow bow and stern get better or worse? 

Cheers
Click to expand...
Webb Chiles went most of the way around in an open 18' boat and all the way in a Moore but I wouldn't want to get out of sight of land in a small, lightweight board boat.

It would be fine for camp cruising in the islands but Transpac???

 
Steam Flyer

Steam Flyer

Sophisticated Yet Humble
48,337
11,889
Eastern NC
Seem like a good prospect to add positive flotation, like a dinghy. Then you got no worries, even if it breaks into pieces you can just hang onto one of the floating ones.

FB- Doug

 
L

Livia

Super Anarchist
4,127
1,159
Southern Ocean
If it is like the Australian Sonata 8 (Mull 26) with the internal ballast and board, seaworthy as all get out in the ocean (like proper ocean).

Go upwind in plenty in the ocean real fine.

Transpac no worries.

 
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C

catahoula

New member
8
13
Thanks all for the tips. I guess just not so many of these boats out there so hard to find specific experience with them.

Livia- this one does look a lot like the Sonata 8. Though the vertical lifting keel is weighted (made of lead according to sailboatdata, more a lifting keel than centerboard) and this particular one has a little bit of a bulb on the bottom, though most of the photos online of other examples of the model show a straight fin keel. 

Re: transpac, obviously that and coastal cruising are not the same, but it's a good metric for seaworthiness, no?

 
D

Devoforedeckus

Member
169
37
Castro Valley, CA.
It's built like a Laser. The deck is just glued to the hull. Not too many fasteners. They tried to sail one around the Farallons during the "Tragic Doublehanded Farallons" race. All they found was part of the deck washed ashore near Bolinas. Look elsewhere young Jedi, it is not the boat you are seeking.

 
Blue Crab

Blue Crab

benthivore
17,619
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Outer Banks
Guy over on the nice forum, seemingly quite an expert on blue water sailing, insists that a Bristol 27 is as "blue water" as boats get.

 
C

catahoula

New member
8
13
Well, we bought the boat. Devoforedeckus was not wrong, it really is built like a laser. But, ultimately we decided that since we need a bit more experience before venturing way offshore anyways, going with something that is easy to trailer with the vehicles we already own and that is fun and sporty to sail is a great option for the meantime.

This one is in good condition, and while there's a few details to look after, not too much of a project boat. Just one or two soft spots in the deck under the lifeline stanchions by the bow. Everything in working order with somewhat fresh sails, and fairly priced. Seems like it's been well taken care of.

These are hard to find info on so will share what we found while inspecting: 

-hull seems to have ballast in the bottom, spread almost waterline to waterline port to starboard, for a few feet in front of and behind the keel. Very damp and thick feeling when lightly sounding with a hammer or knuckles.

-lifting keel is definitely on the daggerboard side of things. Original paperwork cites 375 lbs daggerboard weight (construction seems to be glass over some kind of core), and ~1100 lbs ballast, so that adds up with the observation about hull ballast. This boat has what appears to be a lead clamshell bulb attached to the bottom of the board, through-bolted on and faired-in with simple fillets. We have not found any other boat on the web showing this small bulb, so it may be a modification. Either way it looks well done, and looks like 100lbs or less of lead. 

-the forward hatch cutaway in the deck reveals mostly foam core, with plywood core in certain areas.

-not sure what the hull core is but the hull is extremely light on the sides, with longitudinal stringers molded in internally. Not a single full bulkhead, so the hull to deck joint is definitely getting a work out. 

-Hull to deck joint is an external flange on each part that overlap and are bonded together. This boat has glass tape laid on the inside of the joint all the way around the boat, similar to what ILYB-Todd did on his salvage project, but slightly less fillet under the glass. we are not sure if this was factory or added later. Either way, glad to see it. 

-mast is deck stepped but sits on a post connecting hull to deck directly underneath it. 

-chainplates are long aluminum flat bar that connects to the half-height bulkhead behind the v-berth.

-lifting daggerboard mechanism leaves a lot to be desired. Pulley carrying the lifting cable is at the aft end of the board but the slot is at an angle, so it wedges the board into the slot. 

- after a while of looking at the boat, the weird IOR hollow stern thing doesn't hurt my eyes quite as much ;) overall nice looking boat and excited to sail it. 

1552274965_PXL_20210613_1910066904.jpg

 
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